Why Does Front Mount Spare Tire Carrier # 6715 Have Lower Weight Capacity than Trailer Hitch

Updated 01/21/2020 | Published 01/20/2020

Question:

Why is this only rated for 100lbs when the Draw-tite front receiver 65028 is rated at 500lbs?

asked by: Sara

Expert Reply:

The Front Mounted Spare Tire Carrier # 6715 that you referenced is designed to mount to a front hitch like the Draw-Tite # 65028 that you also mentioned, so both components are going to have their own weight capacity. It's important to keep in mind that with any type of setup, you will always be limited by your weakest component.

So since the Spare Tire Carrier itself can only handle up to 100 pounds, you will need to adhere to this limit when mounting the tire (even though the trailer hitch its used with can handle much more). Most hitch-mounted accessories will have a lower weight capacity than the hitch itself, as the hitch is designed to handle many different applications (spare tire mounts, bike racks, towing, etc) while the accessory is used for a specific task and is designed/rated appropriately.

I have attached a couple videos on these products below that you can also check out.

expert reply by: Chris R