Does Trailer Coupler Need to Sit Flat Against the Top of Trailer Tongue

Updated 06/05/2012 | Published 06/02/2012

Question:

I purchased one of these to replace the same brand and model that had become rusty and worn. The drilling is the same except that the coupler wont go comepletely flush down on the tongue.Theres a space between the coupler and 3inch square tongue.Will that cause a problem down the road?

asked by: Jack G

Expert Reply:

Ideally, you want the coupler sitting flat in direct contact with the top of the trailer tongue. If the gap between the bottom inside of the coupler and the trailer tongue is pretty minimal, say 1/16 of an inch or less, having it the way it is would most likely not cause a problem, but I would recommend you go ahead and fix it.

This can be done in two ways. You can remove the coupler, cut about 1 to 1-1/2 inches off the end of the trailer tongue so you have fresh steel to work with and re-drill the coupler mounting holes so the coupler can be installed so that it sits flat on the tongue. Your other option would be to find a piece of steel plate that you can place between the bottom of the coupler and the trailer tongue to take up the gap. If you go this route, you should use at least one of the mounting holes in the top of the coupler, drilling through the steel spacer and tongue to secure the spacer in place.

We actually have an install video that addresses this problem. Our installer uses the first method I mentioned when the replacement coupler mounting holes do not exactly match the holes in the trailer tongue. To see the video, click on the provided link.

expert reply by: Mike L