MaxxTow Ball Mount with Accessory Receiver Compatibility with Hitch Tongue Weight Rating

Updated 07/29/2025 | Published 08/31/2020

Question:

Im trying to determine whether this hitch will work for my purposes. Subaru Outback, max towing weight 2000lbs, max tougue weight 200, towing a trailer with a 120 lbs tongue weight and a bike rack with 80lbs tongue weight, so right at 200 lbs TW. From your website: When mounting an accessory in this receiver, your hitchs tongue weight capacity will be reduced by 50 percent. When using both the ball mount and the receiver the tongue weight capacity is not affected. This is confusing. Is the tongue weight reduced by 50 if the accessory upper reciever is used **alone** with nothing on the ball but a bike rack in the upper slot, or is it reduced with the ball hitch also in use towing a trailer? Put another way - is the tongue weight unaffected when towing a trailer with the ball AND using the receiver carrying a bike rack? If not, this needs to be rewritten for clarity. Thanks.

asked by: Mark S

Expert Reply:

The MaxxTow Ball Mount w/ 2" Accessory Receiver - 2" Hitches - 2-1/4" Drop - 5,000 lbs # MT70066 when using both the ball mount and bike rack together will not impact the tongue weight rating of your hitch receiver. This will work for you based on the weights you gave.

If you use the ball mount portion alone, the tongue weight also isn't impacted. It is only when you use the accessory hitch receiver alone that the additional torque is added and the tongue weight of your hitch is altered.

expert reply by: Jason S

Russ

7/29/2025

If I use a riser in the accessory hitch and then add bike rack will hitch tongue weight be unchanged when also towing trailer?

Jameson C.

7/29/2025

@Russ You should not add an additional hitch adapter to the part # MT70066. That would reduce the hitch's capacity to an unknown degree and it would potentially fail pretty easily.