Outer Dimension of Tubing Used to Construct Buyers Products 337RT25848B 48 Inch Receiver

Updated 11/13/2020 | Published 11/12/2020

Question:

Will this tubing slide into a Class V 2 1/2inch hitch? Thanks

asked by: Roger H

Expert Reply:

The outside dimension of the tubing that the # 337RT25848B Buyer's Products Black 2 Inch Receiver Tube is constructed of is 2-1/2 inches, so theoretically speaking it would possibly fit in a 2-1/2 inch receiver. However, it will likely be a very tight fit due to manufacturing tolerances and the fact that the
# 337RT25848B really isn't designed to be an adapter, but is rather principally designed as a fabrication part used to construct towing equipment.

In order to get the tube to fit easily into a 2-1/2 inch receiver, you'd likely need to remove the powder coating by lightly sanding. If a more aggressive, heat inducing method like grinding is used to remove the finish, the steel the tube is constructed of could weaken.

Because of the length of the tubing, using it as an adapter/extender would reduce the capacity of the hitch it's used in because of the extra leverage it would exert on both the hitch and it's attachment points to the vehicle. Typically, using an extender this long would reduce the tongue weight capacity of the hitch by half or more, but Buyer's Products hasn't tested it for said purpose they wouldn't hazard a guess on the actual reduction.

expert reply by: Mike L