Can Adding in a Hitch Extender Decrease the Chances of Jack Knifing the Trailer While Backing

Updated 05/18/2026 | Published 05/14/2026

Products Featured in This Question

Curt Extender for 2" Hitch Receivers -18" Long

(247)

$97.22

Question:

Can a hitch extender decrease the chances of jack knifing the trailer while backing?

asked by: Ryan

Expert Reply:

Hey, Ryan.

Adding a hitch extender like the Curt Extender for 2" Hitch Receivers - 18" Long # C45796 wouldn’t decrease the chances of jackknifing, in fact, it can actually make it more likely.

This is because the extender moves the trailer’s pivot point farther away from the rear axle of your vehicle. While that can make the trailer feel a little slower to respond at first, it also gives the trailer more leverage as it starts to turn. Once the angle builds, the trailer can swing more aggressively and be harder to correct, increasing the chances of a jackknife.

Additionally, the extra length can reduce overall stability and control while backing, especially in tighter maneuvers. It will also reduce your capacity by 50% because you would be adding in an additional breaking point.

For preventing jackknifing, the best approach is to back up slowly, make small steering corrections, and pull forward to reset if the angle starts getting too sharp.

What's your current towing set up, year, make, model of your vehicle and trailer/camper?

expert reply by: Gwendolyn Y

Ryan

5/14/2026

I'm towing a 6x10 Interstate Victory enclosed V trailer with a 2022 Tundra

Glenndsailor

5/15/2026

Using the flip side of the logic in the expert answer, I use the extender only for getting boat and trailer into and of my backyard parking spot, which is a tight fit. The extension allows a greater angle between the tow vehicle and the trailer (what you would think of as a jackknife). For example, when getting the rig out of its parking space, the extender allows me to back the tow vehicle at a right angle to the trailer and still reach the hitch on the trailer. This means I can use a shorter parking spot. I perform this maneuver without attaching safety chains or lights so that those connections don't limit the turning angle. The maneuver is not something I would do at a launch ramp.