Curt Ball Mount # D210 Recommendation to Increase Ground Clearance for a Bike Rack

Updated 07/25/2014 | Published 07/24/2014

Products Featured in This Question

Roadmaster High-Low Adapter for Tow Bars - 2" Hitches - 6" Rise/Drop - 10K GTW, 400 lbs TW

(1613)

$196.86

Curt Multipurpose Ball Mount with 2" Receiver for Bike Racks and Cargo Carriers - 7,500 lbs

(234)

$70.03

Question:

According to one of your experts responses, the RM-048-6 is not recommended for increasing ground clearance of bike racks. Why is this the case when the TW rating is 400 lbs? I need a riser for my 2008 Honda Odyssey which has a Hidden Hitch Class III 2inch receiver to keep my Yakima Full Tilt 5 bike rack from scraping my driveway apron which has a very gradual pitch by the way every time I go up and down it even with no bikes on the rack and a completely empty vehicle. I dont need a riser accessory that has a ball mount combo built into it like the Curt product. Just something simple that will also not pose an issue with bumper clearance. The RM-048-6 seems like it should be a perfect fit however your expert disagrees. Id like to know why.

asked by: Chris

Expert Reply:

Roadmaster only tested the High Low Adapter part # RM-048-6 in flat towing setups. So while there is a very strong chance it would work just fine for what you are trying to do we can't safely recommend it for you. However, while this product would give you 6 inches of rise it also would push your bike rack out an additional 9-1/2 inches which would almost all but completely negate the ground clearance gained on a steep driveway.

The Curt Multipurpose Ball Mount part # D210 would be a better option since it would give you the same amount of rise while being shorter in length. Also this would not reduce the towing capacity by 50 percent like most hitch extenders do.

expert reply by: Jameson C