Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

[minuteman62-64]

Was in Harbor Freight today and saw a 12 inch hitch extender. I was thinking it would be a way to get my trailer a little further in the water with out getting my wheels in salt water.

Anybody used one of these (the hitch extender - HF or other)? I know tongue weight could be an issue, but I have a pretty light weight package (maybe 1000-1100 lbs. total). Other issues? Stability/handling, safety, etc.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

I have a 24" extension, that I used so I could open the lift gate on the tow vehicle with the trailer attached.
No longer have that boat, so haven't used it in years.
It towed fine.


I don't know how much 12" or 24" is going to help you at the launch.

Might be better to lengthen the tongue 3 feet.






Or check out Extend a hitch.

Extend a hitch boat and sailboat trailer hitch extensions

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

It may be better for control while towing to use a tongue extender rather than a hitch extender. Extending the tongue at the ramp can be a bit of a pain, but you generally tongue extenders are longer, so you can get the boat in further without getting the vehicle wet.

 

[colbyt]

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

I own one and use it when I use a cargo hauler type thing. Due to a poor design I need it to clear the bumper with the lawn mower.

The 12 should be fine for ramp use but the longer tongue extenders are reputed to be better. Consensus of what I have read, anything is fine for the ramp, handling issues for anything longer than 12" may become apparent for road use.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

I use a 12" hitch extender when we launch our boat from a natural (beach-like) ramp at a small lake in Canada. Without it, I nearly need to bury my tailpipe under water to get the trailer deep enough. The extra 12" makes a real difference, getting the boat just far enough into the water that I can push it off the trailer with little effort.

I don't drive with the extender installed, though. When I get to the lake, I unhitch the boat, pop in the extender and splash the boat. I reverse the procedure when leaving. Adds maybe 10 minutes to the process.

Hope this helps,
Jim

 

[rbh]

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

I mentioned this before, you can always build an extendable reach.

Take a piece of square tubing one size smaller than the reach you have now (get next size bigger in wall thickness and you may want to build it up to get the slop out)
Transfer the hitch over, extend the electrical cables, (if surge brakes use hydraulic hose)
Grease it up and slide it in, fully extend, drill hole for mounting pin, fully retract drill hole for mounting pin
Two things I would do, keep a minimum of 6 inches of the new reach in the old reach when drilling the holes for the fully extended.
Weld a couple of washers on the outside of the short reach, and hollow dowl pin in the extendable reach, this keeps the pin from elongating the holes easily.
Band the end of the short reach to keep it from possibly splitting.


Just a thought.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

If you are getting your vehicle wheels in the salt water, you need to reconsider your launch/retrieve process. use the winch. Use rollers instead of bunks. You are going in too deep. Don't fall for the "float on/float off" method.

if it's your trailer wheels getting wet, I don't know that 12" will matter much.

For liability reasons I don't think I'd do my own modifications except on a very light trailer.

A power winch makes life so much better in so many ways around salt water.

 

[colbyt]

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

I mentioned this before, you can always build an extendable reach.

It is a most excellent suggestion and one I intend to consider if I have problems in the future.

Without searching do you happen to what the next size down from 3x2 full box is?

 

[rbh]

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

It is a most excellent suggestion and one I intend to consider if I have problems in the future.

Without searching do you happen to what the next size down from 3x2 full box is?

I am not sure, perhaps the go down by an 1/8" or 1/4".

Just remember to build up the difference with some flat bar.

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

Great input. I really like the "Extend a Hitch" (with the 7 foot extension) concept, but it is way more extension than I'm looking for, and a little pricy (for my needs) at $300 or so. I'm now thinking I could buy the 12 inch or 18 inch hitch extender at HF (for about $20 or $35, respectively) and just install it at the ramp before launch/retrieval. Be about the same amount of effort as hooking up "Extend a Hitch" and would avoid any towing issues that I'd have if I used the extender on the road.

This would also avoid extending safety chains and trailer wiring.

 

[keith2k455]

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

I looked at hitch extenders but they are supposed to dramatically reduce tow capacity. I instead got a longer receiver

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

I looked at hitch extenders but they are supposed to dramatically reduce tow capacity. I instead got a longer receiver

It looks like you cut the towing capacity in half using a hitch extender. Still no problem for my light load, but not using it on the road would provide some extra security.

Seems like a longer receiver would duplicate the geometry of a hitch extender (which is an extension of the receiver). Why wouldn't that create the same need for load reduction?

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

.

This would also avoid extending safety chains and trailer wiring.

No. You should have your safety chains on when at the ramp. Try a launch/retrieve with the ball unhooked to get an idea of what you are protecting against.

But adding a section of chain is relatively easy if you don't have enough slack. Even easier is not backing down so far and using rollers and a winch.

 

[keith2k455]

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

It looks like you cut the towing capacity in half using a hitch extender. Still no problem for my light load, but not using it on the road would provide some extra security.

Seems like a longer receiver would duplicate the geometry of a hitch extender (which is an extension of the receiver). Why wouldn't that create the same need for load reduction?

I thought the reasoning for the decrease was the addition of a joint between the hitch and receiver. I wonder if the reduction in capacity would still be claimed if you welded the hitch extender in place.

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

I thought the reasoning for the decrease was the addition of a joint between the hitch and receiver. I wonder if the reduction in capacity would still be claimed if you welded the hitch extender in place.

Maybe that's it. As I continued my research I noted that there are extra long ball mounts available, that provide the same amount of extension but don't carry the caveat of reduced towing capacity.

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

I found this explanation (of reduced capacity of hitch extenders) on another site: The extenders like part # HE12 are usually made of two different sized pieces of steel that are welded together. The HE12 uses a 2x2 outer dimension piece of solid steel that inserts into the hitch. Welded to the other end, is a piece of tube with a 2x2 inside dimension. That joint is a weak spot. This is a large part of why most of the extenders have a 50 percent weight capacity reduction factor.

Looks like I can get an extra long ball mount that will give me the same extension as the hitch extension, without as much capacity reduction penalty. Maybe that's the way to go.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

Minuteman, before you go through all the expense and time to extend your trailer, why not try learning how to use the trailer as it is designed without backing in too far? Seriously. Aren't we talking about a 14' boat here?

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

Minuteman, before you go through all the expense and time to extend your trailer, why not try learning how to use the trailer as it is designed without backing in too far? Seriously. Aren't we talking about a 14' boat here?

It's a 16 footer, and aluminum to boot. Not a whole lot to learn - back down till truck wheels are 6 inches up from the water line and push the boat off. A 12 inch extension (with hitch extender or extra long ball mount) puts the boat a little deeper, makes the push a little easier and still keeps the truck wheels out of the water (salt). Looks like it could be done for $20-$30 and not much time - a good trade-off IMO.

Actually, I've spent more time on here, discussing pros/cons/feasibility/etc., than I'd expect to spend on the modification

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

when I had a 16' aluminum boat I never, ever, sank the trailer lower than just below the axles, because I was in salt water. The trailer wheels got wet, half way. Stood on dry land to launch and retrieve at the winch post. Try that decades old method.

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: Anybody Use a Hitch Extender?

when I had a 16' aluminum boat I never, ever, sank the trailer lower than just below the axles, because I was in salt water. The trailer wheels got wet, half way. Stood on dry land to launch and retrieve at the winch post. Try that decades old method.

I'd like the dry land approach - but don't think I could do it with my rig. Maybe it's the way my trailer is set up. I've tinkered with it and finally ended up the way it originally was when I got it (which I assume is the way it came from the dealer), except I was able to lower the whole bunk and roller assembly about 1 inch. Anyways, to push it off with reasonable effort I need to bring the water line up to the fenders.

I don't remember this being an issue back in the 1980's, when I purchased the boat. It sat around for 20 or so years before I got it back in the water - maybe the molecules re-aligned or some other phenom occured resulting in the gravitational pull increasing. Or, it may have something to do with my being able to bench press about 150 lbs. more back then than I can now