Now that's a hitch....Draw Tite/Reese Titan

Have started hauling multiple cords of firewood on my trailer and decided it was time to upgrade the hitch on my truck. Trailer has tandem 7k axles so I wanted a hitch rated to at least 14k. Most of the ones I found mounted under the existing hitch which I didn't want.



So I ordered the biggest hitch I found that didn't go beneath the OEM hitch. Wow it's a beast. Not a quick install and you definitely need two people. Thing weighs almost a hundred pounds.



While this is overkill for the 12k or so I'll be pulling normally, I can feel confident that the hitch is no longer the weak link in my tow setup.



Trailer Hitch by Draw-Tite for 2006 Ram Pickup - 45299

 

Wow! Looks great! The ratings look good too!

Although, I'm still a little bewildered by how many items it's necessary to upgrade on these trucks to really be able to use them like a truck!

--Eric

 

Ya, I was wondering about why you put a 6k hitch on a truck that is rated to pull twice that... . of course the answer is money but geez... .

 

You'll never bend, break, or wear that hitch out. It is probably the best available.

I have long been a fan of Reese/Drawtite products. Reese is one of if not the oldest name in trailer hitches and towing equipment. Their products are top quality.

 

Ya, I was joking the other day that I probably wouldn't survive the event that breaks that hitch.

 

Another option is the Reunel rear bumper, available with bolt-on 15,000 and weld on 20,000 hitches.

 

I actually looked at those as well because my bumper is dented pretty good and I needed a new one. I just wasn't sure about the looks of the Reunel for me so I went with an OEM chrome one. For the price of the hitch and OEM bumper I could have gotten a Reunel though.

 

If you need more than a class 4 hitch wouldn't you be exceeding the tow capacity of the truck?
Class 4 weight carrying is 1000/10,000 gross.
Class 4 weight distribution is 1200/12,000 gross
It seems that Dodge put on the hitch that most closely matches the truck specifications. Where's the problem?

 

That IS the problem. Manufacturers only put what is minimally required. Hitches sometimes break without being overloaded. I have a broken hitch from my 95 sitting in my garage right now. I replaced it with a class V hitch as having one break while towing was not much fun. Admittedly, the third and fourth gen hitches are holding up better than the 2nd gen hitches.

 

Many people who buy 1 ton Dodge trucks simply need to tow more than 10,000 lbs... myself included. My 24' triple axle trailer weighs 6,000 lbs. And that's with nothing on it. I don't set out to break rules, but hauling firewood, tractors, farm stuff, etc, it just isn't feasible alot of times to stay under 10,000 lbs.

--Eric

 

While I don't need the 2. 5" opening, or the 18K rating on this hitch it's the only hitch that has a decent mounting setup. I installed it this spring, heavy, but otherwise a easy install. The hardest part was lifting the bed to pull the OEM hitch out.

I had a 2" sleeve welded into the receiver.

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Nice hitch. . Sucks the bed has to be lifted to remove the old one. . I have a 5th wheel so unless I get towing heavy on the hitch, the stock one will stay there

 

Do those hitches allow for the spare tire to fit in it's original location?

 

I didn't have it welded in but I have piece of square tubing to reduce it down to 2". I bought for the same reason. Didn't want another hitch below the oem one.

 

Yes it does.

 

Yup, I even have a 33" tire in there with no issues.

 

Excellent. Thanks.

 

First, class IV apparently doesn't have a consistent meaning from what I've read. But are you saying the factory hitches are rated at 10k? I had read 6k. Either way, I prefer knowing my hitch outclasses my trailer. I loaded 2 cords of green oak this evening which would put me over 10k.

 

The OEM hitch is rated at 1,200/12,000 with WD, or 1,000/10,000 with WD depending on the reference.

 

Thanks. Didn't know that. Wouldn't have changed my choice but good to know.