Trailer problems with Rear Tire Carrier?

[tomp]

What are you guys doing to resolve the issue when a trailers' tongue jack hits the spare tire?

[H2Blondie]

Get a lower drop. I use a 6" to pull my boat...puts the trailer level and doesn't hit the spare.

[Big Z]

Gobi Or Extend the Tongue, 12"--Use a good shop!

[PARAGON]

get a 14" shank alumistinger with a 8" drop

puts the ball out just past halfway of my 37x12.50 MT/R spare and I only can't jack-knife it hard with most trailers due to the jack.

You can see how close the jack is here with my 18' enclosed, but it pulls fine and I don't have any problems except for not being able to open the rear hatch.

With my other trailers I can cut it just right to where I can open the spare tire carrier enough to open the rear hatch.

[tomp]

It's not the drop that's the problem, it's the location of the trailer jack where it hits the spare tire. Paragon knows what I mean and posted a pic showing how he deals with it.

Prior to Paragon posting his pic, I thought I was going to have to get a 12" extension tube. After seeing his pic, I think the Alumistinger will work or maybe the Hummer OEM extension tube which is only a 6.5" extension.

Paragon, any way you can measure center of that trailer ball hole in trailer to forward part of trailer jack? My trailer is currently out on my deer lease and can't get to it to measure it.

I have a 10" wide wheel & 13.5" tire on the rear as a spare, so this will give me an idea of haw far I need to extend the ball outward.

[PARAGON]

It's a smidgeon over 8" from the center of the coupler to the leading edge of the jack.

[lennyrebel]

Originally Posted by tomp

What are you guys doing to resolve the issue when a trailers' tongue jack hits the spare tire?

How about one of those swing up trailer jacks. I've used those on all my boat trailers--eliminates totally jack to spare interference. The farther back your hitch ball, the lousier it wil tow. Extending tongue on trailer is by far the best option after swing up jack. The Rebel

[mikejr]

I have the same trouble with my quad trailer. I was going to remove the jack from the trailer mfr and put on one of the swingaway style. I have an 8"drop, it doesnt hit unless i make a very sharp turn...but the spare is rubber so it just bounces off...HA HA HA

[tomp]

Thx Paragon!

No place to put swingaway jack as RV tongue is short and filled up with overhanging propane bottles, battery boxes and everything else they could throw up there.

I think a real short extension and my load-leveling hitch will work fine. The extension will reduce my tongue weight capacity, but I will gain it back with load leveling hitch.

[usmctopgun]

I recently purchased this
http://www.etrailer.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=E&Product_Code =HE06&Category_Code=EXTENDER
and it works out quite well with my 8" drop alumistinger. I pull a 8'x16' enclosed 4K lb trailer with it often, and have had no problems.

[Dug]

Personally I wouldnt extend the hitch out. I would move the tire or use a electric low profile jack, or relocate jack.

[tomp]

Moving the tire, removing trailer jack or welding on a new tongue extension for every trailer encounter is not an option.

I am going to use a short extension with load leveling hitch or maybe the Alumistinger. The problem has to be addressed right at the hitch so I can tow any trailer as I normally should be able to do.

Using an extension shouldn't be a concern for trailers under 5K #s.

[Dug]

Well in my opinion it is a concern. With any hitch extension your receiver hitch rating is dropped by 50% or more. Making a H2 reciever hitch rated for 3,350 lbs. You can have weight distrubuting bars , sway bars anything you want but its only as strong as the weakest link which is the reciever at 3350lbs.

[PARAGON]

I agree with Dug. If you want to have a hitch to encounter every situation, stop and figure something else out. You might need to dismount the spare and put it in/on the trailer when you pull, but moving the leverage further out without the proper support will only make things worse.

Call Alumistinger and find out what they have. It moves the pivot point further back but it drops it and the bar is still rated for 14k lbs trailer weight 1400lbs tongue weight.

Hitch extensions are just another point for failure

[mikejr]

I have to agree with Paragon. Moving that hitch out further is just creating a weak point.

[Dug]

Wholly sh it !! Paragon how did you get 23 some thousand posts?

[PARAGON]

Originally Posted by Dug

Wholly sh it !! Paragon how did you get 23 some thousand posts?

I slept with the owner's wife and she showed me her.... um, nevermind.

[tomp]

What about one of these solid Adjustable Hitch Bars available in long lengths?

Go here and click on Shanks and scroll down: http://www.towpowerbyreese.com

[DDWH]

Originally Posted by PARAGON

I slept with the owner's wife and she showed me her.... um, nevermind.

[DDWH]

Back on post.....I only use my extension for my bike racks....I use it on the front and no need to clear the spare for the rear rack.....however, theres noway in hell I would use an extension for anything above say 500lbs....I would remove the spare if need be.