Do we really need three different trailer hitch balls for towing a trailer?

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If you are planning on towing a trailer for the first time, trailers come with one of three sizes of trailer couplers to be attached to the same size trailer hitch ball. Whether you are towing a boat trailer, small trailer, utility trailer, yard trailer, open trailer or any other type of trailer that isn't a heavy duty commercial grade trailer, trailer couplers and trailer balls come sized as 1 7/8", 2" and 2 5/16". Typically these sizes are related to the weight of the trailer and load on the trailer but often a smaller size ball can also be rated for a greater weight while a larger ball can sometimes only be rated for a lower weight. This can make it confusing especially to people who do not normally tow a trailer or have only had experience with one trailer set up.
Because there is only 7/16" difference in size from the biggest trailer ball to the smallest it seems to me that we have an opportunity to standardize some of these trailer hitch balls and trailer couplers to make it less confusing and potentially safer for people hauling trailers.
Boat trailers, utility trailers, yard trailers, open trailers, car trailers and other light duty trailers often use these trailer hitch couplers and trailer hitch balls.
If you have a need for a three ball trailer hitch - here is one with a hook you can buy on Amazon - amzn.to/3W1ssDU
Here is a link to all of the trailer hitch products sold through Amazon - amzn.to/3VWd6QM
As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
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#trailer #trailerhitch #towing

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29 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 244

@ILuvRum 23 дня назад

Its not only the size of the ball, but the size of the shank that bolts the ball on. The same size ball can come in different shank sizes for different load weights and shear strength.

@Rio97621 17 дней назад

My wife agrees.

@sped6954 13 дней назад

@@Rio97621 🤣

@joewoodchuck3824 12 дней назад

That too could be consolidated.

@jamess3532 23 дня назад

I've been complaining about this for years. All great points and couldn't agree more!

@EyeMWing 6 дней назад

Fun fact: You know those wacky screw-to-tighten hitches that U-Haul puts on their trailers and everybody hates? They do that because 1 7/8 and 2" are so close that people kept dropping trailers. So they invented a whole new hitch that will work with either of the two.

@WayneTheBoatGuy 6 дней назад

That’s wild!

@SilverStarHeggisist 3 дня назад

Uhaul is now moving away from that to a latch set up

@machintelligence 3 часа назад

Way back in the day 1950's (approximately) U-Haul used a proprietary ball (2 1/8 if I remember correctly) for their trailers. This was back when they also rented towing adapters that clamped to the bumper of the towing vehicle.

@jmtiptonengland 20 дней назад

I cannot believe in the US you still have three sizes of ‘ball hitch’, in the UK it was standardised to 50mm, more than half a century ago, every ball hitch can tow every trailer, simple really ~

@crabgundy 18 дней назад

I believe 50mm is 1 7/8". Which is why 1 7/8" still exists. There are also 3" ball hitches out there as well. The reason why the larger balls exist is because people hate the lunnette ring and pintle knocking around.

@maine-lygamingtips2039 18 дней назад

We all knew someone from the UK would chime in to let us know you're better. Despite the ridiculous amount of rules and regulations you live under regarding driving license type tied to super low trailer weight limits and lol slow speed limits while towing...but that 50mm hitch makes it all worth while 🙄

@soaringvulture 17 дней назад

@@crabgundy 50mm is a lot closer to 2"; it's only 0.032" smaller and I strongly suspect that 50mm and 2" would function interchangeably. I have no idea where the 1 7/8" size came from.

@JoeWayne84 7 дней назад

@@jmtiptonengland the standard for trailers in the US is 2” the 1 7/8” balls are usually on very very light trailers hooked to cars and minivans that keeps the inexperienced driver from hooking up there dads minivan to someone’s trailer that is way to heavy for them. We also have 2 5/8 for trailers up to 30,000 lbs since the average citizen in this country can go buy f450 a large tractor are boat and pull it on interstate if they wish. It’s really not that complicated every trailer hitch has the size of the ball engraved into the metal with weight limits the problem is 99% of Americans don’t like reading … so it’s kinda good we have the possibility of a mixup maybe it will slow them down and they will make sure the vehicle they are about to use is even capable before hitting the roads

@danielpittman889 7 дней назад

@@crabgundy 2" is 50.8 mm 1-7/8" is 47.63 mm

@thedevilinthecircuit1414 22 дня назад

You can easily standardize things within your own ecosystem: replace the sockets (not that expensive) on your trailers so they're all identical and [drum roll] one ball does it all. But then your pals may start calling you "One-ball Wayne" ...so that may not be a good plan.

@dodgeme1986truck 17 дней назад

I utilize 2ball sizes for all my trailers 5000lbs and under get 2inch and over 5000lbs get 2-5/16... I even converted all my pin hitch lawn trailers to 2inch balls

@dj20051991 17 дней назад

not always easy to to... some trailer couplers are welded on from the factory... while you could go to a shop to get a new one welded on it can get expensive for people that dont have the equipment or cant weld.

@dodgeme1986truck 17 дней назад

@@dj20051991 I used a grinder and an El cheapo flux core welder or a bolt on coupler can be refitted in place of the welded on coupler just uses grade 8 hardware and an appropriate drill and an hour of time

@00700556 16 дней назад

@@dj20051991bingo

@Jon_boat_adventures 17 дней назад

You're absolutely correct. Trailer ball size needs to be standardized. Thanks for the videos. I hope you keep them coming.

@qsmith4639 22 дня назад

Great video and breakdown, I never understood non standard sizes. Glad I'm not the only one

@sptownsend999 16 часов назад

"The closest thing to Perfection is Standardization." - Technology Connections

@olafschermann1592 17 дней назад

Here in EU we have only one ball size for up to 3.5 tons. And there is the semi / heavy truck thing up to 30tons

@wiedapp 6 дней назад

Quick reminder for all the inch people: 3.5 metric tons is equivalent to about 7716 lbs.

@brendonwood7595 День назад

Same here in australia

@BenjaminHeyser 23 дня назад

I've been on a mission for years to remove every 1-7/8" coupler I come across. I've changed them out to 2" on my trailers and on trailers for sea scouts and friends. A first thought on a break point is the 3000 lb line as in many states above that requires trailer breaks and below doesn't (with rare exceptions). Another is 5000 lb as I think this is the highest tow rating on midsized SUVs. Minivans and smaller vehicles are typically 3500 lb or less. Anything with a 5000 or less tow rating should be good with a 2" ball for everything they tow.

@WayneTheBoatGuy 23 дня назад

Good ideas!

@rlr4294 23 дня назад

Right its all about the Rating

@DanMar5858 16 часов назад

@@BenjaminHeyser I’ve been on a mission to remove all Trailer Ball type couplings on our work trailers to Lunette Ring / Pintle Hitch-Type couplers. I’ve seen too many trailers going down the road being dragged by the safety chains. 🤦🏻‍♂️ Additionally, pintle hitches offer another level of safety with the “closed loops” connection. And they are really easy to hook up if you don’t have a backup camera, just get it close and usually you can drop the ring right onto the hitch. 👍🏽

@alanshaw4655 23 дня назад

easier to just swap out all 1 7/8 balls to 2 inch. i changed out all my trailer hitches to 2 inch for this very reason, now they all match up. as for the 2 5/16 only rated to 6000 lbs ?, maybe cheap china steel ?..no idea ?. but what i do know about 2 5/16 balls, is yes...they are '' normally '' rated for higher trailer loads.

@michelbrodeur6055 17 дней назад

All of my 2 5/16 inch hitch balls are rated for 16,000 lbs. because of the GVWR of the trailers I pull. Not all trailers are boat or utility you also have flat deck and multi axled trailers. Also a 2 5/16 ball comes in 2 different styles bumper hitch and goose neck and they do not interchange. There's a whole different world of trailers out there you just have to be mindful of it.

@jpgale 19 дней назад

I am not 100% sure but I think in europe all trailer balls are the same size (50mm) although you rarely see trailers as big as in the US. The reason being that trailer hitches over there are permanently attached tp the vehicle (some fold away) so you can not just swap to a different size ball. The last car I had in the UK was set up to tow a caravan and had a bolted on ball and 2 plugs (now changed to a single plug with more connections). This would be doable over here, don't even need the government to do it, just get all the makers to agree and use nothing but the largest balls

@shane191 8 дней назад

The different weight ratings on the balls has to do with shank size of the ball also. Some 2” balls have 3/4” shank which is only 3500. Other 2” have 1 1/4” shank which gives it a higher capacity rating.

@rjwintl 23 дня назад

in short : no , folks do not need three-ball trailer hitches … actually easier to just change the couplers to a more universal 2 inch ball IF you have a lotta boats … building a trailer now with a 3 inch wide coupler to handle a 2 inch hitching ball !!!

@Connor-zb4uo 22 дня назад

yeah I'm building a small trailer that came with a 1 7/8 and adding spacers and such to fit a 2 inch coupler on there. Hate having to switch between hitches for my two boats... Just doesn't make any sense

@benjaminreinhardt259 18 дней назад

Most systems in the US could be drastically simplified. I agree with you the towing system could be improved to remove confusion and room for danger/error. Especially the 1 7/8 ball - how many folks have had a 2" trailer coupler hop off a 1 7/8 ball?

@rayclark8773 21 день назад

Wayne, you are so right. I have two trailers at this time. The boat trailer (small 14' aluminum boat) and a 7K pound-capacity utility trailer (dual axle). I'm standardized at 2" balls. However, I have two different couplers because the trailers ride at different heights relative to my truck. One needs a drop, the other needs a level coupler.

@speedfreak8200 20 дней назад

@rayclark8773 there's affordable adjustable hitches on the market

@dodgeme1986truck 17 дней назад

I would recommend sticking to the 2inch under 5k lbs. and 2-5/16 over 5k lbs. Rules of thumb towing a 7k lb gross trailer on a 2inch ball gets sketchy quickly.

@jamesbrett9537 23 дня назад

It definitely could be standardized. Here in New Zealand we just have 1-7/8 and 2" but almost everything uses 1-7/8". The only reason we have the 2" is for trailers made overseas where that size is more common, or very heavy trailers.

@rlr4294 23 дня назад

Its all about the Load My Dump Trailer would snap the heavest 2'' Ball !!

@gar7764 23 дня назад

A lot of good information, I always look forward to your videos.

@WayneTheBoatGuy 23 дня назад

I appreciate that!

@grassgonewildlandscaping5445 17 дней назад

Towing multiple trailers I have 3 hitches in my truck Pintle, Tri ball and combination hitch. I mainly use Pintle hitches now

@RustyorBroken День назад

There are more that three sizes. 3" exists. I have seen them in box stores. Some farm implements use specialized ball hitches as well.

@ges7991 19 часов назад

So true. Same with bolts, sockets, etc. Why have 3/15, 1/3, 5/16, and 3/8" bolts? There are few places where an assembly is that tight on space that they are looking at 1/16" differences. Oh... and same with plumbing. Why have 1.25 and 1.5" sink and lav drains. Just pick the larger!

@slagdemon 17 дней назад

I couldn't agree more with you on all your points. Stick with the 2 inch with a large shank and it will work for 95% of the applications everyone needs.

@c.shoefish 12 дней назад

I agree 💯. It really does get confusing...I tow a bunch of different trailers, at one point I think I had 8 different sizes with different drops or risers, depending what I was towing...I ditched that and finally bought an adjustable hitch with a 1 7/8" and 2" and I still have two 2 5/16" setups with different drops. The difference in ratings is based off shank size and the material being used...spend the money and get the highest rating set ups you can and don't forget to grease the balls!

@ezravermeulen901 18 дней назад

Come to europe, one size fits all. Everything up to the 3500kg trailers use the same ball, trucks use another system.

@1allen111 17 дней назад

I have my triple ball in my haul truck at all times. It’s great armor against the people behind you that text and drive . The radiator crusher

@denali9449 6 дней назад

Two problems. Most important is how many times I have banged a shin on that ball mount sticking out of the back of my truck. Been put on my knees more than once. And two. those mounts are straight with no drop. My tandem trailers need a 2", 4" or 6" drop depending on the tow vehicle.

@sailingspark9748 15 дней назад

I have four trailers. A flatbed, a utility, and two boat trailers. I purposely changed the hitch receiver on the smaller boat trailer and the Utility trailer to 2" just do away with the silliness of having multiple balls. I would inevitably always have the one wrong one.

@dougr3715 23 дня назад

I had a 1967 Mastercraft, and a1959 Tee Nee both with an 1 7/8”ball. Used to be standard.

@sbiggs10 Час назад

here in Australia we use 1 Ball for every thing a 2" ball eg to tow a large caravan or a small 6 x4 trailer

@LJT7907 4 дня назад

Not to mention most logs butters that you buy are 1 7/8th ball size as well as towable cement mixers

@msd357 19 дней назад

The thing you are not taking into consideration is shank size. 3/4 inch 3500#. 1 inch 6000#. 1 1/4 shank 10000#. There are some exceptions. Ball mounts with 3/4 inch shank holes are made of 1 1/4 inch square stock. Ball mounts with 1 inch shank holes are made of 2 inch, 1/4 wall square tubing. Ball mounts with 1 1/4 inh shank holes are usually made of solid cast 2 or 2 1/2 inch steel. Again there are exceptions.

@wyleb2 18 дней назад

Except on etrailer right now you can get a 2” ball with a 1” shank rated for 6,000lbs for $15 or a 2” ball with 1” shank rated for 12,000lbs for $19. So you could also just standardize the shank diameter.

@user-rs1990 15 дней назад

Australia uses the 50mm diameter as the most common size. However, older trailers can only use a 47mm ball. Some trailers use a 2-5/16" ball by default and some larger trailers use a 70mm or 3-inch ball.

@gcburkett 23 дня назад

I bought a boat and trailer. The trailer has a 1 7/8 coupler. You also have multiple shank sizes too.

@charelsmissinglink 23 дня назад

I have 4 trailers and 3 tow vehicles. It's a mess. I had to all need different drops and rise depending on what I'm using to tow. I had to spend $500 to by the 2 ball adjusting hitch and changed the ball size on one of the trailers. It's still a mess but better.

@aaronhastie830 17 дней назад

The best thing about standards is that there's so many to choose from.

@tom23245 15 дней назад

It should just all be standardized to the strongest and highest-rated ball, and that one spec can be used for everything.

@larryeaton4263 19 дней назад

Another issue is the ball mount bolt size. Often the ball mount bolt diameter is smaller than the receiver mount. They have sleeves. But it's dangerous if someone mounts it without the correct sleeve.

@bigchungus1888 23 дня назад

I just opted for one of those B&W tow and stow adjustable hitches. 5 inches of drop and rise adjustment, all 3 ball sizes, flips inside out for easy storage. I also have 5 different trailers of various types and uses, so in my case, it was the best option.

@WayneTheBoatGuy 22 дня назад

Expensive but totally worth it if you have that many different trailers!

@allenbush1453 19 дней назад

I too, swapped out my 1 and only one ball, 1 7/8" hitch, to the 2" hitch, since my other 2 trailers were 2" hitches. MAKES EVERYTHING SO MUCH EASIER ❤😂😮😅

@joshuahulce5630 18 дней назад

a Gooseneck ball is also 2-5/16", usually rated at something like 24,000-30,000 pounds...

@SilverStarHeggisist 3 дня назад

Goosenecks do this, almost all of them regardless of trailer size all use a 2-5/16th ball. SO no need to keep changing out balls for different trailers.

@baddboat 23 дня назад

Run for president Wayne! You make more sense then the two options we have now.🇺🇲

@dylancrow7919 8 дней назад

In our fleet, we put the same size hitch on everything.

@rlr4294 23 дня назад

Mr. Wayne i enjoy watching you're Videos

@spencerjoplin2885 4 дня назад

Yes: there’s 3 balls for 3 basic uses: (1)

@SilverStarHeggisist 3 дня назад

Depends on the state, some states don't have the 10K limit. Also what he's saying is just make them all be the higher weight ball. Small trailers can use the larger ball, it doesn't impact them any

@larryeaton4263 19 дней назад

I couldn't agree more. As a matter of fact, the tiny difference between 1 7/8 and 2 is such you con get away with some cross connection. But be careful, it can get stuck.

@markmeier4206 17 дней назад

Problem with standardizing to one size ball is is everyone going to change their couplers on older trailers? Not hardly. But I agree it is a pain to have to have 3 different sized balls.

@AbbyNormalGarage 21 день назад

Got one of those convert a balls. Can change between all the sizes. It’s easy to change hitches on the trailer. I have 1 1 7/8 I hadn’t swapped yet. Everything else is 2, except the enclosed trailer which is 2 5/16.

@jasonleedham5678 23 дня назад

Here in the UK we can only tow up to 7700lbs, and all our towballs are 2" works well tbh, however i do like your insert carriers, most of our towbars setups are fixed....

@WayneTheBoatGuy 23 дня назад

One of those odd US things!

@johnspear3452 20 дней назад

Wrong. In the UK max trailer weight is 3500kg (7700LBS) we officially use metric weights, and the ball is 50mm ( the UK haven't used 2" balls since the 1960s)

@jasonleedham5678 20 дней назад

@johnspear3452 well I converted as the channel, and one assumes, the main audience are American. 2" being the approximate equivalent to our 50mm (obvs 2x25.4mm is 2")

@chris6200 9 дней назад

@@johnspear345250mm is appropriately 2". 2"=50.8mm There's less than a mm difference which means that they are usually interchangeable.

@farmerjon360 5 дней назад

I'd say the industry should just switch to the 2 5/16 ball with max weight limit. Would that be overkill for say a 10' lawn mower trailer? Absolutely, but at least that ball could haul that trailer in the morning then easily switch to your 10,000# stock trailer without having to mess with anything

@Eric_Olsen 13 часов назад

Why I purchased the convert-a-ball just have one size and it tows what i need to from 1 7/8” or 2”

@jz422 19 дней назад

We run B&W Trailer Hitches on our trucks, they have both 2" and 5/15" adjust to different heights and are rated at 10,000 Lbs. It's cheap and east to convert the trailer without surge brakes to a common size. Curt makes a good one too.

@ratdude747 23 дня назад

Had this issue with my FIL's car haulers. His old one (now my current one) is a 2". But the new one is 2-5/16" When went to pick it up from his best friend's estate (as he bought it off his widow), whoops... 2" ball no good. Thankfully we found a class 4 hitch with the right ball laying in the garage which got the trailer home. Both trailers are rated for 7000lb and are tandem axle with one brake axle... only difference is age and that the "new" trailer has a folding ramp. Funny enough both trailers belonged to the friend when new... when he upgraded the first time my FIL bought his old one. Currently I have three trailers: the car hauler above, my 16' ski boat's trailer, and a small 4x8 utility trailer... the former two are both 2", the latter is 1 7/8. But that works out, as the 4x8 is only ever used with my 1995 Ford Ranger's bumper and my lawn tractor (which I modded to have such a ball in place of the pin hole)... the other two are exclusively used with my 1984 F150's class III tow bar (or a bigger tow rig someday, the F150 isn't beefy enough IMHO). Theoretically I could tow the 4x8 with the F150 using a different hitch- the height would need to change, not just the ball size... but that trailer doesn't really add much that the F150 can't do with the bed alone (I only bought it because I needed to haul F150 body parts across the country using the ranger).

@wrenchgearsadventures 21 день назад

I agree with putting everything over to a 2" ball for regular homeowner use. 2 5/16" would be more commercial use. I'm in the middle of slowly swapping all our trailers here to 2". Things are too complicated here.... Tahoe bowrider - 2" Cadorette ski boat -2" Rockwood tent trailer - 2" Mirror Craft 14ft tin boat - 1 7/8" ATV trailer 1 7/8" Utility trailer 1 7/8" Soon everything here will be 2" and a whole lot easier Great video.

@qapla 18 дней назад

I agree, the 1-7/8 should be done away with. I have a HF trailer, but I put the 2" coupler on it when I assembled it. As for the weight difference for the various balls, much depends on the size of the shaft and, even worse, if it uses a bolt instead of a nut to fasten it. If it mounts with a bolt, the ball is essentially hollow - but then, so are many of those quick-change balls hollow.

@stratoblaster92 19 дней назад

100% agree. It's ridiculous. I have a 2" ball, and I have actually replaced the tongues on trailers (with the correct and proper weight ratings) so that they all are 2", just so I don't have to deal with this nonsense. Give me 2" for the small 1" draw bar tow rated vehicles, and go to the bigger ball for the bigger size draw bar. Done. I know you and I are both oversimplifying, but it is really NOT that hard.

@Ichibuns 7 дней назад

I just got a ball and hitch for a few thousand pounds over my tow rating. The only time a ball larger than 2" should be necessary is by trailers with a say a GVWR of 10,000 lbs+. This could help prevent people from towing a trailer that *likely* requires a HD vehicle. At that point you should be looking at a 3/4 ton anyway.

@SilverStarHeggisist 3 дня назад

Not any more, the half tons are now rated for more then 10K pounds. The 2025 Chevy 150 is 13,300 pounds, the 2025 Ford F150 is 13,500 pounds, The Dodge 1500 is the lowest of the big three at 11,570 pounds (the 2024 version is 12,750, I'm guessing the 2025 model truck itself is slightly heavier leading to the lower rating. While under 10K pounds the 2025 Ford Ranger is rated for 7,500 pounds. Meaning that today's "small trucks" are in line with the old half tons. To further give a idea the higher capacities, when you jump up to a 3/4 ton like the F250, you're looking at 22,000 pounds off the hitch and 23,000 pounds gooseneck. The Ram 2500 is 19,990 pounds. And finally the Chevy offers 22,500 pounds.

@pitkinweldingfabrication7573 20 дней назад

I almost agree. But you forgot the best catch all that will only ever need 1 size... pintle hitch... it's 1 size, you have a donut and a locking clamp... easier to line up, easier to see when its getting worn out, removes the weak link of the ball neck.... all commercialbumper pull trailers use pintle. They also bolt on for easy replacement and adjustment.

@WayneTheBoatGuy 20 дней назад

Yeah I wonder why they are less common

@robertemoryjr1611 20 дней назад

Nope, even pintle hitches come in at least 2 sizes

@404nouserinformationfound 12 дней назад

They rattle and make noise. Many people don't like noise.

@user-dw6tt7bi1m 23 дня назад

I just took delivery on a new Jon Boat from Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Boat. All their trailers from a small trailer like mine to their large boats are a 2 inch ball. Great & fun information 🚤 Hi from Michigan. 🚂

@rlr4294 23 дня назад

Yes but all are small Boats rated for those Balls . Bigger boat Require Larger stronger Balls 30ft and up Boat trailers

@WayneTheBoatGuy 22 дня назад

Congrats on the new boat!! I wish more manufacturers would standardize!

@WayneTheBoatGuy 22 дня назад

Yes bigger boats (and other heavy weight trailers) require more heavy duty setups.

@Bwanar1 17 дней назад

Yeah they can probably get rid of the 1 7/8". There are a lot of them out there though. Those folks probably don't want to mess with them. You don't want to guess at what your trailer/boat weight is. It's best to take it to a scale and start off with the right knowledge from the start.

@gonzalomanriquezjr864 23 дня назад

I have a 1976 trailer that is 1 7/8” and the coupler is welded on. I have a newer trailer for my 12ft jon boat that is 2”. So I got one of the 3 ball hitches just because of that. If the other wasn’t welded on I would switch it out with 2”. But my other boat is only a 14’ Gamefisher so it’s like 350 lbs with gear and motor.

@gonzalomanriquezjr864 23 дня назад

@@rlr4294 sweet. I’ll look into it. Thanks

@dwaynestomp5462 19 дней назад

The hitches Uhaul uses on their trailers fit any size ball. I don't know if they have a patent or what, but I've never seen them available for sale. The way they work is they screw the pawl on the bottom up tight, making it universal.

@jamesm568 15 дней назад

I have to laugh when I buy a truck that has a 8000 lb towing capability, but they give you a 5,000 lb receiver and hitch ball.

@speedfreak8200 20 дней назад

The last 2 small trailers I bought had 1 7/8 first thing I did was cut them off and put 2" on them..... Don't Forget to GREASE your BALLS

@maine-lygamingtips2039 18 дней назад

2 inch for the win...standardize on that, color code the shank for weight, call it done.

@moralreality7328 21 день назад

Bought and built my trailer today. Was wondering this

@robertheinkel6225 19 дней назад

I also noticed the trailer tongue is a different size, based on the ball size. A two inch coupler doesn’t fit on the tongue needing a 1 7/8 ball.

@flat4314 18 дней назад

The rv industry pretty much went to a standard 2 5/16 I deliver 3 campers at a time on a specialized trailer it used to be all 3 trailers could have a different size now 99% is 2 5/16

@ragdolltrucking 21 день назад

you can find some of the bigger balls rated the same as a 2" but thats just because theyre cheap junk, for the most part ive always figured this was to make it idiot proof, when chrysler built the second gen dakota they switched to 6 bolt because there were some older 5 bolts in salvage yards and what not that werent rated for the extra capacity of the new truck, same idea they designed it to be idiot proof also very important note is that the bolt under the ball is a different sheer strength aswell, i dont know if they still do or not but they used to be different sizes

@ern48 18 дней назад

Great video! Agreed there needs to be a trailer ball revamp. The 1 7/8" ball should have been eliminated decades ago. I can see two sizes with "all equipment" in its category rated to the max that way if it fits it's covered and help eliminate clueless dangerous mistakes.

@blackout7615 6 дней назад

I cut the 1 and 7/8 tongue off any trisler I accuire and weld on my custom 4inch tongue that only fits my custom made 4 inch ball. Why? Because i like people ro see my big ball and i like that nobody can borrow ny trailers.

@SilverStarHeggisist 3 дня назад

I just went gooseneck. Most who can tow a gooseneck, already have their own trailer lol

@armageddonready4071 22 дня назад

I got a trailer with an 1 7/8 hitch. It was a double axle with drum brakes. One day I noticed metal fatigue and realized, holy crap, that ball is way to small for this trailer. No wonder I got it free.

@Connor-zb4uo 22 дня назад

lucky you caught it

@WayneTheBoatGuy 22 дня назад

That's scary!

@winstonrocco1981 20 дней назад

I haven’t used a 1 7/8 since the eighties on a caddo bass boat lol

@N1ghtF1re 3 дня назад

What really sucks is when you rent a moving truck, and it has a ball welded on that's a different size than your trailer. I had to deal with that on my last move, I had to leave one of my trailers behind and go back to get it, an extra 12 hour drive time because Penske decided to change their standard ball size from 2" and weld 2 5/16 balls to their trucks.

@WayneTheBoatGuy 3 дня назад

Yeah - that stinks! I wonder what their logic is in that decision.

@SilverStarHeggisist 3 дня назад

That's because usually with rental trucks, you are not supposed to tow with them unless you're towing their trailers. So there is no reason for them to worry about it fitting other trailers because all of their trailers use the same ball. I found this out working for a place that did Uhauls.

@SilverStarHeggisist 3 дня назад

@@WayneTheBoatGuy That's because usually with rental trucks, you are not supposed to tow with them unless you're towing their trailers. So there is no reason for them to worry about it fitting other trailers because all of their trailers use the same ball. I found this out working for a place that did Uhauls.

@mikemckeown9477 23 дня назад

Good video ❤

@thomashodgson5600 22 дня назад

If standardizin your trailers to all be the same is that important, awap the couple out on the trailer. Pulling any serious amount of weight won't have a ball anyway.

@opossumlvr1023 17 дней назад

Also the safety factor that was applied to the tow capacity should be written on the packaging that the ball comes with when new. Often it is a factor of 1.5-3. Meaning that your trailer hitch ball could handle up to 3 times its rated capacity before failure.

@krisramos7453 21 день назад

I agree. I think a good solution would be to keep all 3 sizes but standardize them all for certain weight 1” 7/8 up to 2000lbs 2” up to 10000lbs and 2” 5/16 up to 30000lbs. Because they make bumper pull trailers that weigh that much for some reason

@ObamaoZedong 15 дней назад

I also didn't know I had 3 different sized balls till I got diagnosed with testicular cancer. ⚽⚽⚽

@talon426 6 дней назад

It doesn't matter, every trailer I have ever pulled required a different drop. And the drop matters when the trailer has more then one axle.

@WayneTheBoatGuy 4 дня назад

Yeah those adjustable drop models are pretty cool for those situations.

@Soladaddy 21 день назад

I have 2" balls with ratings of 5k, 6k and 8.5k. Also there was a time I had a 24' cabin cruiser 2" and a Jet ski 1 7/8". I accidentally towed the 24 footer to storage using the 1 7/8 ball. Nothing bad happened, but it was a bit shocking when I unhitched and saw the 1 7/8".

@BomBoo-rn8gj 20 дней назад

No..just the one that fits your trailer. And if you get snowed on take it off, or you may regret it, in fact just take it off when not used. (In some States it's the law).

@Tylnorton 7 дней назад

It's ridiculous. I work around boats and we use forklifts to tow boats around the yard. I cannot stand changing out different sizes balls. It's just dumb. I understand the rating but make all the current 1 7/8 trailers to a 2 inch and anything that requires over 6000lbs can have the 2 5/16.

@evanforst7272 11 дней назад

Before watching I decided to take a shot every time he said ball and was passed out by 2 minutes in 😜

@ExperiencesAndEquipment 17 дней назад

Here's how I would change it. 1 7/8 ball on a 2 inch receiver for single axle trailers with no brake system. For your small cars/suvs with the 4 pin trailer connector. 2 5/16 for anything that needs trailer brakes with the 7 pin bladed connector, with the 2.5" receiver. I'm seeing all large campers are trending this way. Any full size truck (my 2008 chevy 2500 included and my previous 2019 f250) already has a 2.5" receiver. Above that you'll likely be using a pintle hitch for military, heavy equipment, or dump trailers. But that's commercial drivers license territory.

@dodgeme1986truck 17 дней назад

A 2inch ball is better than the 1-7/8... The best rule of thumb is 5k lbs gross trailer weight and under getting 2inch balls and couplers, and anything over 5k lbs getting 2-5/16 balls and couplers but never exceed any one hitch components limits

@ExperiencesAndEquipment 17 дней назад

@@dodgeme1986truck that's why I say 1 7/8 for no trailer brakes. Apparently federal law is 3,000 lbs and up requires trailer brakes. So under that, a 1 7/8 ball would be more than adequate. Plus the size difference between the 2 is enough that you could probably eyeball the change.

@dodgeme1986truck 17 дней назад

@@ExperiencesAndEquipment the thing is its people wanting to streamline their trailer fleets to 1-2ball sizes and I have 3500 lb trailers that don't have to have brakes... As they are grandfathered since that regulation only went into effect in 2023... 1-7/8 balls really are not very safe above 2000lbs trailer gross weight as they wear out much faster and are generally with weaker mounting shanks also trailer rental facilities are starting to not want to rent to a 1-7/8 ball (I have 2inch ball and couplers that have over 100k miles and still don't need adjustments for wear but the few 1-7/8 ball and couplers I had ( they were converted to 2inch) constantly needed the wear slop adjusted out of them... And yes there are adjustments for coupler to ball wear... just like the couplers are supposed to be greased periodically). I prefer the dry film lube for the balls and couplers not the grease or oil based lubes

@chrism2042 21 день назад

My 24' T-top bay boat has 2" hitch, the only time I use a 2-5/16" is with an equipment trailer. I use a weigh-safe hitch that has drop adjustment and flip over 2" / 2-5/16" balls. Don't think I have ever towed a trailer with 1-7/8". I agree on them eliminating the 1-7/8".

@jerryq1000 22 дня назад

I agree...also, standardizing the receiver size to 2" would simplify things as well...

@leesmith5419 23 дня назад

I'm in full agreement with you

@freddeavers5624 20 дней назад

I agree ,There should be a 2 inch and 3 inch. When I buy a trailer if it doesn't have a 2 inch. I by a new receiving coupler, so there is no confused.

@gillgetter3004 23 дня назад

I think my boat trailer is 1 7/8 had it for years. When I was working construction we had all three, plus a big eye one for miscellaneous implements like compressors for air hammers and cement and mortar mixers etc.

@CliffordMaxfield 23 дня назад

Right on Wayne. And that pin on the receiver hitch seems to be one size. What's up with that???

@rlr4294 23 дня назад

The pin Just keeps the thing from coming out why shouldn't they be One size .

@CliffordMaxfield 22 дня назад

@@rlr4294 Exactly .

@ems5886 23 дня назад

We changed all our couplers over to 2 in to make life easier

@WayneTheBoatGuy 23 дня назад

Nice!

@ghost307 20 дней назад

Changing hitch balls is a pain. I just buy 2 different hitches.

@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259 19 дней назад

I use the Reese 74309 multi ball, it's rated up to 8klb

@Slackware1995 18 дней назад

I'd recommend that you standardize on 2 inch ball. Any trailer that you have that is not 2 inch replace the hitch with a 2 inch. Its not a difficult job and realatively cheap.

@darrylmcleman6456 23 дня назад

The little white dog looks something like the Malteese Poodle I had.He would retrieve a tennis ball all day long.The trailer ball wants occasional greasing.Good plan to eliminate the 1 7/8 ball.CHEERS from HERE!

@WayneTheBoatGuy 22 дня назад

I think our dog is a Bischon Poodle - but she does look very similar to the Maltese Poodles!

@robertemoryjr1611 20 дней назад

So your idea is to add yet another size into the equation, 3 inch ??

@rlr4294 23 дня назад

The Different Balls are not all just for Boat trailers are there are other hitches that don't even require Balls Different loads Ect . You wouldn't pull a House trailer with a Two inch Ball for Example !