Ball height for towing my 2018 tab 320

barcar

I have purchased a used 2018 T@B 320 and will be towing it with a 2015 GMC Sierra.  The dealer has told me I will need a 2 inch ball with the top of the ball at 12  - 13 inches off a level surface.  This seems extremely low!  I currently have a 3 inch drop hitch on the truck and the 2 inch ball that is installed on it is 19 inches from the ground!  Can anyone shed some light on this?

dragonsdofly

@barcar, this is going to depend on which model of t@b 320 you have. The standard answer on a standard t@b is 16" from the ground to the top of the ball will give you a level tow. You may have to differ your inches of drop/rise to accomplish this. If you have a boondock model, 18" or 19" from the ground to the top of the ball is supposed to be the sweet spot. It also depends on what kind of a load you are carrying in the tv. Does it squat when you hitch up the trailer? Adjustments need to be made then. The secret to a safe tow is as level as possible. It is always safer if you are an inch down at the coupler rather than an inch high at the coupler. Towing with the trailer's nose up, even a tiny bit can cause sway, a circumstance ALWAYS to be avoided. If you haven't picked up your trailer yet, my advice would be to approximate as accurately as you can before you got to get it. Bring a few plastic storage tubs with a total of 150/200 lbs weight that can be placed against the front of the t@b inside for the ride home. Load your tv with what you might carry on a trip, then you can see how level you'll be towing. These were tips given to us before we picked up our "DragonsFly", and it was super great info, as the weight in plastic tubs inside the t@b simulated a loaded trailer and kept it from bouncing on the ride home. An empty trailer can really bounce! What we learned on that ride home was that even though we had 16" to the top of the ball, we were about an inch high. The extra weight we brought kept the trailer from swaying, and because I had been towing boat trailers for years, when we got home, we just switched to another hitch with one more inch of drop. For us, it cost nothing to change it except 2 minutes of time. Hitch height is easily and inexpensively adjusted. I simply believe your dealer or most likely, your sales rep is misinformed. Good luck and happy t@bbing!

barcar

Thanks so much for the great info.  For the record it is a standard T@B.  No boondock or boondock lite.  S floorplan.  I am going to purchase a 6 inch drip hitch which shold put the ball height at 16 inches.

MuttonChops

@barcar;

For a visual reference

Bayliss

And here's the video for the Curt Mfg. (towing products) diagram posted by @MuttonChops.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgmo5w7ddVw&feature=youtu.be

Or, Draw-Tite's video.....same explanation, with a couple different diagrams for reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbhgRUTyGDg

rkj__

8" drop for my 2018 Sierra. In this picture, the truck and trailer are completely unloaded.  The rear of the truck sits a touch lower when loaded up for a trip. 

rkj__

MuttonChops

@barcar, @rkj__     In Reference to Drop/Rise Calculation

The Curt/Draw-Tite instructions as well as the reference figure posted above all have one minor defect;  trailer tongue weight impact on TV receiver height is not discussed.
To have an ideal level TV & T@B set-up knowing how much your TV will sag in the rear based on tongue weight should be subtracted from the receiver height { A }.

Believe Honda is the only manufacturer to include this in their Owners Manuals.  They include tables of TV sag in inches vs. tongue weight.  Suspect the goal is to help owners estimate TV capacity as tongue weight must be subtracted from TV maximum payload.

Something to keep in mind as you decide what rise/drop is best for you.

My Colorado is designed for towing/hauling and comes from the factory with a bit of rack, rear is visibility higher than front.  When selecting my tow bar drop I adjusted the Colorado receiver height to level with front and as Luck Would Have It the T@B tongue weight is in the correct range to level out the Colorado's rack.  So I have a very nice level set-up

rkj__

MuttonChops said:

@barcar, @rkj__     In Reference to Drop/Rise Calculation

The Curt/Draw-Tite instructions as well as the reference figure posted above all have one minor defect;  trailer tongue weight impact on TV receiver height is not discussed.
To have an ideal level TV & T@B set-up knowing how much your TV will sag in the rear based on tongue weight should be subtracted from the receiver height { A }.

Believe Honda is the only manufacturer to include this in their Owners Manuals.  They include tables of TV sag in inches vs. tongue weight.  Suspect the goal is to help owners estimate TV capacity as tongue weight must be subtracted from TV maximum payload.

Something to keep in mind as you decide what rise/drop is best for you.

My Colorado is designed for towing/hauling and comes from the factory with a bit of rack, rear is visibility higher than front.  When selecting my tow bar drop I adjusted the Colorado receiver height to level with front and as Luck Would Have It the T@B tongue weight is in the correct range to level out the Colorado's rack.  So I have a very nice level set-up

Since my Sierra has a payload of over 1,600 lb, it may not sag as much as some other passenger vehicles. It was a rough measurement, but last I checked, my ball was 15.5” from top of ball to ground when truck is not loaded. 

GibW

I agree  with your dealer. While conventional wisdom says 16" for a 320S. Ours was not level at that height. Finally dropped it to around 12" and it rides much better. Bonus is that the spare on the back doesn't ever drag any more.

barcar

Many thanks to all who offered their sage advice.  Wound up going with an 8 inch drop and the trailer sits nicely.

KAR

We have a 2015 T@B and are towing it with a Toy Rav 4. We've been trying to use the 16 inch rule from the top of the ball to the ground. Is this correct?

Thanks,K

dragonsdofly

@KAR, yes that's the approximation, but the actual is to tow level. Park your hitched rig in as level location as you can find and eyeball the level line. The trailer frame should be level, or as close as possible. With such a variety of tow vehicles, the 16 inch height is just a guideline. Take a photo of your rig while eyeballing it. Sometimes the photo can reveal things the eyes don't catch in live observation. Make sure vehicle and trailer are loaded for travel, so you can inspect how the two units line up together. If you are not absolutely level, trailer tongue down an inch is better than trailer tongue up, which can lead to sway issues. It is also better to load the trailer so you have a bit(and I do mean BIT) more weight forward than aft for stability purposes. Always keep in mind your vehicle's  tow, weight and hitch/tongue weight restrictions. Once you dial your towing comfort zone in, you know how to repeat the success and it gets so much easier. Good luck, and enjoy. Happy t@bbing!

KAR

Thanks:)