Tired of hitch height issue

2Cougs

Ok... have towed for 4 years with a perfectly level trailer, and we still have issues. We (along with some other CS-S owners we have met at rallies) have found that when our hitch height makes our trailer perfectly level, we cannot put our hitch wheel on.  We have a work around... we have to drive the back wheels of the tow vehicle up onto a 2x4 ramp, and then we can get it on or off.  How bad would it be to raise the hitch height (thus not towing a level trailer) so we can get that wheel on and off easier?  Thoughts?

AirBoss

Gut tells me if you tow tongue high (so wheel can be mounted), you'll introduce the potential for more sway. 

How much room do you need? The 1 1/2 of a single 2x4?

Oh...and Go Dawgs! 

2Cougs

A 2x4 set as a ramp perpendicular to another 2x4... so that’s about 3 inches.  We have a 6 inch drop hitch for our truck 

And Go Cougs!

Sharon_is_SAM

That’s odd.  Is it visually level or did you actually measure it as level?  What is the measurement from the bottom of the coupler to the ground when level?  I take it you are raising the jack fully.  Is there something wrong with the jack that it doesn’t raise completely?  Maybe try a 4 or 5 inch drop.

AirBoss

Assuming you've done the math on your coupler and your ball height and you're certain the rig it level. Sharon's raises a good point. Does seem odd. Did you raise your Siverado from factory ride height? 

Just spit-balling here:

Could go the route of air shocks on the Silverado but not sure you'd get enough height. 

Would something like this help? At least you're not locked in to one ball height. 

If you only need an inch or two, perhaps something along these lines might work. I've found that if solid ground and you get a bit of leverage, you can roll this to verticle fairly easily. Paired with the ball mount above it may work.  

I suppose just using the foot pad isn't a good solution for you. I've found I use the foot pad much more often than the wheel. 

Let us know what you find out.  

Tampakayaker

I found that if I remove a few items out of the pick up bed and have no passengers in the TV I can get that little bit of extra height to slip the wheel on. I thought my truck Springs were weak and compressing while towing because I had no issues getting the wheel off after hitching up at home. Then I realized I hitched up before loading the bed of the pick up and didn’t have any passengers. 

Sharon_is_SAM

Good thinking @Tampakayaker.  

BrianZ

We used to have the same issue (especially with the 8" pneumatic wheels which have been replaced with 6" solid plastic wheels), but haven't had any problems since installing air lifts in the vehicle springs, which elevated our sagging rear by an inch or more.  We could probably reinstall the pneumatic wheels if we wanted, since raising our jack mount to solve a different issue..

Not sure if this idea would give the clearance you need, but these long "coupler nuts" raised our jack about 1-3/4 inches.  I did this so I could still use my drill on the jack after installing a storage box on the tongue (Dale Helman's jack bolt mod)..
I had to turn the post to the rear to get clearance for the drill after adding a bike rack to the hitch bar.
This arrangement works, but also makes me thankful that I didn't just cut off some of the bottom of the jack, because now I must raise it as far as it will go to clear the hitch ball when hitching up (at least with the flat foot plate that we use most of the time).  We only use the wheels if we need to rotate the T@B around for a better angle at the camp site.

Homebodyatheart

@2Cougs I have the same problem, although it’s inconsistent. If I can’t get the wheel on I use the flat foot. Trailer is dead level all around, fairly flat site.  

Dalehelman

Just cut about 3” off the bottom of the tongue jack. One of the first things I did 5 years ago..

2Cougs

It even happens in our level driveway... we need to put the wheel on to roll it into the garage.  @mtnlvr has same year, same model and same problem.  She has shortened the tongue jack and still has the problem.  We both are also the year/model that no amount of silicone spray eases getting the trailer on and off the ball... must put your fingers under the hitch and pull the lever back to get it to seat on the ball. 

 I have grandkids with me today... when they settle down tonight I will go measure from the bottom of the coupler to the ground when level as @Sharon_is_SAM asked.   We did do the math on our coupler and ball height and are certain the rig it level. We did nothing to raise the Siverado from factory ride height... and yes we are raising the jack fully.  Tend to agree with @AirBoss that if we tow tongue high (so wheel can be mounted), we'll introduce the potential for more sway (which we never have)... thus why we have just put up with our work-around to drive up on the wood blocks... but thought we would throw it out there to see what all of your heads together might come up with.  

Marceline

Are you measuring for level when the truck is fully loaded? When I load my TV I have to be careful to put as much weight as possible in front of the rear axle or I can't get the wheel off and on. I think that the magic number is 16" or maybe 17" to the top of the ball for a non-Boondock trailer. How high is yours?

Mouseketab

Some folks have actually cut off 2" off of the bottom of their jack post and drilled new holes to accommodate the wheel

2Cougs

OK - here are the pics and measurements...

So @S@Sharon_is_SAM - bottom of coupler to ground is 11 inches.

Denny16

Your trailer once hatched to the truck does not appear to be level in the photo.  Measure from the driveway pavement to the bottom of the trailer frame at the front and rear, you are down in the front by at least one inch or more.  You need a ball receiver with less drop than what you show you are using.  Recommended top of tow ball height should be 16” for a standard TaB 320, yours looks too low.  The level in your photo only shows that part of the tongue is level, not the trailer frame.
cheers

AirBoss

Based on quick glance you would likely be fine with 4" drop. 

Denny16

I agree AirBoss, looks like @2Cougs is using a 6-inch drop ball mount, surprised they have not bottomed it out.
cheers

Sharon_is_SAM

Well, sure looks level!  Who else with a 2016 CS model can measure from the bottom of the coupler to the ground?  @2Cougs - can you tell how much sag you get when hitched?  

2Cougs

@Sharon_is_SAM - those measurements were when we were loaded and hitched. You have a CSS (2017), and I take it that this is not an issue for you.
You can see how puzzling this is.  As you can tell, we have a workaround... but even today when we took it in to get new tires, we couldn't put the wheel on without using our little 2x4 trick.  We also just kind of want to put it out there for others with the same issue.  I remember telling @mtnlvr (aka "Evil Red Ridinghood") about what we did, and she almost kissed us... she (like we had) was keeping a small shovel handy and digging a small hole to make it happen.  There are times you need the wheel on!

2Cougs

@Denny16, @AirBoss, @Sharon_is_SAM   -  Thanks for the quick thoughts.  We just unhitched and tucked it in the garage.  The "bubbles" on our front to back and left to right levels, and the level I set on the tongue show we are level.  Will hitch up again next weekend and measure it distance from frame to pavement front and back.  We have never bottomed out with this hitch, never had any sway, and calculated the hitch height based on info here.  When we first got this tow vehicle (long story... had to buy it while on a trip when we had catastrophic engine failure in other tow vehicle), we did finish that trip with a hitch with less drop... but the trailer did bottom out then.  I would think that raising the hitch would cause bottoming out.

AirBoss

Hope you find a solution. 

Question: you stated raising the drop to 4" will cause bottoming out. How so? On the surface it would seem if you raise the point at which the ball meets the receiver that would give you more clearance, not less...at least at the hitch point. Was it bottoming out in the rear of the trailer?  

Thought about the taking 2"-3" inches off the jack? The pic showing you trying to put the wheel on would indicate that might work and be very inexpensive...assuming the jack is fully retracted. Otherwise, see my post above re: the Andersen hitch options. Gives you options.

Good luck...let us know how it works out. 

Denny16

Raising the front hitch height does lower the rear clearance, which reduces your departure angle.  I was referring to bottoming out the hitch mount, which looks to gave not much clearance.  

Cheers

2Cougs

Gotcha!  When we had a 4" hitch we drug the rear of the trailer several times.  The CS-S is flat along the bottom, unlike the other models that raise up at the rear.

AirBoss

Well...guess you could always mount some magnesium strips at the rear of the rig and pretend you're an F1 racer! 

Looks like you have a bit of a pickle. Shortening the jack stand seems like a viable option, but sadly you can undo it without additional effort and/or expense. 

Keep us posted on how you get the Two Coug's "hitched."

BTW, looks like we won't be enjoying the Apple Cup this year. Heavy sigh... :-( 

mtnlvr

@2Cougs fix using the 2x4’s is the perfect fix. Can’t thank them enough! Simple and smart and all I needed. 

Dalehelman

BrianZ said:

We used to have the same issue (especially with the 8" pneumatic wheels which have been replaced with 6" solid plastic wheels), but haven't had any problems since installing air lifts in the vehicle springs, which elevated our sagging rear by an inch or more.  We could probably reinstall the pneumatic wheels if we wanted, since raising our jack mount to solve a different issue..

Not sure if this idea would give the clearance you need, but these long "coupler nuts" raised our jack about 1-3/4 inches.  I did this so I could still use my drill on the jack after installing a storage box on the tongue (Dale Helman's jack bolt mod)..
I had to turn the post to the rear to get clearance for the drill after adding a bike rack to the hitch bar.
This arrangement works, but also makes me thankful that I didn't just cut off some of the bottom of the jack, because now I must raise it as far as it will go to clear the hitch ball when hitching up (at least with the flat foot plate that we use most of the time).  We only use the wheels if we need to rotate the T@B around for a better angle at the camp site.

For your particular situation I would second @Brian solution.

Sharon_is_SAM

But I want to know why this is happening.  Ours is in storage or I would be out there measuring.  Is the jack longer than standard?  Is the cuff of the wheel longer?  Is it only 2016 CS that are effected?  Weird!

SubaruLou

I had to put a 10” drop on my TV to tow level with my 320 S and often have the same problem getting the wheel on, especially on gravel or when storing because the garage is slightly elevated. I just bought a flat hitch plate for those occasions.

Marceline

That ball height looks at least a couple of inches low to me. From ground to the top of the ball should be 16”. No wonder you can’t get the wheel on.  

Denny16

Yes, it does to me also.
cheers

Marceline

2Cougs said:

Gotcha!  When we had a 4" hitch we drug the rear of the trailer several times.  The CS-S is flat along the bottom, unlike the other models that raise up at the rear.

That arrangement that you have looks crazy low to me. Under what exact circumstances did you drag the tail when you had less of a drop? Was your TV fully loaded? Did you have the spare tire under the back? Were you going over a curb?