new TAB 320 boondock owner. Will I need a hitch extender?

Marciakibbster

We are picking up our new used 2012 TAB 320 boondock soon. I am having a Curt hitch installed on my Honda Passport AWD. I have heard that the rack on the front of the boondock model sometimes hits the TV when backing/turning. How much clearance do I need from the back of the TV? 

mona

A hitch extender will cut your towing capacity in half, leaving you with a 1750 lb. tow capacity. 

Jeannie

GatorEgg

mona said:

A hitch extender will cut your towing capacity in half, leaving you with a 1750 lb. tow capacity. 

Jeannie

Not towing capacity, tongue weight capacity.

Verna

I have not “jackknifed” enough to touch my front platform on my 2021 T@B 320 Boondock. I do use a long 14 1/2” ball mount in my F150’s receiver. I have email proof from e-trailer (the seller of this model) saying that this ball mount does not affect my towing capacity. 

The F150 has a longer tailgate and this 14 1/2” Ball mount allows me to lay the tailgate flat without disconnecting from the T@B. 

Grumpy_G

Just the other day I was wondering how vehicle manufacturers determine the maximum tongue weight given that ball mounts have varying distance from the hitch. My hitch collection has between 8" and 14" horizontal distance between the hitch pin and the ball. For a lighter vehicle that makes a big difference. 

The "infamous" SAE J2807 states for the connection point (hitch ball):

Hitch Type (OE hitch mount)

Weight Carrying (Step Bumper) - Center of step bumper hitch ball hole

Weight Carrying - 267 mm (10.5 in) rear of receiver pin hole

Weight Distributing ≤5443 kg(12 000 lb) - 302 mm (11.88 in) rear of receiver pin hole

Weight Distributing >5443 kg(12 000 lb) - 403 mm (15.88 in) rear of receiver pin hole

For aftermarket hitches 

Weight Carrying - 127 mm (5 in) rear of bumper/fascia edge 

Weight Distributing ≤5443 kg(12 000 lb) - 178 mm (7 in) rear of bumper/fascia edge 

Weight Distributing >5443 kg(12 000 lb) - 279 mm (11 in) rear of bumper/fascia edge

mona

@GatorEgg thank you for the correction. That was before my second cup of coffee. 😴

jeannie

Marciakibbster

Thank you all! I'm thinking keeping it as short as possible without jackknifing is the way to go. I may have to change it up after carfully trying it out. 

DenverJaguar

I have a 9 inch tow bar, and my rear hatch easily clears the crank handle (Volvo XC90). I'd actually like it to be 2 inches shorter; the length is double what Volvo advises to use, so my max tongue weight dropped from 500 pounds to 250 pounds. 

CharlieRN

I used a more or less standard hitch with a 4 inch rise to tow my 320S BD with my XC-90. It extended about 6 inches from the end of the receiver (which in turn was roughly on the same plane as the rear bumper) to the center of the ball. I did not have any clearance issues with it when backing & turning the T@B.

I would think that at the least, you'd be able to tow and maneuver your camper with a "standard" length hitch. If you did need extra length when backing & turning, you could use a hitch extender at that point only. This was what I did with a boat that I towed with the Volvo; I needed extra length because the angle of the launch ramp was shallow. I would tow to the lake as normal, and then add the extender in the parking lot as I prepared the boat for launch.

AnOldUR

mona said:

@GatorEgg thank you for the correction. That was before my second cup of coffee. 😴

You weren't too far off. Towing capacity for the load on your transmission and frame are not changed much by an extended hitch, but towing capacity should also reflect how the TV handles at the rated trailer weight. Since extending the hitch has a negative impact on handling it only makes sense that it should lower the amount you can safely tow.