???<br>Please tell me what you can pull with it!!!!!!!!!<br>Like NC MOG I'm looking for a trailer to put my trail buggy on and was told that the hitch will not take the weight.<br>The trailer will be a 10k from what they say 2k weight plus the buggy 6k so around 8k to 8.5k overall.<br>Was told to go with a Titon class V.<br>The owners manual said the class IV was for 1k T/W or 10% so that puts it at 10K.<br>What has everyone been pulling?<br>It does not say anything about Weight Distribution that I found.<br>Jon

 

Hey Jon. You should be fine toting around your Blazer without a weight distributing hitch. The hitch will take 10,000 lbs worth of trailer plus load with 10% (1000 lbs) being placed on the hitch itself as tongue weight.<br><br>I'm not sure I say a reference in the manual regarding a weight distributing hitch giving you more capacity either. Generally, I've seen other class IV hitches showing around a 2000 lb or so increase beyond the standard.<br><br>Hope this helps.

 

Mr. G,<br>Not sure about the '03 Class IV, but on my '02 Class IV (factory option), the sticker says &quot;500 lbs TW/ 5000 lbs trailer weight OR 1000 lbs TW / 10000 lbs trailer weight WITH a weight distributed hitch&quot;.<br><br>I did some research on hitch classifications and got more confused then when I started. It boils down to the manufacturer: one manufacturers class IV hitch can be rated different than another ones' class IV hitch. Also one man's class IV is another's class III. Example Hidden Hitch has a class IV that is 6000lbs/10000lbs (with and without weight distributing) while Draw-Tite lists a class III that has the same ratings (6k/10k).

 

[quote author=NC_Mog link=board=11;threadid=16937;start=0#158750 date=1057913738]
Hey Jon. You should be fine toting around your Blazer without a weight distributing hitch. The hitch will take 10,000 lbs worth of trailer plus load with 10% (1000 lbs) being placed on the hitch itself as tongue weight.

I'm not sure I say a reference in the manual regarding a weight distributing hitch giving you more capacity either. Generally, I've seen other class IV hitches showing around a 2000 lb or so increase beyond the standard.

Hope this helps.
[/quote]

What he said. 10,000 lb. capacity with 1,000 lb. tongue weight if you've got the factory installed Class IV. You should be good to go. Don't know about weight distributing though. The service tech at my dealer claims to pull a 12,000 lb trailer &quot;all the time&quot; with his Class IV....for whatever that's worth.

 

[quote author=hotdram link=board=11;threadid=16937;start=0#158763 date=1057924748]<br>Mr. G,<br>Not sure about the '03 Class IV, but on my '02 Class IV (factory option), the sticker says &quot;500 lbs TW/ 5000 lbs trailer weight OR 1000 lbs TW / 10000 lbs trailer weight WITH a weight distributed hitch&quot;.[/quote]<br><br>I believe that would be a Class III....per the '03 manual and the sticker that comes on the '03 Class III hitches.

 

I believe it is a class III as well. However my window sticker says Class IV and the website (at the time, this is an '02) says Class IV. I went round and round with the dealer about the fact that I don't think I have a class IV hitch, but a class III. This is why I did the research that I mentioned in my prior post. Nowhere could I find documentation that definitively states what a class III is or what a class IV is. It boils down to the manufacturer. Shoot, some manufacturers even have a class III/IV [undecided].
I have decided that if I need to tow any substantial weight, I will buy a GN or 5 'er.

 

I kind of went through the same thing when I bought my truck. It didn't come with a hitch at all and as part of the deal they agreed to install a Class IV hitch and the 7 pin harness. They got the harness right, but for the hitch they just put on one of those Class III hitches that bolted directly to the bottom of the bumper. I went round and round with them...and was even told that they didn't have a Class IV hitch....but finally I was able to convince them by just pulling the part number off of one of the duallies on the lot that DID have a Class IV. After a couple of weeks of arguing I finally got the right hitch on it. :

 

You've got to be carefull about this, now!!

For some reason, DC has this odd hitch thing, where it supposedly will handle 10,000#/1000# tongue weight, but ONLY WITH A WEIGHT-DIST HOOKUP.

If you're planning on not using the spring bars, and just drop the trailer hitch on a ball mount on the back, then the rating is maxed out at 5,000#/500# tongue weight.

This really annoys me, since I bought a heavy-duty vehicle, but they have managed to save a nickel by putting in a de-rated (cheaper) tow receiver... &gt;

Oh well; at some point, I'll take off the DC unit &amp; put on a real class V receiver. For now, I'll just keep using the equalizer hitch on the trailer.

I did test out the weight-carrying capacity by removing the equalizing hitch components, &amp; just dropped the trailer on the ball - the back of the truck sunk about 3&quot;; the weight on the ball was about 650#, but it carried it quite well. I'd be leary of leaving this setup, tho.

Rene

ps - nice handle.... ;D

 

Actually, the Class IV hitch (at least on the 03's) is rated for 10,000/1,000 without a weight distributing hitch. The Class III is rated for 5,000/500 weight carrying and I believe 10,000/100 weight distributing. The Class IV, at least according to the manual, is rated for 10,000/1,000...and it doesn't say anywhere that it's only rated at that with a weight distributing hitch. I believe it's either on page 56 or 67 of the owner's manual if you'd like to read up on it.

What annoys me is that there is nowhere on the hitch itself that tells what the capacity is. Not a stamp, sticker or anything. In my opinion that's something that should be clearly indicated on the hitch itself....not in the owner's manual. The Class III comes with a sticker...but the Class IV doesn't come with anything. :

 

This is copied from the 'Dodge Towing Guide' for my truck (see sig):

'While it's not listed in the charts, tongue weight [i] is also an important consideration. The recommended tongue weight is between 10 &amp; 15% of the trailer weight. However, the maximum tongue weight on Class III (The bumper ball) is limited to 500 lbs, and Class IV (The receiver hitch) to 1200 lbs.This requirement overrides any recommended GTW rating, between 10% and 15% of gross trailer weight (GTW). Additionally, the GAWRs and GVWRs should never be exceeded....

...Use an exhaust brake for all 3500 manual transmission with Diesel applications with a trailer weight over 10,000 lbs.
A goose neck or fifth wheel hitch attached to the vehicle frame, should be used, if the trailer being towed weighs over 10,000 lbs. or has more than 1,000 lbs. tongue weight. '

This is a head-scratcher; apparently, Dodge considers the 'bumper ball' to be a class III, and only the receiver to be a class IV. How can this be, since they only provide the receiver???

My weight-carrying ball &amp; ball-mount are both rated 10,000#/1000#tw...

Rene

 

What you posted pretty much confirms what I said, so I'm not 100% certain what you're asking. ??? BUT...the bumper hitch (step bumper) is considered Class III (5,000/500). Dodge also offers both Class III and Class IV (10,000/1,000) receiver hitches. Typically, the Class III is what they put on the 1/2 tons, but they TRIED to install one on my 3500. The Class III receiver hitch that they used simply bolts to the bottom of the step bumper. The Class IV receiver hitch bolts directly to the frame. Hope that clears up something....

 

Hoss:<br><br>Maybe I'm reading Dodge's site wrong - <br><br>What you're telling me is they are talking about a hitch ball mounted on the BUMPER, not in the receiver??<br><br>They're just reminding me not to tow 10,000# on the step bumper??<br><br>It's good they told me that - <br><br>I thought all ratings applied to the frame-mounted receiver.<br><br>Thanks!<br><br>Rene

 

Ummmm....yeah, I think. I'm confused now...but I do know this:

The step bumper itself is considered a Class III hitch that will hold 5,000/500 pounds (provided the ball you put on it is rated the same).

DC also has a Class III receiver style hitch that bolts to the bottom of the step bumper. This too is rated for 5,000/500, or 10,000/1,000 if you put a weight distributing hitch on it.

Then there is the Class IV receiver hitch that bolts directly to the frame. It is rated for 10,000/1,000 weight carrying. I do not know what it's rating is for weight distributing.

If you have an '03 that came with the factory receiver hitch, then it SHOULD be the Class IV hitch. If you had them install it AFTER you got the truck, then go look at it. If it's bolted to the step bumper through the outside two holes in the bumper, then it's the Class III receiver hitch. If it's welded to the tubing that goes up and bolts directly to the fame, then it's the Class IV receiver hitch. If you don't have a receiver hitch at all and you only have the rear step bumper which you put a ball on, then that also is a Class III hitch.

Clear as mud?? ;D

 

[quote author=gadgets link=board=11;threadid=16937;start=0#163297 date=1058995740]<br>They're just reminding me not to tow 10,000# on the step bumper??<br><br>It's good they told me that - <br>[/quote]<br><br>May seem silly, but some people have to be reminded. <br><br>My brother-in-law has a big block 2500HD and he swears up and down that he towed a flatbed trailer with an old caddy on it, and that the total trailer weight was well over 14K. Now I know his only hitch is a Class III receiver, with 5,000/500 weight carrying and 10,000/1,000 weight distributing limits printed right on the receiver label. <br><br>What I haven't figured out is whether he's totally full of it :, or if he's actually dumb enough to drop a 14K+ trailer on a Class III hitch . He did buy a GM that gets 6mpg though.

 

I've decided to really hear it from the horse's mouth...I hope I don't get the other end.... <br><br>I sent an eMail to DC to try to get a definitive answer, so we'll see what comes back.<br><br>Someone said the rating is stamped on the metal parts; I'll try to see if I can find that when the sun comes out again, although I was was pretty much all over that setup under the frame, &amp; didn't see any markings...wasn't looking either, tho.<br><br>Rene