![]() If you already own a hitch extender but have forgotten its weight capacity, it should say somewhere on the shank what its weight capacity is. You can also ask a store associate if you’re not sure where to find the information you need. If you’re buying an extender in a store, it should say on the back of the product how much weight it can handle. If you’re buying the extender online, it should say in the product details how much weight it’s capable of handling. To find out how much weight a hitch extender can hold, it’s important to do a little research. Some extenders can tow up to 5,000 pounds, while others are only good for up to 1,000. The amount of weight your hitch extender can hold depends entirely on the extender and what it’s made of. How Much Weight Can a Hitch Extender Hold? So, if you have a hitch with a normal towing capacity of 5,000 pounds, it will get reduced to 2,500 pounds. The towing capacity of your vehicle shouldn’t be affected, but only that of the hitch you’re using to tow. ![]() The effect of reduced towing capacity only affects your hitch, however. In some cases, hitch extenders can reduce the towing capacity by as much as 50%. In addition to not being able to use a weight distribution hitch with an extender, they also tend to reduce the towing capacity of your vehicle. While hitch extenders make towing possible when it otherwise isn’t, there are a few downsides. Does Adding a Hitch Extender Reduce Towing Capacity? It’s the fastest, easiest, and cheapest way to make your hitch longer and towing possible. Hitch extenders can add anywhere from four to eight inches of extension to your hitch. Rather than moving the receiver hitch on your vehicle, which is extremely difficult and sometimes impossible, you can invest in a hitch extender. When this happens, certain ball-mount hitches aren’t long enough to insert all the way into the receiver tube and have the ball portion reach past the rear of your vehicle. Typically, it happens when the hitch on your towing vehicle is installed too far toward the middle of your vehicle or when you want to avoid a rear mounted spare tire. Hitch extenders are typically only used when they’re absolutely necessary. On the opposite end of the hitch extender, there’s a second receiver tube that your actual hitch inserts into. ![]() The extender or extension inserts into the hitch receiver tube on your towing vehicle, just as the shank on a traditional ball hitch would. What is a Hitch Extender?Ī hitch extender is an extremely handy commodity when you’re towing. Adding a hitch extender into the mix will negate the weight distribution hitches’ ability to evenly distribute weight. The whole point of a weight distribution hitch is to shift the weight of whatever you’re towing to the front and rear axles of the towing vehicle. While you can technically go through the steps of fastening a weight distribution hitch to a hitch extender, it will reduce the hitch’s effectiveness. When you add an extender into the mix, the bars may provide too much torque and tension on the hitch and become unsafe. Weight distribution hitches require attaching two bars from the tongue of your trailer or RV to the hitch. You can’t use a weight distribution hitch with a hitch extender. ![]() ![]() This is especially the case when the ball hitch you have for your car is too short and doesn’t reach from the hitch insert to the back of your vehicle. However, if you have a car or SUV with a bottom-mounted hitch, an extender might be necessary. If you’re towing a trailer or RV with a truck that has a traditional rear or bottom hitch, you usually won’t have to worry about needing a hitch extender. ![]()
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