Ok...My hitch is rated just fine, my ball mount however, is rated to 500/5k, which isn't enough. However, I went to the store and bought a 900/9k ballmount, and it's the EXACT SAME. Same thickness, same welding, same hole for the ball, same drop, EVERYTHING. Ok, I go back to the store with it, and there on the shelf is a 500/5k ball mount ($10 cheaper) that once again, appears to be the EXACT SAME. I used a caliper on these things, what gives:confused:

I can't figure out what the fucking difference would be, and I'm not paying $35 for a ball mount that by all rights, appears to be identical to what I have.

Better quality steel.

Most of the lower rated ones have a 3/4" hole which will only fit a 3500LB ball. The heavier rated hitches will take a 1" or 1 1/4" inch shank and the heavier rated balls. Some of it also has to do with how much liability the manufacturer wants to take on.

did you measure the thickness of the hitch tube? I've got 7,500lb and 5,000lb rated ball mounts and while the mount itself is the same the tube is a little thinner.

My Nissan 500/5000 ball mount has a 1 1/4" hole with a bushing to run a 1" shank ball. I'll admit I didn't measure the wall thickness between the 5k and the 9k from the store, but it looked the same, and the Nissan 5k and store 9k were the same thickness.

I can't believe the steel is that much better that it almost doubles the weight rating while the thicknesses stay the same.

on mine, there's about an 1/8" difference between the two wall thicknesses.

I bought a 14k forged one for my dump trailer

Material they are made of. The size of the hole for the ball shank. Hollow tube or solid shank.

Just because they are the same size, doesn't mean they are the same.

My Nissan 500/5000 ball mount has a 1 1/4" hole with a bushing to run a 1" shank ball. I'll admit I didn't measure the wall thickness between the 5k and the 9k from the store, but it looked the same, and the Nissan 5k and store 9k were the same thickness.

I can't believe the steel is that much better that it almost doubles the weight rating while the thicknesses stay the same.

LIABILITY and NUMBERS

In your case with the Nissan Ball Mount...
The Receiver is only rated 5/5 with NON-WD Hitches. So they have rated the ball mount the same as the receiver.

it only takes once where it shears off at the shank and then you will understand but usually at that point your safety chains are bouncing the ass end of your truck all over the road

Material they are made of. The size of the hole for the ball shank. Hollow tube or solid shank.

Just because they are the same size, doesn't mean they are the same.

Ok, many of you aren't reading, but a few are.

I have a nissan 500/5k ball mount.
I have a 900/9k ball mount.

They are the EXACT SAME THICKNESS EVERYWHERE. They both have a 1 1/4" hole for the ball, the SAME. The tube thickness is the SAME.

There is NO dimensional difference between the two, period. I didn't make the tube thickness of the stores 500/5k ball mount, but it also looked the SAME. I did measure the "tongue" thickness, and all 3 were the SAME.

Yes, the steel could be different, but double the strength? No way. What the receiver is or is not rated for shouldn't change the rating on a ball mount in any way, shape, or form.

As for the receiver, it's rated 1000/10000, with or without wd hitch.

The truck is rated for 9500 lbs towing (with or without wd hitch), 750 lbs tongue weight (without wd hitch), or 950 lbs tongue weight (with wd hitch).

It's obviously not limited due to that.

Pics.

Ok, I go back to the store with it,

Not here anymore. my last post should have said had, I guess. I didn't pay much attention until I brought it home, and realized it was the same as what I had, so I went to take it back, and didn't see a difference in the 500/5k one, either.

I can see the forged one being stronger, and would pony up for one of those, maybe I'll find one of them.

I'm just wondering if they're the same dimension, if there's any reason I can't just run it (I would be pulling about 7000 lbs if the trailer was needed) until I build the gooseneck.

The only reason I'm doing this is because in october, I have a guy coming that I'm going to help do a bunch of work on his vehicle, but it may die on the highway here, so I need the trailer ready to recover his junk.

The trailer will be gooseneck before mine ever gets towed.

I've been putting stabilizers on the back for loading, straightened the dovetail so it's a flatbed (got hung up and bent the rear crossmember one too many times), put all new LED lights on it, mounted and wired up the battery and battery box for the winch, etc.

I just don't want to spend $35 on a ballmount I may never use, if it should be as strong, considering it's the same dimensions.

I can't figure out what the fucking difference would be, and I'm not paying $35 for a ball mount that by all rights, appears to be identical to what I have.

It's the lawyers and the product liability insurance behind each of the mounts

IMO, if you are for sure getting a gooseneck and don't think you'll need the ball mount for the "bumper pull" I say buy the cheap one, it'll work. I've got the forged one, and if you arn't going to be using it later and are worried about spending $35, don't go this route. I think mine was like $50 or so.

They are the EXACT SAME THICKNESS EVERYWHERE. They both have a 1 1/4" hole for the ball, the SAME. The tube thickness is the SAME.

There is NO dimensional difference between the two, period. I didn't make the tube thickness of the stores 500/5k ball mount, but it also looked the SAME. I did measure the "tongue" thickness, and all 3 were the SAME.

Yes, the steel could be different, but double the strength? No way.
Very well could be almost double the strength. Look at grade "B" bolt vs. a grade "8" - they are the same size too right, yet the grade "8" is more than double the strength. It is the metal in how it was created, and/or heat treated for strength.

Very well could be almost double the strength. Look at grade "B" bolt vs. a grade "8" - they are the same size too right, yet the grade "8" is more than double the strength. It is the metal in how it was created, and/or heat treated for strength.

Exactly, but I don't think he wants to listen.

I understand that, but wouldn't think they would make a hitch that crappy, but who knows? I guess if nothing else, I can buy one that day if I have to go get him. Maybe I'll get the gooseneck done before then now, rather than spend the money on a hitch, we'll see.

You're talking what? 15 bucks difference.

So, if your trailer falls off while towing your bud's junk, and the cop writes down that you were towing a 7k trailer with a 5k ballmount, that 15 bucks is going to look really good. :shaking:

You're talking what? 15 bucks difference.

So, if your trailer falls off while towing your bud's junk, and the cop writes down that you were towing a 7k trailer with a 5k ballmount, that 15 bucks is going to look really good. :shaking:

Esspecially to your insurance company when the guy you hit with the trailer sues. you are automatically at fault, and your insurance company doesn't have to do dick.

You're talking what? 15 bucks difference.

So, if your trailer falls off while towing your bud's junk, and the cop writes down that you were towing a 7k trailer with a 5k ballmount, that 15 bucks is going to look really good. :shaking:
Buy the bigger ball mount, keep the receipt. If you get your trailer swapped over before the guys truck craps out, take it back and get your $35 back. If you need to rescue the guy before that, use the new ball and charge the guy for it.


Sounds like odds are good you won't need it, so you can then take it back.


Heck, going to the store twice already probably cost you $35 depending on what you value your time at :D


Or keep the bigger mount, sell the Nissan one on Craig's list for $35 and now you have a (potentially) better mount that you know is rated for a load you might carry and you got your money back.

Win-Win.

Esspecially to your insurance company when the guy you hit with the trailer sues. you are automatically at fault, and your insurance company doesn't have to do dick.

Are you a lawyer? So insurance companies don't have to pay anytime someone does something stupid? Overload a trailer? a hitch mount?
how about run a red light? or speed?

Isn't that the point of insurance to cover your ass when you fuck up?

Are you a lawyer? So insurance companies don't have to pay anytime someone does something stupid? Overload a trailer? a hitch mount?
how about run a red light? or speed?

Isn't that the point of insurance to cover your ass when you fuck up?

Unless the fuck up involves negligence on your part. If you knew your ball mount was rated for 500/5000 and your trailer was 7,000lbs; there is a good argument that you were negligent.

As for nissan vs. the other.

I would BET that the material is the exact same. BUT, because it came form the stealership where their receivers are rated for "x", they will DErate their ball mounts and balls to match the receiver or less. Afterall, they'd get sued if some dumbass bought a 900/9000 ballmount from them for their 500/5000 receiver and had the receiver tear off the frame when the customer overloaded it. It's not a totally assnine presumption.

Are you a lawyer? So insurance companies don't have to pay anytime someone does something stupid? Overload a trailer? a hitch mount?
how about run a red light? or speed?

Isn't that the point of insurance to cover your ass when you fuck up?



Are you lawyer enough to tell me I'm wrong? :gary:

Go back to your corner. Sometimes you people forget that I don't do this shit as a hobby. This is what I do to put food on the table. You might say that I might have seen this once or twice.

You wanna know how far liability reaches? I know what this guy's truck and trailer are rated for. If I sold him that under rated ball mount, and he was involved in an accident, his family's name would be on the front of our building. That's no lie, and has happened more than a few times in these United States.



jackass

...and you KNEW that the speed limit was 65, and you KNEW that you weren't supposed to run the red light, and you KNEW that you are supposed to check the blind spot before changing lanes, and you KNEW that you let the other guy go first when you have a yield sign....

Hey, if the insurance doesn't have to pay just because you KNEW better than to do what you did, then NOBODY would ever make a successful claim!

I'm just going to aim for having the gooseneck built by then. If it's not, and I do have to go get him, I'll just take the time to buy one that morning. I'm going with Travis's line of thinking, but I would rather not deal with it if something happened.

Oh, and insurance can and will deny coverage if you're using improper equipment (which an underrated ball mount would be). I'm sure some of it depends on the agent/insurance company/how ridiculous stupid the violation was, etc. Who wants to gamble on whether or not the guy got laid the night before and if he's in a good mood?

I understand that, but wouldn't think they would make a hitch that crappy, but who knows?

Yeah right, the Chinese are all about using quality materials these days....