Help me find a 1 7/8 towing ball rated to 3,500 lbs

[wynot]

Anyone see any reason not to save $100 and put this on instead?
 
http://store.uhaul.com/product_detail.aspx?id=1718
 
With a 1,480 pound camper, this would seem to be plenty strong.

Well, locally, it's $50 for a hitch install.  Depends whether or not you have a good area to do it at.  Receiver hitches are heavy and awkward.  Other than feeding the bolts through into closed pockets, it's not a difficult job, but it doesn't hurt to have a floor jack handy to help support the hitch.  Make sure you understand what you're going to be doing BEFORE you start.  Having a receiver half mounted is potentially dangerous.
 
You may also need to do some large bolt hole drilling, so make sure you know about that before you start as well.  I know in my case, despite what they said, the hole diameter needed was not correct as I couldn't even get it to start from the open side - let alone snaking the wire with the bolt through on the closed side.

[PITPOP27]

Wow whole lot a men in on this convo, so let's just slow your roll to answer my small question - we own a that pup vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv there, and also own a Ford Explorer Sport Trac with the ball/bolt combo in the bumper.  Ford says you can tow 3500, but that's just our GVWR.  

Safe to ever tow with this TV?

[Miller Tyme]

Wow whole lot a men in on this convo, so let's just slow your roll to answer my small question - we own a that pup vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv there, and also own a Ford Explorer Sport Trac with the ball/bolt combo in the bumper. Ford says you can tow 3500, but that's just our GVWR.  
 
 Safe to ever tow with this TV?

Safe? Sure, depending on the height of your rig compared to the truck. But the ideal towing combo is to have the camper level. Otherwise, your trailer tongue will be pointing up, and MAY not be properly latched to the ball. On a few other internet boards, we've heard stories of pop-ups slipping off the ball because of this unlevel condition.

[mike4947]

We've used the receiver bumper mount flipped so it's on the up side of the step bumper so we can add a bike rack and still have the full capacity and cleearance of the regular drawbar.

Putting it under the step bumper will still leave you a couple of inches higher than a regular class III receiver mount and you might have trouble finding a drawbar with enough drop. I'd say do some measurements. Figure you'll need the flat where the ball bolts to the drawbar at about 14-15 inches. That allows for the ball height up to the normal 17" coupler height of a PU. Your utility trailer might have a lower height when level so adjust the numbers for the lower height.
 
As for the receiver on my Ranger it came as part of the towing package. The reciever is about 5 inches below the step bumper. It's identical to one of the Reese bolt on receivers.
 
For PITPOP: Yes you can tow with the step bumper at 3500 pounds. That GVWR is the MAXIMUM the trailer can weigh, not it's empty weight. But like the thread has mentioned it will have the trailer nose high which isn't good for towing. level is best.
As an addition you really should look into brakes for the trailer. 3500 pounds off the back means your are close to you GCWR (gross combined weight rating...the maximum the trailer and TV + any loading can weight) and Ford recommends brakes on any heavy towing especially once it appraoches the GCWR. Their figuring is the truck's brakes are designed to stop the truck at it's maximum load, but not at the combined maximum load.

[Miller Tyme]

Anyone see any reason not to save $100 and put this on instead?
 
 http://store.uhaul.com/product_detail.aspx?id=1718
 
 With a 1,480 pound camper, this would seem to be plenty strong.

I'd be leery of any hitch that bolts to the step bumper. I feel safer with the hitch bolted to the frame itself, not an extension of the frame. Remember, the camper gets heavier as you add things in it.
 
 BTW-my hitch was $89 at our local Fleet Farm(upper Midwest store similiar to Tractor Supply, etc.)