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

[mccheez]

Do they make such a thing?  I need just the ball.  I've seen the inserts with 3 balls on it with a 1 7/8 rated to 3,500 lbs.... but I just bought a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport with the factory-installed step bumper tow hitch rated to 3,500 lbs.  I can put a 1 7/8 ball rated to just 2,000 lbs on it and pull my 1500 lb dry-weight camper, but I thought I might as well get a 3,500 lb rated ball if I can find one.

[fritz_monroe]

Have you tried etrailer.com?  I found this one.

[mike4947]

Kind of a mote point as the coupler for trailers in 1 7/8" size is a class I rated for 2000 pounds maximum. Once you go over 2000 pounds the coupler rating goes to a class II which is 3500 pounds and sized for a 2" ball.

You can spend extra money for a higher rated ball but you won't find anything sold that will use the extra rating.

[wynot]

Do they make such a thing? I need just the ball. I've seen the inserts with 3 balls on it with a 1 7/8 rated to 3,500 lbs.... but I just bought a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport with the factory-installed step bumper tow hitch rated to 3,500 lbs. I can put a 1 7/8 ball rated to just 2,000 lbs on it and pull my 1500 lb dry-weight camper, but I thought I might as well get a 3,500 lb rated ball if I can find one.

You really want to get a receiver hitch if you can, so that you can tow at the correct height.  Plus you won't tear your bumper off.

[mccheez]

You really want to get a receiver hitch if you can, so that you can tow at the correct height.  Plus you won't tear your bumper off.

It's a step bumper, separate from the regular bumper and attached the same as a weight distributing hitch.  It's not a bumper hitch like one would think.  Straight out of the factory when brand new.  It's a Ford factory-installed Class II weight-distributing hitch.

[mike4947]

We need a few definitions here:

 
Ford does not include "standard bumpers" with Step bumpers. What they do have is a class II RECEIVER which pokes out through the standard bumper.
A step bumper has a flat to allow a ball to be mounted.
 
The "standard" receiver is a class II with a 1 1/4" opening. That requires a drawbar to mount a ball.
 
Drawbars with differing drops are available so a trailer can be towed in a level attitude.
 
You can't use a 1 7/8 ball" to tow a trailer with a 2" coupler. And most if not all PU's come with a 2" coupler. That means two drawbars, a multiple head ball, or changing over the ball depending on what you tow.
 
A class II receiver will not accept a WD type hitch. NO class II receiver is rated for Weight Distribution. They are strictly weight carrying.

[wavery]

We need a few definitions here:

 
Ford does not include "standard bumpers" with Step bumpers. What they do have is a class II RECEIVER which pokes out through the standard bumper.
A step bumper has a flat to allow a ball to be mounted.
 
The "standard" receiver is a class II with a 1 1/4" opening. That requires a drawbar to mount a ball.
 
Drawbars with differing drops are available so a trailer can be towed in a level attitude.
 
You can't use a 1 7/8 ball" to tow a trailer with a 2" coupler. And most if not all PU's come with a 2" coupler. That means two drawbars, a multiple head ball, or changing over the ball depending on what you tow.
 
A class II receiver will not accept a WD type hitch. NO class II receiver is rated for Weight Distribution. They are strictly weight carrying.

I'm not so sure about all that. That's true for the later models. I don't know what year or model Ford mccheez has. Maybe you do know.

[mccheez]

We need a few definitions here:

 
Ford does not include "standard bumpers" with Step bumpers. What they do have is a class II RECEIVER which pokes out through the standard bumper.
A step bumper has a flat to allow a ball to be mounted.
 
The "standard" receiver is a class II with a 1 1/4" opening. That requires a drawbar to mount a ball.
 
Drawbars with differing drops are available so a trailer can be towed in a level attitude.
 
You can't use a 1 7/8 ball" to tow a trailer with a 2" coupler. And most if not all PU's come with a 2" coupler. That means two drawbars, a multiple head ball, or changing over the ball depending on what you tow.
 
A class II receiver will not accept a WD type hitch. NO class II receiver is rated for Weight Distribution. They are strictly weight carrying.

http://www.gelexan.com/resins/fr/markets/automotive/sae/sae2000011078.pdf#search='2001%20ford%20explorer%20sport%20step%20bumper%20towing'

http://www.hillerford.com/Web%20Pages/resource%20library/2001/2001suv/2001explorer2dr/2001explorer2drmain.htm

I have a 3,500 lb rated step bumper which when you get beneath the vehicle has a specific attachment to the frame.  Perhaps it is an integrated thing, but there is a Specific attachment from the step bumper to the frame.

The ball on it is simply attacked with a bolt.  There is currently a 2'' ball on it and I need to change it to a 1 7/8'' ball to accomodate the camper I bought, which has a 1 7/8'' coupler.  I can put a 2,000 lb rated ball on it, but figured I might as well put a stronger one on if one exists.  

I found that several do in fact exist.  U-Haul sells a 1 7/8'' ball rated to 5,000 lbs.

It is a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport, and it's all straight from the factory.

[mike4947]

Sorry I read Explorer when what you have is a 4 door version of my Ranger which indeed does have a step bumper.

Mine was ordered with the trailer towing package which gives you a class III receiver as well as the step bumper.
I figured to use the drawbar/receiver for the 2" ball and the step bumper for the 1 7/8" ball.
Using mine I found that in the majority of cases the height cause the trailer to be well off level when hooked up.
Industry standard for towing is level +/- one inch.
So an extra drawbar with a 1 7/8" ball was obtained.

[mccheez]

Sorry I read Explorer when what you have is a 4 door version of my Ranger which indeed does have a step bumper.

Mine was ordered with the trailer towing package which gives you a class III receiver as well as the step bumper.
I figured to use the drawbar/receiver for the 2" ball and the step bumper for the 1 7/8" ball.
Using mine I found that in the majority of cases the height cause the trailer to be well off level when hooked up.
Industry standard for towing is level +/- one inch.
So an extra drawbar with a 1 7/8" ball was obtained.

I have a 2 door Explorer (the Explorer Sport), but I couldn't find a link that explained it other than that one to the Sport Trac.

So you have a hitch installed in addition to your step bumper?  How does that work - they can just install it to be beneath the step bumper and then you can attach ball mounts of various heights?  I may need to do something similar.  I was considering putting this on the step bumper if necessary (#37003):

http://216.247.247.192/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=K&Product_Code=37003&Category_Code=stphtch

Looks like I could bolt that to the step bumper, then use whatever arm is necessary to match heights.

I don't get my popup for a few weeks, so I'm trying to figure out what to do in the likely event that the coupler and ball on the step bumper are a good height fit.  I'd be interested to hear more about your setup of both a hitch and a step bumper.

[wynot]

I have a 2 door Explorer (the Explorer Sport), but I couldn't find a link that explained it other than that one to the Sport Trac.
 
So you have a hitch installed in addition to your step bumper? How does that work - they can just install it to be beneath the step bumper and then you can attach ball mounts of various heights? I may need to do something similar. I was considering putting this on the step bumper if necessary (#37003):
 

Most of us with truck-based tow vehicles have a receiver AND a step bumper.  It is really the only way to go.  Type 2 receivers (1.25") are somewhat useless in the real world, as most attachments are designed for 2" receivers (Class III/IV/V).  I have multiple drawbars for our different trailers, which allow me to tow them level.
 
Yes, it is bolted to the frame under the bumper.
 
If you want to see what it looks like, just look at the back of Tahoes, Suburbans, and full size pickups.  You'll see it on a lot of Explorers, too.

[Miller Tyme]

I've got a Reese hitch mounted on my '93 Explorer XLT 4 dr., under the back bumper. It's a model specific hitch(No. 37041 which also fits Explorer Sports '92-03), with the holes pre-drilled to match the holes in the frame, so installation is fairly easy. It's a Class 3, and I have a 2 1/2 inch drop reciever with a 2 inch ball on it.
 
 With this installation, the camper is almost level with the truck, which is what you want for ease of towing. If you use the ball on the bumper set-up, you won't be level, the camper's tongue will be pointed up into the air, and may cause sway.

[mccheez]

I've got a Reese hitch mounted on my '93 Explorer XLT 4 dr., under the back bumper. It's a model specific hitch(No. 37041 which also fits Explorer Sports '92-03), with the holes pre-drilled to match the holes in the frame, so installation is fairly easy. It's a Class 3, and I have a 2 1/2 inch drop reciever with a 2 inch ball on it.
 
 With this installation, the camper is almost level with the truck, which is what you want for ease of towing. If you use the ball on the bumper set-up, you won't be level, the camper's tongue will be pointed up into the air, and may cause sway.

No chance the step bumper will be level with the tongue then?

[mike4947]

With the Ranger/Explorer Sport the Receiver mounts about 4-5 inches below the step bumper plate and you still need a dropped drawbar.

[mccheez]

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.