to Monster Mopar this weekend:

Last night I was getting ready to hook up to my enclosed trailer/car hauler for a 600+ mile trip to St Loius tomorrow. Trailer probably weighs 10,000 lbs and I'm using a weight distribution hitch and a sway bar.

Every now an then when coming to a stop or cresting a hill I have heard and felt a pop from stinger moving/shifting as there is some play in the size of the receiver and the stinger which is normal so I've typically just ignored it as I've checked it in the past and everything was fine.

About 2 years after I bought my 2004 Dodge 2500 4x4 Cummins I did notice that the bolts that secure the hitch to the frame cross bar were loose so I tightened them and put some lock nuts and double nutted some so they wouldn't come loosen again.

So last night I wiggled the stinger just to check it and it was loose so I figured the bolts had come loose again so i proceeded to tighten them and just about the time I thought I was done I noticed that it still seemed loose and looked under the hitch and saw that the mounting tabs had broken!!!! So I was about 10 miles from loosing the trailer!!!

My neighbor is going to weld and brace it back up and it will be stronger than it was but now im thinking I need to replace the whole receiver system with one that is one solid piece, frame to frame and the receiver.

Here is a picture of where it broke. Has anyone else experience this?

I do a lot of towing with mine, pretty much ever time it comes out of the garage it has a 10,000 lb trailer behind it but this was a very close call.

To be honest... I dont think thats a 10,000 pound hitch..
normally it goes out to the frame rails... but lucky
you check it all the time

that's what I thought but it says right on it from Mopar 10,000 and 12,000 with Weight Distribution Hitch/system. It bolts on to the tubular cross memeber that bolts up to the frame rails on each side.

Here are pictures of the fixed/braced Hitch.

I did that with the factory class 3 hitch on my 95 Dually. One day it seemed to sway a little. So I checked the receiver and sure enough, one tab was totally off and another was about ready to be totally off. Went out and bought a class 5 hitch. End of story.

another

Wouldn't catch me using that to tow 10K!!!

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Wouldn't catch me using that to tow 10K!!!

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Are you towing with a 2003 - 2008 Dodge 3/4 ton, take a look, I bet it's what your towing with.

But I agree, I would rather it be a 1 piece hitch.

I've been using this to two 10,000lb trailer since 2004, many many miles.

That's not near enough hitch for a 10K trailer, you have the proof in broken parts. Get a class 3 hitch. I would only use that hitch to pull my pop up camper.

Man, I Am sure glad you caught that before you may have had a serious accident.....

Class 5 all the way and a solid stinger, not the open square tube. I wouldn't consider anything less with that much trailer weight.

I am towing with a 04 3500 and the hitch looks nothing like that. To be honest I dont think I have ever seen one like that.

I had that and I replaced it with a class 5 hitch, the type that goes to both side frames and bolts on in 3 different places per side. They are not that expensive and Your Insurance may not cover your trailer and car if that heavy trailer breaks loose on that light weight hitch. Wade we want you to be able to get there in one piece.

That hitch is rated a 12,000 lbs. with weight distr. equip. on the trailer by Chrysler.

My 03 2500 looked like that. I bought one off E-bay from a 04 3500 that went to the frame.

Dennis

that hitch you have there Wade, is the same thats on my 2004 1/2 dodge ram..I need to check mine now too....

glad you caught it in time..have you ever weighed your trailer loaded ? would be a good Idea..

Wow, I have an 03 2500....

Going to check that out right now.

I don't think you're supposed to weld on those hitches.. Heat treating I think..

That hitch is mislabeled.. I'd never use that hitch for that weight.


Chris..

Nope no way I have had a 2004 Ram 2500,a 2005 Ram 3500 and a 2006 Ram 3500 and none of them had that little thing.
They all had factory tow package and all had a real hitch that went from frame to frame.
You have been real LUCKY

Mine looks nothing like that,,mine is frame to frame,,and sturdy,,,,2007 ram 2500 w/ tow package,,,,
Glad your ok,,,,,

I would upgrade for sure,,,,I would be nervous towing with that,,,,

See ya at st Louis

I couldn't see your pic at work but now that I'm home that little dinky thing you have there looks like the hitches we added on to trucks that didn't have a tow pkg from the factory and they only went on 1/2 tons. I wouldn't pull more than 2500 pounds with that thing.