Rookies wanting to tow

[Sky_Boss]

Originally Posted by Startech

...So as embarrassed as I am about this, I guess you are never to old to learn. This could have been very bad. ...
Hopefully my experience will save others from a tragedy.

FLYING magazine has a section called, "I learned About Flying from that." That section is often filled with pilots confessing their sins to help others learn. Thank you for your confession.

It sounds like you had 2 issues working against you.

1. Too much weight for the hitch adapter.
2. Too much tow bar/hitch angle.

The other thing I believe should be clarified is that while your hitch adapter may have been too weak, the other part of this is that the hitch assembly also has to be rated for tow weight. So, while it might be possible to use a hitch adapter that is rated for heavier weight, that will not change the tow rating for the RV itself. Putting a hitch designed for 10,000# does not change the RVs tow capacity if it is only 5,000#.

[John H...]

Welcome to the forum and I X2 what athuddriver says in his first post.

[John H...]

MH that will legally tow 10000#. Great decision....

[Alan24601]

One of my friends is studio driver and he says they have had cadmium plated hitch balls break off more than once. They do not use them.

[dennis45]

This discussion confirms why I don't linger beside big trucks and ANYTHING that is towing.
There are too many on the road that have no clue what they are doing and the others that want to do it cheap.
I see people all the time sitting on their cruise control in their own world beside a big rig (or my MH) and have no idea what can and has been know to happen. Scary!
Good decision to go with a rig with a 10,000# hitch from the OEM. Like my dad used to say over and over "If it worth doing, it's worth doing it right"