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The 5,000 weight referred to on your hitch is the rating of the reciver. It is the amount of dead weight the unit is rated to pull. The 12,000 is if you install a weight distributing hitch. That is a device that transfers some of the trailer load off the rear of the tow vehicle to the front of the tow vehicle. I have never seen one used on a boat trailer due to the surge brakes on the trailer. I have heard that there are some weight distributing hitches that do work on surge brake trailers but I have never seen them. The set up you surrently have is a Class III, in order to upgrade you need to get a class IV hitch which I think will either take you to 7,500 lbs or 10,000, I can't remember which. Personally I would recommend the Class IV hitch.
thanks for the info.
I should mention that I am not trailer boating. I only need to trailer when moving the boat for the winter and for bringing it 15 miles to home for doing periodic work on it.
I'm an Engineer so I have a pretty good understanding of Physics. I can't see how they can equate a weight rating to a hitch unless they are applying some sort of standard for acceleration and deceleration. A hitch pulls mass it does not hold weight like a scale would. At a given rate of acceleration, the force applied to the hitch increases with weight but is also governed by the acceleration to a great degree. Also, with dual surge breaks on the trailer that has a big affect as well (as long as they function). I can control how fast I accelerate, but in an emergency I can't control the rate of deceleration as well.
Question is: I'm picking up the boat on Friday, should I rush out and get a new hitch?
I'll have the boat for 2-3 weeks at the house before bringing it to the marina 15 miles from home.
Weight distributing all it does is relieve tongue weight and distribute it thru the frame. Pull weight is pull weight. Manufacturers use the 10% formula. If the hitch (Class3) is rated at 500 lb tongue dead weight then towing weight is calculated at 5000lbs. When using a weight distributing hitch it now relieves the tongue weight which allows you to pull more weight, since the 12,000 lbs under weight distributing will now give you 500lbs tongue. Most boat trailering is in the 5% to 7% range. The 10% rule is for RV towing. So setup up your rig as to have the lowest tongue weight as possible but providing no sway when trailering. So if you can keep your tongue weight under 500lbs, in reality your hitch can pull upto 12,000lbs.
Class III should get you 15 miles twice a year no problem. Not worth all the extra effort to uprade. A 5000 lb pin and call in a box hitch should be fine.
Great question, my hitch attatched to my truck is rated for 10,000 lbs and tong weight of 500 lbs. with a tandume axal trailer I can reduce the tung weight by sliding the boat back on the trailer. But as for the reciever and ball the rating should be more than the total load. IE at an 8,000lbs load you should have a 10,000 lb ball and reciever. Don't forget I do beleave in MD. you are requried to have serge breaks..
Trailer ball and mount questions?
