Reese Dual Hitch Extension question

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DonTom

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Apr 21, 2005
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Auburn, CA or Reno, NV
The Reese Dual Hitch Extension, Model Number:70601

My question is regard to the upper "Accessories Section" where it says things such as "NEVER tow using the ACCESSORIES Receiver".

It also says "Do NOT EXCEED a combined tongue weight of 400 lbs".

My question is about the tongue weight only, as I will not be towing anything.

And my simple question is:

If I have NOTHING in the bottom hitch, can I safely have the 400 lbs on the upper hitch ONLY?

-Don-  Auburn, CA
 
If you aren't towing anything, why do you need the dual receiver? Just put the accessory in the vehicle's main receiver.  Or, if you must use the dual adapter, put the accessory in the lower tube instead of the upper one. Then you need not worry if that welded upper extension is capable of the full 400 lbs.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
If you aren't towing anything, why do you need the dual receiver? Just put the accessory in the vehicle's main receiver.  Or, if you must use the dual adapter, put the accessory in the lower tube instead of the upper one. Then you need not worry if that welded upper extension is capable of the full 400 lbs.
The upper one is so I can have my motorcycle carrier up a little higher. The lower one puts it too close to the ground.

I don't need dual. But  the motorcycle carrier will not fit all the way in on he stock hitch as the hole for the pin will not line up when it is in as far as possible.  Also won't fit into many (most?) extensions. This dual hitch extension is a perfect fit with either hitch receiver, just the lower one is a bit too low.

-Don-  Auburn, CA
 
Why do "most" hitches and extensions NOT fit your receiver?  Is it the receiver or how it is mounted to the RV?

IMHO, an extension, if you can find one to fit, would be stronger than this assembly, but this should work.  As Gary said, keep an eye on the weld and do not exceed the 400# limit.
 
grashley said:
Why do "most" hitches and extensions NOT fit your receiver?  Is it the receiver or how it is mounted to the RV?

IMHO, an extension, if you can find one to fit, would be stronger than this assembly, but this should work.  As Gary said, keep an eye on the weld and do not exceed the 400# limit.
I have a 350 lb limit, but the hitch extension is rated at 400 lbs and so is my motorcycle rack. It's an "Add-A-Bike model  ABHD".

It fits into the stock hitch on my pick-up truck as well as my two Jeeps. It will not go in far enough in my RV hitch for the holes to line up for the pin. And many extensions have the same problem. If I cut off a few inches of the rack thingy that fits  into the hitch, then it would line up, but I don't want to modify it.

Anyway, I decided the lower receiver of the hitch is a better choice anyway, or else it's to difficult to get the bike up there. When I moved the RV to level ground, I decided all is fine as it is using the lower receiver.

-Don-  Auburn, CA
 
I think I'd rather use the Roadmaster High-Low adapter to carry 400 lbs.  It's also available in a 2" rise or drop (i.e no spacer between the upper and lower boxes) if that would help.  The welds and bracing between the high and low sections looks more robust than the Reese extension.
 
Lou Schneider said:
I think I'd rather use the Roadmaster High-Low adapter to carry 400 lbs.  It's also available in a 2" rise or drop (i.e no spacer between the upper and lower boxes) if that would help.  The welds and bracing between the high and low sections looks more robust than the Reese extension.
Yes, as that one is designed for towing. But I think that is the one that I left at my Cold Springs Valley house that I last used many years ago. I realized I forgot to bring it when I got here at my Auburn, CA house and could not get the cycle rack to align up correctly.  I did not want to go back there (115 miles) to get it, so I had to find something that would work around here. I tried an extender from the Rocklin Camping world, but it had the same problem  as my hitch. So then I went across I-80  to the Wal*Mart and found they had the Reese Dual Hitch extension in stock. It seems to work fine from the lower hitch after I moved the RV to where it was more level, so the problem is solved. In fact, it might be a little on the high side from the lower receiver. I wouldn't even want it to be any higher as that would make it to difficult to get the bike up and down the ramp.

But thanks for all the replies.

-Don-  Auburn, CA
 
If your RECEIVER has a 350 lb limit, then the load on that receiver is limited to 350 lb, even if the hitch is rated at 2,000 lb!

It sounds like that receiver is somehow not accepting "normal" length hitches, (from pin hole to back end of hitch) only a bit shorter ones.  While this issue is solved for now, this is something to remember for the future.
 
grashley said:
If your RECEIVER has a 350 lb limit, then the load on that receiver is limited to 350 lb, even if the hitch is rated at 2,000 lb!

It sounds like that receiver is somehow not accepting "normal" length hitches, (from pin hole to back end of hitch) only a bit shorter ones.  While this issue is solved for now, this is something to remember for the future.
Not only that, the RV itself is only rated for a 350 LB hitch. So I realize 350 LB is my limit even if the entire hitch is replaced to a 500 LB hitch. But the question I asked was about the hitch extension spec (if used on a RV that could handle its spec)--not mine. At this point, the question is more to satisfy my curiosity, as I have discovered the lower hitch receiver will work fine for me. I was parked on an uneven surface that made the hitch look a lot lower than it really is. Made it extra easy to get the 317 lb motorcycle up the ramp. The carrier is 25 lbs. But I might have around  five  extra pounds worth of stuff on the bike (mainly the touring windscreen & saddle bag mounts), so I am at very near the  limit already at  347 lbs. But then the added weight of the new  extension (12 lbs) it is going to put me over, but by no more than a few lbs over my 350 LB limit. Perhaps 359 lbs. I hope that being over by 9 lbs or ~2% is not a serious issue.

FWIW, the cycle rack is rated at 400 lbs, so it's the RV itself that is making my limit 350 LBS.  Next time I buy an RV, I will make sure I get a 500 LB hitch, just like my other three vehicles that have a hitch.

-Don-  Auburn, CA
 
grashley said:
It sounds like that receiver is somehow not accepting "normal" length hitches, (from pin hole to back end of hitch) only a bit shorter ones.  While this issue is solved for now, this is something to remember for the future.
I wonder how long "normal" is. IMO, the problem is not the hitch, but the motorcycle carrier insert being a couple of inches too long, or the hole for the pin being too far back. Everything else seems to fit my hitch just fine, so I would say the problem is the motor cycle carrier. I was thinking about cutting a couple of inches off the end of the motorcycle carrier, but if I do that, I think I better ask those who made the cycle rack first. And I expect they will say don't do it. And it will most likely very difficult to cut that rather thick 6061 aircraft aluminum.

-Don-  Auburn, CA
 
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