The angle at which your trailer rides while you’re towing it is vital to your control and safety while towing. If it tilts too far back, it will reduce your ability to stop. If it tilts too far forward, the trailer will sway at road speeds and your steering will be reduced. Avoiding this is a lot easier when you have a tow bar with the proper hitch rise or hitch drop for your trailer. Having the right hitch drop or rise will help your trailer to ride level and give you the best control as you tow it. Luckily, your rise or drop is very easy to find. All you’ll need is a tape measure, a pen, and a notepad.
All you need to do to find your rise or drop is to measure the height of your receiver tube and your coupler. With your vehicle and trailer on a flat, level surface, take some measurements with your measuring tape Measure from the top of your receiver tube to the ground to get your hitch height. Measure from the bottom of your coupler to the ground to get your coupler height. Write both numbers down.
If your hitch height is lower than your coupler height, you’ll need a tow bar with a rise. To find your rise, use this simple equation:
[Coupler height] – [Hitch height] = [Hitch rise]
If your hitch height is higher than your coupler height, you’ll need a tow bar with a drop. To find your drop, use this simple equation:
[Hitch height] – [Coupler height] = [Hitch drop]
Once you find your hitch drop or rise, you can find the right tow bar to make up the difference between your hitch height and your coupler height, which will make your towing experience much more safe and easy.
