Help on measuring hitch height

[montim]

Currently, our travel trailer is in our driveway which is sloped (not on level ground and uneven). We have installed the trailer hitch on our truck but it is too high to connect to the travel trailer. We need to measure the hitch height of the travel trailer on level ground. The problem is how to do this other than having it towed to level ground. Does anyone have suggestions?

[JohnB]

Hi montim

Are you using a weight distributing (WD) hitch? Do not know the model/year of your camper so I'm going out on a limb here that you are using a WD hitch.

In order to determine the drop shank you need to lower the hitch head down to the trailer height this all starts with determining the actual ball height of the TT.

In the ideal world, the TT is on level ground and the pavement straight. Level the camper. Use the bottom of the frame, the siding on the camper or go inside and put a level on the floor. The longer the camper the more wave there will be in the frame. So get a happy medium on over the wheels area, between the wheels and the main frame header to figure out if the camper is level. Try not to use the A frame out by the LP tanks as the A frame may be welded on up hill or down hill slightly from the main frame and can give a false sense of the camper being level. Once the TT is level measure from the ground to the inside of the ball coupler. That creates the ball height when the camper is level.

That is the ideal and best way. Short of that you at least need a straight surface for a good portion of the camper. If the pavement is at least straight but up or down hill then you can measure from the ground to the bottom of the camper frame in several places to get it to be parallel. Once parallel with straight surface pavement then measure the ball height. Using a level surface makes it easier however level ends up being parallel to level ground. If the ground is not level but is straight, a tape measure to the straight surface also works.

If your surface is both not straight and not even that creates a more complex task to over come by not impossible. Just more time consuming to get the ball height. Jack up the tongue jack so the TT is up hill from the ground and the ground is heading down hill in front of the TT tires. Get a strong string, lay it on the ground and drive 1 tire over to hold it to the ground. Now pull the string straight out along the length of the frame and out past the tow ball. String is now heading straight out the front of the camper in line with the main frame.

You will need a helper. Adjust the height of the string to be parallel to the bottom of the main TT frame using a tape measure. Now that the string is parallel to the frame, measure from string to bottom of the A frame main header that runs left to right across the TT. That is now a reference of the string being parallel to the main frame rail.

Move the string now over to the tow ball area. It will be at an angle as the string is under the tire heading to the tow ball. Move string up and down until that main header reference dimension comes back to where you had it parallel to the main frame. Measure the ball height from the string to inside the tow ball. The string creates a parallel ground plane to the TT frame and then you moved it over to the tow ball area.

Hope this helps. If I confused you, sorry. Ask away on any questions.

John

[pwb01]

As John said here's what I did a few years ago in the same situation when I bought the F150. I lowered the hitch until the distance from the driveway to the underside of the frame was the same at all 4 corners and measured the hitch from the driveway to get the height as if it was level. With an even driveway it seemed to work for me.