Shocker Hitch

[fishinfan]

Is this thing legit?

http://www.shockerhitch.com/Receiver_Hitch.php

We have a 8400lb fish house and we pull it with a 1/2 ton Ram. Doesn't pull bad, but we get a little bounce while pulling. Wondering if anyone has this or thinks it would really help?

[JayDeHay]

Sounds like you're trying to put a band-aid on a broken toe. I know they say the 1/2 ton Rams are rated for 9k+ towing capacity, but you need to read the fine print where it says "When properly equipped." Typically, that means the vehicle was fitted with a complete towing package, and you're using a load equalizing hitch to better distribute the weight. Do you know the tounge weight of your ice house?

(This statement comes from my personal experience of growing up on a beef ranch where we routinely pulled 18ft+ bumper-pull stock trailers, which when fully loaded are a chore for even a Ram 2500.)

[fishinfan]

I think about 1500lbs.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

You may want to look into an airbag kit for your suspension. I have the Firestone Ride-Rite on my F150 and it made a huge difference with that 'bounce' you talk about.

[fishinfan]

Already have Airbags. The house is 28' long so maybe it is more of a wind issue then weight?

[JayDeHay]

1,500lbs tounge weight?! If you're not 100% sure about that, please do get sure. Curt Mfg has some good tutorials and FAQ about towing and trailer weights. They recommend sticking to 10%-12% of your trailers weight for the tongue weight. So with a 8,400lb fish house, you should have 800-1,000lbs tongue weight. Too much more than that, and it's no wonder why you feel some bumping on the road. You're overloading the tires in the rear. I hope for your own safety that you're at least using a Class IV or higher receiver.

[fishinfan]

we weighed it on a CAT scale at a local truck shop. We unhooked it and I tried to have it fairly level. The drive axle (where tongue jack was) was 1560lbs.

[BigDogRob]

Load your gear to the back...