Determining the Right BulletProof Hitches Drop Hitch and Misconceptions
Determining the right BulletProof Hitch for your vehicle is a very simple process, however it is important to filter out misinformation that tends to be passed around as absolute truth.
Some common misconceptions of drop hitches:
-All drops are equal, for example an 8" drop hitch from one company is the same as an 8" drop hitch from another company.
While this may be true sometimes, there is no industry standard for how the "drop" of a hitch is measured. This means that different companies can measure their drop from different places on the hitch and the ball. Always consult the measuring guide provided by the manufacturer to determine the correct amount of drop for your vehicle. Their information should be based solely on their products.
-Subtracting the height of the trailer tongue from the height of the hitch receiver is a good way to determine the drop size needed.
While this may work in some cases, in other cases it could bring different results. This goes back to the previous misconception. Not all hitches are created equally, so measuring them equally will not always work. Again always consult the measuring guide provided by the manufacturer to determine correct amount of drop for your vehicle.
-Putting a longer drop hitch on my vehicle will allow me to tow all types of trailers.
This can be true in cases where the vehicle has a tall suspension lift or oversized tires, but in most cases, this will leave you with a hitch that is too long. An 8" drop hitch is not typically going to be 8" long - it could be as much as 12" long or (in the case of our products) 14" long in regards to it's overall height. Be careful when ordering a drop hitch to make sure that the hitch is not going to be so long that the hitch will drag on the ground every time you go over a bump or up a steep incline. There is a very fine line between having a hitch too short and a hitch too long. Always consult the measuring guide provided by the manufacturer to determine the correct amount of drop for your vehicle.
With the above information understood, it is clear that determining the correct drop size will always come back to the manufacturer's recommendation. We make this easy by giving you a sizing guide, which can be found here: https://www.bulletproofhitches.com/pages/what-size-hitch-do-i-need
Following this guide will ensure that the hitch you receive will be long enough to tow the widest variety of trailers with different heights while also ensuring the hitch will not be too long, which can lead to hitting the hitch on the ground when navigating off-road, up steep inclines and other similar situations where ground clearance is important.
If you follow our sizing guide and still have questions or concerns about selecting the correct hitch, give us a call at (941) 251-8110 and a member of our team will be happy to help.