B&W Tow & Stow Question

I just bought a B&W Tow and Stow hitch and I am second guessing whether I got the right size. I bought the 3 ball version with the adjustment to 5” drop or 5.5” in rise. My truck is a stock 2020 TRD Pro. Unloaded, I have 9 inches from ground to the low point on the hitch. If I lower the ball to the lowest drop position, I have 6.5 from the ground to the low point of the lower ball. I need to tow a U Haul trailer this weekend (which I don’t have yet), so not sure what drop position I will need to level it out.

Does anyone use this adjustable 5” drop B&W version on a stock Tacoma. Any issues? They sell a smaller version that has a 3” drop adjustment I could exchange this for. Any advice is appreciated as I have limited experience towing and with hitches.

 

9” clearance unloaded from ground to bottom of the metal bracket




6.5” clearance unloaded from ground to bottom of ball at lowest drop position

 

i run a 6in drop on my 16 sport taco, i scrap a few driveways nothing to fret over. you have similar ground clearance with the lower ball as i do with the extra drop and thread and nut. tow away

 

1: The goal, when determining the height of the ball mount, is trying to keep the trailer as level as possible when driving down the road. First, you need to determine if you need our ball mount to have a rise or a drop. If the trailer coupler (the spot that rests on the ball mount), is taller than the receiving tube (the opening that the ball mount goes into on your vehicle), than you need your ball mount in the rise position. If the opposite is true than you need your ball mount in the drop position.
2: Now you are asking, “How much rise or drop do I need?” Well you can figure this out with a level and a measuring tape. First, make sure that your trailer is level, then measure from the ground to the bottom of the coupler. Next measure from the ground to the top of the receiving tube on your vehicle. The difference is the amount of drop or rise that you need.
Now the reason why the height of your trailer is important. The short answer is that it is easier to tow something at the right height. The longer answer is, if the tongue of the trailer is low, it puts stress on the suspension of the vehicle, along with making it more likely that you will feel the trailer sway. If the tongue of the trailer is too high, then it also puts stress on the suspension. I’ve heard that the trick is to have the tongue of the trailer slightly higher when it is empty so that it sits level when it is loaded.
hope this answers your question.

 

We run those hitches on every truck in our fleet at work. They get beaten on pretty hard. In 7 years, we've had no issues other than people losing the pins. BTW, our trucks are F350 4x4 duallys that tow 10K nearly daily. Guaranteed you will never stress that hitch with your Tacoma.

 

Definitely not worried about any mechanical stress from towing. Just concerned about lack of clearance from ground.

I understand how to calculate drop and the reasons for wanting a level setup. I don’t own a trailer and will just be using U-Hauls, borrowing friends trailers, and maybe future purpose. That’s why I like the concept of this hitch because it is extremely adjustable to handle any trailer I might use.

My only question is whether the +\- 5” version I have gives enough ground clearance or should I move to the less versatile +\- 3” model for a few extra inches of clearance.

 

@OP, did you ever decide on which drop? I’m going through the same thing right now. Purchased the 5” and wondering if I should’ve gotten the 3”. I have a 2017 TRD pro and plan on doing the Wescott lift.