I had the "standard" Equalizer shank.
Is there a standard? Mine is 9" from the receiver pin to the mounting holes.
However, almost all shanks are 2" square steel with 3/4" bolts on 1 1/4" centers. So shop for another shank that's a few inches longer. Beware, not all manufacturers measure the same, so 12" is not always 12"! (e-Trailer is a great resource, because they do a video with a tape measure!!!!)
I bought a "Draw-Tite/Reese" shank that's 3 3/4" longer.
Or/and turn the jack 90degrees. Some you can do with the head, mine would require redrilling new holes in the mounting plate.
There's some compelling reasons to NOT do that. 1. Lights. If the jack has a light it will now point sideways. 2. Clutch release. My Husky jack has a lever to release the clutch in case you need the hand crank. Turning the jack puts it against the propane tank cover. None are overwhelming.
Opening the tailgate is a big plus, IMO.
Condo1, Chances are your Equalizer hitch shank is the standard 12" length, but they also make an 18" long shank, if you hatch doesn't clear with the 12". You can view pictures and measurements on etrailer.com. If 12" is not enough, but 18" to much, it may be possible to take an 18" shank, slide it further into your receiver and have an additional hitch pin hole drilled to get you somewhere in between.
Hi , thanks for the note... good options. The dealership thinks it will clear stating that the power jack is a bit further aft on newer trailers .... I have my doubts but will find out in about 10 days. Thanks Again.
Hi, my tailgate on my F-150 wouldn't open fully with my stock Equal-I-zer brand hitch shank. The stock shank is a 12" shank. I bought a 18" shank, had a new hole drilled 2"s back, and to clear my spare tire I had 1" cut off of the end of the shank. Works perfect and tested on my cross country trip with no ill effects.
__________________ Bob 2005 Safari 25-B
"Le Petit Chateau Argent" Small Silver Castle
2000 Navigator / 2014 F-150 Eco-Boost / Equal-i-zer / P-3
YAMAHA 2400 / AIR #12144
I had a 2013 Suburban 1500 with 2018 27FB Cloud, didn't do hills well, was at the top of tow capacity and drove like a boat, I up graded to Ram 2500. New T.V. my be in your future as well.
I had the same issue with my F250. With the standard shank (9 inch pin hole to pin hole) I could not drop the tailgate. I swapped out for a longer shank (14 inch pin hole to pin hole) and now the tailgate clears. I did have to readjust the hitch to compensate for the extra long shank.
Generally you want the trailer as close to the TV as possible. But being able to open the hatch is important, too.
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brick
2018 International Serenity
Cute wife...
I have a 2007 Suburban half ton with the automatic rear hatch. I can't open this when hitched to my current 18' TT. But, we are picking up a new 25' FC this Friday. I am wondering if the gate will open with the new Airstream?
If it doesn’t, put a Hensley on it. That will fix it.
Or go with a ProPride system that’s a bit less expensive and works the same. Both Hensley Manufacturing and ProPride hitches were designed by the same engineer. The ProPride is his latest design, and, IMHO quite a bit better.
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Rich, KE4GNK/AE, Overkill Engineering Dept.
'The Silver HamShack' ('07 International 22FB CCD 75th Anniversary)
Multiple Yaesu Ham Radios inside and many antennae sprouting from roof, ProPride hitch, Prodigy P2 controller.
2012 shortbed CrewMax 4x4 Toyota Tacoma TV with more antennae on it.
The Airstream dealer told me they have 2 different shank lengths available for the Equalizer hitch and one of them will provide clearance for the Suburban liftgate. Will pass on results after installation. Thanks All.
The Airstream dealer told me they have 2 different shank lengths available for the Equalizer hitch
Just be aware you don't need to use an Equalizer brand shank.
Curt, Reese, and others make shanks, all with 2" square steel mounts. Same bolts, same spacing.
Here's the one I bought. Reese 3214, 14" shank. Between the stock 12" and the 18". (Amazon $124)
The dealer is using a 14 in shank with the Equalizer hitch so maybe they mix and match parts. The ability to open the lift gate would not be such a big deal except we travel with 3 Labs in the back of the Suburban. I’ll will post the outcome. Thanks for all the good responses.
On my 25FB I noticed that you can loosen the three lock bolts that mount the Jack Motor to the shaft and rotate the motor housing to the left or right 45 degrees. Then snug up the bolts again. This gave enough additional clearance to lower my tailgate.
1991 25' Excella
2011 19' Flying Cloud
Santa Ynez
, California
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 1,185
Quote:
Originally Posted by rocco52
On my 25FB I noticed that you can loosen the three lock bolts that mount the Jack Motor to the shaft and rotate the motor housing to the left or right 45 degrees. Then snug up the bolts again. This gave enough additional clearance to lower my tailgate.
If there are 3 bolts and you move to the next one isn't that 120 degrees?
Oops i see you rotate the motor on the shaft and not the base plate.
__________________
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
Will Rogers
Hello All, on my 2019 FC RBT the dealer installed a longer shaft (approx 16 in) and gave lots of lift gate clearance with my 2016 Suburban. My first tow went fine but there was no doubt something big was behind us! The loaded trailer with the water tank full weight about 7200 lb. Averaged 10.7 mpg over 350 miles of mostly flat.
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Hi, my tailgate on my F-150 wouldn't open fully with my stock Equal-I-zer brand hitch shank. The stock shank is a 12" shank. I bought a 18" shank, had a new hole drilled 2"s back, and to clear my spare tire I had 1" cut off of the end of the shank. Works perfect and tested on my cross country trip with no ill effects.
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