Trailer hitch skid caster wheels.

Looks like I will have to customize my ball-mount to take a skid plate.  The nut to the ball sits ~5" lower than the cross rail that most of these kits bolt/weld to.

I have done a few searches, and cant seem to find anything that works as a skid plate AND uses the ball at the same time. Just things similar to this:



I found one that has a single wheel, but still will be above ground level when the ball nut is dragging:



Looks like maybe a 4" drop insert with a welded ball, then make a flat plate... dunno. Open for ideas, I cant be the first one to be in this spot. 

Hi Volkemon,

Could your trailer towing setup tolerate a gentle offset ball like THIS ONE FROM ETRAILER FOR $50 invert-mounted?

That red skid plate you pictured looks like a disaster waiting to happen.  It needed to be designed in reverse fashion to avoid catching things.

I found it interesting to see the Ultra-Fab skid wheel package 48-979017 mounted two ways.

This picture on Camping World's ad.  I think this is dead wrong.


This picture on Ultra-Fab's website.  I will be installing it this way.


Maybe you do it the wrong way if your hitch is less than 2-1/2" stock.

Hi Volkemon,

Could your trailer towing setup tolerate a gentle offset ball like THIS ONE FROM ETRAILER FOR $50 invert-mounted?

That red skid plate you pictured looks like a disaster waiting to happen.  It needed to be designed in reverse fashion to avoid catching things.

That trailer ball is too high. Since I lowered the front, the back raised up about 1 1/2 inches so I use a 3 1/2" drop to keep the tandems evenly loaded on the trailer.

Keep in mind the red skid plate is for off road vehicles, and designed for such.  I was using it as an example to avoid '1,000 words ' describing it.  I may have to make a similar one for the camper.

I found it interesting to see the Ultra-Fab skid wheel package 48-979017 mounted two ways.

This picture on Camping World's ad.  I think this is dead wrong.


This picture on Ultra-Fab's website.  I will be installing it this way.


Maybe you do it the wrong way if your hitch is less than 2-1/2" stock.

I think you found a marketing error when they assembled it for the picture.  Good catch. I bet the instructions dont show that.

******************************************************************
OK, being me I had to see.     They dont.  https://ultra-fab.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/48-979018-install-inst.pdf

Quote from: Ron Dittmer on December 30, 2020, 09:27:44 am

Hi Volkemon,

Could your trailer towing setup tolerate a gentle offset ball like THIS ONE FROM ETRAILER FOR $50 invert-mounted?

That red skid plate you pictured looks like a disaster waiting to happen.  It needed to be designed in reverse fashion to avoid catching things.

That trailer ball is too high. Since I lowered the front, the back raised up about 1 1/2 inches so I use a 3 1/2" drop to keep the tandems evenly loaded on the trailer.

Keep in mind the red skid plate is for off road vehicles, and designed for such.  I was using it as an example to avoid '1,000 words ' describing it.  I may have to make a similar one for the camper.

Quote from: Ron Dittmer on December 30, 2020, 09:39:53 am

I found it interesting to see the Ultra-Fab skid wheel package 48-979017 mounted two ways.

This picture on Camping World's ad.  I think this is dead wrong.


This picture on Ultra-Fab's website.  I will be installing it this way.


Maybe you do it the wrong way if your hitch is less than 2-1/2" stock.

I think you found a marketing error when they assembled it for the picture.  Good catch. I bet the instructions dont show that.

******************************************************************
OK, being me I had to see.     They dont.  https://ultra-fab.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/48-979018-install-inst.pdf

Volkemon, if I understand correctly, you are using a 3 1/2" drop hitch, and are looking protect the hitch when dragging?  Specifically the threaded shank of the ball?  If not, what are you trying to protect?  Wheels on the hitch frame protect the underside of the RV from dragging.  I'm guessing your hitch is the lowest point and the underside of the RV is safe.  I have used drop hitches in the past that have drug.  I had a 6" drop hitch on a previous class A RV.  I just let it drag and it held up fine.  what about adding another nut to the shank so it would drag?  Or add some washers to lower the nut.  do you weld, or know someone who welds?  You could weld a bracket and a roller on the bottom in front of the shank and nut.

Jeff

I just got the Ultra Fab casters. The instructions included shows the metal plate on the bottom, the caster side. I will be installing when it stops raining and warms up a little.

For our particular PC with the tight clearance to our garage door, I cannot consider the following, but all you people might give this some thought.

There are spacers available for the rear leaf spring stacks.  I believe Phoenix and other RV outfitters install them on one side or the other as needed to level a motorhome that has a natural lean due to an imbalanced weight distribution from the floor plan and slide outs.  Why not install some spacers in each rear corner to increase your rear ground clearance?  That can't be expensive for a shop to do.

  Our used 2019 3100 came with the metal wheels to prevent that chassis scrape. I assumed all the PC's came that way. We were also "gifted" with the Liquid Springs option which allows raising and lowering of the entire rear end among other features. LS is likely not something we would have bought but sure do like the capability it provides.

Hank

As mentioned above, I have installed the ultrafab  wheels.  They are spaced out L/R as far as they will go.  However , even with them I have dragged off what appears to be an extension to the backup sewer drain in the far back corner.  No real damage except breaking the ears that connects it.  Can live without it.  Now said, if the wheels could be lowered, would give a bit more
“Lift” when needed.  Just looking at it out in the rain, there are still several threads left on the U bolts.  So I’m going to take off the nuts, add some large flat washers and lower the wheels as far as the ubolt  will allow.  Any little bit will have to help.

As mentioned above, I have installed the ultrafab  wheels.  They are spaced out L/R as far as they will go.  However , even with them I have dragged off what appears to be an extension to the backup sewer drain in the far back corner.  No real damage except breaking the ears that connects it.  Can live without it.  Now said, if the wheels could be lowered, would give a bit more
“Lift” when needed.  Just looking at it out in the rain, there are still several threads left on the U bolts.  So I’m going to take off the nuts, add some large flat washers and lower the wheels as far as the "U"-bolt  will allow.  Any little bit will have to help.

Interesting issue and seemingly viable solution.  If that doesn't work out, I wonder if the manufacture/supplier offers and extension kit.

My purchase came in today.

For you with PC's as old as our 2007 with 5000 pound hitch, this kit fits.  I snuggly slipped one of the "U" bolts over my hitch bar, confirming I have a 2.25" dimensional bar as the rollers are designed for.  I will be mounting this kit to our 2007 2350 in the spring.

My purchase came in today.

For you with PC's as old as our 2007 with 5000 pound hitch, this kit fits.  I snuggly slipped one of the "U" bolts over my hitch bar, confirming I have a 2.25" dimensional bar as the rollers are designed for.  I will be mounting this kit to our 2007 2350 in the spring.

I did a quick eyein' it measure of our 2010 hitch bar and it looked to me to be 2 1/2"  from my upside-down perspective. The crossbar says Hidden Hitch, not sure if it is original or aftermarket, Any insight ?

2 Lucky--

There is definitely some confusion on the actual dimension of this bolt-on roller unit.

In your earlier post with the link to the E-trailer site for this item, you referenced the Ultra-Fab product UF48-979017.  Both on the E-trailer site AND the Ultra-Fab website, the UF48-979017 is listed to fit a 2 1/2" crossbar.  As a matter of fact, the Ultra-Fab website only lists two roller kits of this specific design--the 979017 fits a 2 1/2" bar and the 979018 fits a 3" bar.  There is no listing for a 2 1/4" bar.

A search on the UF48-979017 part number brings up several different vendor sales advertisements for it---some of those ads do reference fitting 2 1/4" square tubing, and some reference 2 1/2".  The set Ron purchased on eBay plainly says for 2 1/4" bars in his photo.  However, on today's listing for UF48-979017 on Amazon I saw one question and one comment referencing the need to insert a spacer on the 2 1/4" bars to shim out since the kit is designed for 2 1/2" bars.

Finally, my crossbar on my 2019 2552 is 2 1/2" (double-checked), and has this unit installed.  Since current descriptions for UF48-979017 on E-trailer, Amazon, and Ultra-Fab sites currently specify 2 1/2",  and Ultra-Fab doesn't even currently list a 2 1/4" unit, I think you would safely receive one that will fit your hitch if you order from one of these sites.  This is definitely something that bears careful scrutiny from anyone interested in this modification, however.

Mike

Volkemon, if I understand correctly, you are using a 3 1/2" drop hitch, and are looking protect the hitch when dragging?  Specifically the threaded shank of the ball?  If not, what are you trying to protect?  Wheels on the hitch frame protect the underside of the RV from dragging.  I'm guessing your hitch is the lowest point and the underside of the RV is safe.  I have used drop hitches in the past that have drug.  I had a 6" drop hitch on a previous class A RV.  I just let it drag and it held up fine.  what about adding another nut to the shank so it would drag?  Or add some washers to lower the nut.  do you weld, or know someone who welds?  You could weld a bracket and a roller on the bottom in front of the shank and nut.

Jeff

With the clearances I have, I feel a skid plate welded to the underside of the ball will be the best bet.  A roller would be hitting a lot.

Not so much to 'protect' the ball stud, but to make for a smoother slide over whatever I am bottoming out on.  Avoid damaging things.  I feel that the wheels mounted on the cross bar would be of little value in my setup, as the ball stud would be inches into the pavement before the wheels ever touch down.  With so many years of experience here on the forum, I thought someone had seen a solution.

Quote from: jhobbs on December 30, 2020, 04:19:11 pm

Volkemon, if I understand correctly, you are using a 3 1/2" drop hitch, and are looking protect the hitch when dragging?  Specifically the threaded shank of the ball?  If not, what are you trying to protect?  Wheels on the hitch frame protect the underside of the RV from dragging.  I'm guessing your hitch is the lowest point and the underside of the RV is safe.  I have used drop hitches in the past that have drug.  I had a 6" drop hitch on a previous class A RV.  I just let it drag and it held up fine.  what about adding another nut to the shank so it would drag?  Or add some washers to lower the nut.  do you weld, or know someone who welds?  You could weld a bracket and a roller on the bottom in front of the shank and nut.

Jeff

With the clearances I have, I feel a skid plate welded to the underside of the ball will be the best bet.  A roller would be hitting a lot.

Not so much to 'protect' the ball stud, but to make for a smoother slide over whatever I am bottoming out on.  Avoid damaging things.  I feel that the wheels mounted on the cross bar would be of little value in my setup, as the ball stud would be inches into the pavement before the wheels ever touch down.  With so many years of experience here on the forum, I thought someone had seen a solution.

Makes sense.  You want to slide instead of gouge the pavement.