teardrop trailer

Determining the rise or drop for your teardrop trailer hitch draw bar (aka ball mount).

How to Measure for Hitch Rise and Drop

With the many different tow vehicles and trailers out there, it's rare that any vehicle and trailer line up perfectly for towing. They come with different amounts of rise and drop to compensate for differences in height, and they come in different lengths to position a trailer closer to or farther from the tow vehicle. To find a ball mount (draw bar) with the proper dimensions for your tow vehicle and trailer, you need to measure. Read about how to measure, below.

(Step 1) Measure Hitch from ground to top of receiver

For safe and comfortable towing, the trailer should always be as level as possible. A High Camp teardrop trailer has a coupler height of 12" from the ground (see photo 1 below) .  Unless the distance from the ground to the top of the receiver tube on the vehicle hitch (see photo 2 below) is roughly 12", you will need a ball mount (drawer bar) that has a Rise or Drop to make up the difference. With the tow vehicle parked on level ground, measure from the ground to the top of the receiver opening. 

(Step 2) Subtract coupler height from vehicle hitch height
 


If the hitch height is greater, use a ball mount with a drop; if the coupler height is greater, use a ball mount with a rise. Select a ball mount that has a rise or drop measurement that is closest to the difference between the hitch and coupler heights.

Car and Truck towing ratings for teardrop trailers

Tow Ratings for Teardrop Trailers

We often get asked about what new cars can tow a High Camp teardrop trailer and luckily Trailer Life magazine publishes an annual listing of Towing Capacities for new vehicles.  This is a great resource if you are thinking about upgrading your tow vehicle or are just checking your existing car or truck's towing capacity.  You can check your vehicle's towing capacity rating by clicking the link below for your car's model year:

(2017) http://webcontent.goodsam.com/trailerlife.com/digital_editions/TrailerLifeTowGuide2017.pdf

(2016) http://webcontent.goodsam.com/trailerlife.com/digital_editions/TrailerLifeTowGuide2016.pdf

(2015) http://webcontent.goodsam.com/trailerlife.com/digital_editions/TrailerLifeTowGuide2015.pdf

(2014) http://prodcontent.s3.amazonaws.com/trailerlife.com/digital_editions/TrailerLifeTowGuide2014.pdf

(2013) http://prodcontent.s3.amazonaws.com/trailerlife.com/digital_editions/TrailerLifeTowGuide2013.pdf

(2012) http://dcd96xmek71bc.cloudfront.net/trailerlife.com/2012_towing_guide_lo_res.pdf

(2011) http://www.trailerlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/DigitalTLTowGuide2011.pdf

(2010) http://www.trailerlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/DigitalTLTowGuide2010i.pdf

One thing to note: Trailer Life's ratings only include vehicles with a minimum towing capacity of 2,000 pounds. For anyone thinking about upgrading their tow vehicle for getting a teardrop trailer, we believe this is a good starting point as well.  While a car or truck with a 1,500 pound towing capacity will do the job, having a little more towing capacity is always preferred.  

If you aren't sure what your car or truck can tow, just email us, or give us a call and we can look it up for you!