[tshaull]

New owner of a 94 180 talari on a heritage trailer. My vehicle has an 1 1/4'' hitch need to know if I need to buy a 2'' hitch or if 1 1/4'' hitch will do with 300lbs max tongue weight. Thanks

[mikeyt]

I use a 2" ball hitch rated for 3500 lbs for my 180. That boat & trailer combined will be right around 3000lbs so i'd suggest you are safer with a 2". Its the boat & trailer weight, rather than the tongue weight, that's really the issue when choosing a hitch.

[m&mmariah]

what type of tow vehicle is the hitch mounted on? 1 1/4" receiver hitches are usually mounted on smaller vehicles with lower tow ratings.

[tshaull]

It is a gmc safari van. I can buy a 1 1/4" male end with a 2" ball on it I was just wondering if that would be fine or if I need to buy a whole new 2" hitch

[mikeyt]

What's the tow rating for the Safari ?

[tshaull]

5500 lbs

[ColoradoDiablo]

Not trying to be negative but....it might tow it fine , but is it going to pull the boat out of the water? I wouldn't want to try and pull a 5500 lb trailer with it , Much less try and stop it.
JMO

Larry

[mikeyt]

With a 5500lb tow capacity it should tow a 180 & trailer (approx 3000lbs) reasonably well. You might get away with the present 1.25" tow bar but for safety i would seriously consider upgrading to a full class 2 tow hitch. Trying to stop a 3000lb boat/trailer without electric brakes in a panic situation with the smaller hitch is not something you want.....