To get the correct ball height for my 8x4 folding trailer and the sailboat trailer the factory class II hitch on my 2003 Ford explorer needs a ball mount with a drop of 6 inches. That would bring the ball height to about 17 inches. The hard part is to find a ball mount with a 6 inch drop. They are readily available for class III but for class II most hitches have drops of 4 inches or less.

I found three places that sell a class II ball mount with a 6 inch drop. All ball mounts are solid steel with black paint. (Please note the information was valid as of February 13, 2004 and may be invalid now.)

• Auto Accessories 4 Less (St. Joseph, MI) 1-888-326-0054
  http://www.hitches4less.com/clasiibalmou1.html
  Shank Length: 6"
  Weight Rating: 3500lbs tow weight / 300lbs tongue weight
  Part Number: ACME88216
  Price: $21.95 (free shipping)
  

• Xcelerated Performance (Goodyear, AZ) 1-800-916-7180
  http://www.xceleratedperformance.com/Towing/BallMounts.htm
  Shank Length: 11"
  Weight Rating: 3500lbs tow weight / 350lbs tongue weight
  Part Number: 906
  Price: $22.93 (~$12 shipping)
  

• SSB Tractor (Farmingville, NY) 1-877-698-3033
  http://www.ssbtractor.com/ball_mounts.html
  Shank Length: 10"
  Weight Rating: ?
  Price: $22.99 (plus shipping?)
  

I ordered the ball mount from Auto Accessories 4 Less. The problem that I encountered with their ball mount was that the shank is exactly 1 1/4 inches square without rounded edges. However the receiver of the hitch has rounded corner and therefore would not allow me to install the ball mount. Both Auto Accessories 4 Less and the manufacturer of the ball mount (Acme Products Company in Kansas City, MO http://www.acmehitch.com) recommended that I grind down the corners a little and assured me that the structural integrity would not be compromised since the ball mount is made of solid steel. Instead of using a bench grinder I opted to manually file the corners using a steel file which allowed me more control to make a nicer arch. As recommended I also painted the ball mount with a primer and black enamel spray to prevent it from rusting.

As one can see the paint came off after some usage.

Another option is to have a class III hitch installed underneath your standard class II hitch (which is also part of the vehicle frame). That way your hitch is lower, you have a wider selection of hitch mounts and of course your towing capacity of the hitch will increase. This is the way I finally went. I just plainly didn't like the class II 6 inch drop ball mount. Check out the Hitch page for more information. Please remember that installing a class III hitch adds to the weight of your vehicle and that you have to watch that you don't exceed the ratings of your vehicle.

Speaking of ratings, it's a good idea to go through the towing ratings of your vehicle. Checkout the Towing Capacity page.