Curt Manufacturing 45036 2” Drop Loaded Ball Mount with 2” Ball
What is a ball mount? Basically, a ball mount is an attachment to the rear of a vehicle that connects the vehicle to a trailer hitch. If you are looking for that something that will help you tow your trailer for hundreds of miles, then you would need a ball mount and a hitch to go with it. The Curt Manufacturing 45036 2” Drop Loaded Ball Mount with 2” Ball is the perfect choice.
The Curt Manufacturing 45036 2” Drop Loaded Ball Mount with 2” Ball
What’s in the box. When you order this product, you will get this ball mount together with a pin and clip which you will then attach to your 2×2 receiver tubes. The trailer ball has been torque to perfection to ensure that your trailer hitch is firmly secured. The product is coated with durable carbide and is finished with powder coat to make sure that it resists rusting, making it usable for years to come. The total item weight when shipped is 8.8 pounds.
Price
The Curt Manufacturing 45036 2” Drop Loaded Ball Mount with 2” Ball might not be the cheapest option among all the available loaded ball mounts in the market. A unit sells around $40, although you can get it at a discounted price of $23.73 from Amazon.com if you order online while they are on sale. Also, if you will be purchasing some other items from Amazon.com to go with the ball mount, you could even get free shipping.
What to use it for
The ball hitch fits most hitch receivers perfectly and you can easily use it to transport or haul fishing boats, a trailer hitch,
Advantages
There are some advantages that you will find when you decide to purchase the Curt Manufacturing 45036 2” Drop Loaded Ball Mount with 2” Ball and these are:
- Different size and finish options – this product comes in different sized ball mounts and finishes so whether you want a black ball mount or a chrome ball mount in either 1 7/8 or 2”, you can easily choose it from the dropdown box in Amazon.com.
- Load capacity – despite the fact that this item is in the Class III and Class IV hitch category, its load capacity is better than others at 7,500 pounds. Competitors normally have a load capacity of just up to 6,000 pounds.
- Compatibility – this product is compatible with almost all hitch receivers, so all you cannot go wrong with it.
- Ease of installation – this product is really easy to assemble and attach to your hitch receiver in a matter of minutes as it comes shaped and designed specifically for easy installation.
- Top seller – the Curt Manufacturing 45036 2” Drop Loaded Ball Mount with 2” Ball is literally the top seller in the ball mounts category in Amazon.com and is one of the five best accessories for hitching and towing.
Disadvantages
However, like most products, the Curt Manufacturing 45036 2” Drop Loaded Ball Mount with 2” Ball has its own disadvantages. For instance, there seems to be some inconsistencies in terms of the actual drop size of the ball mount. While it says that it has a 4” drop, some customers have reported a 3.5” drop instead so be sure you carefully measure how much of a drop you would need. If the drop is a bit too low for your vehicle, you could try turning the base upside down and it could improve the positioning of the ball. Another disadvantage is that the ball mount for the chrome finish seems to rust a bit quickly so if you can, you can re-paint it easily with rust resistant paint, although this does not seem to be the case for the coated variety.
Rough Road Test
Using the Curt Manufacturing 45036 2” Drop Loaded Ball Mount with 2” Ball on the road to haul a trailer hitch 500 miles from home was a pleasant experience. The trailer hitch swivels fantastically on the ball without but not to the extent that it wobbles from side to side. It also seems like the ball did not have any problems at all in hauling the trailer hitch which weighed around 6,800 pounds so I am pretty sure you can trust the load capacity of 7,500 pounds. The trailer hitch does not seem to flinch when used over rough roads and it was kept securely attached to the vehicle. Of course, these are all tested while driving within the speed limit and in a careful manner so don’t try and steer to another direction when you are at top speed just to see how well the ball mount works. A little flaw found while using it is that it seems to squeak a bit after a couple of hundred miles but this was easily fixed with a lube in the hood of the car.
Precautions
As with anything else, using this ball mount has to come with precautions. First of all, make sure that all attachments are tight and secure so you don’t need to worry about losing parts in the middle of your journey. Second, determine if you would need a drop ball mount as lower vehicles seem to have a problem attaching this the correct way. Third, and is probably the most important of all, is that do not overload the trailer hitch as this could lead to accidents while you are on the road.
Verdict For The Curt Manufacturing 45036 2” Drop Loaded Ball Mount with 2” Ball
Would I buy the Curt Manufacturing 45036 2” Drop Loaded Ball Mount with 2” Ball when the current one breaks down? If Curt does not come out with a better option, then yes. Curt Manufacturing has been a trusted name already and their ball mount is by far one of the most superior products out in the market today in terms of towing and hitching.