Towing Setup & Capacity
The Best Adjustable Ball Mount
An adjustable mount earns its price if you own two trailers or a lifted truck. If you own one trailer and a stock truck, a fixed mount is the honest answer.
By Mike M. ·
How this page is funded: we earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which product we rank first. Prices come from Amazon and are read automatically — each one shows the date it was read. Full disclosure.
Quick picks
Scored on rated capacity (25%), adjustability (25%), security (20%), build (15%) and price (15%). Read the capacity at full drop, not the headline number.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Andersen Rapid Hitch Adjustable Ball Mount, 3410 Aluminum body, plate-steel dual ball, six inches of drop or rise. The practical case for it is owning two trailers with different coupler heights and one ball mount. Top pick | One mount that fits a trailer and a utility trailer | 7.7/ 10 | |
| 2 |  BulletProof Hitches 2 in Aluminum Adjustable Hitch, 14,000 lb A 14,000 lb rating in an aluminum body with a dual ball, which is the rare combination of high capacity and a mount you can carry one-handed. Highest rated | High capacity without the weight of a steel drop hitch | 7.4/ 10 | |
| 3 |  Weigh Safe Aluminum Adjustable Hitch with Tongue Weight Scale An adjustable ball mount with the scale built into the shank, so the number appears every time you couple up rather than only when you remember to get the scale out. With a tongue weight scale | Seeing tongue weight every time you hook up, not once a year | 8.0/ 10 | |
| 4 |  Adjustable Trailer Hitch Ball Mount, 9-1/2 in Drop A budget adjustable mount with a screw-in locking pin and a 7,500 lb rating. Fine for a light trailer; the rating is the reason it is not on the lifted-truck list. Budget option | A cheap adjustable mount for a light trailer | 6.9/ 10 | $52.24View on Amazon
|
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. Prices come from Amazon and are read automatically — see each product below for the date.
The short answer
Three things decide whether an adjustable mount is worth the money, and only one of them is on the spec sheet.
When an adjustable mount is worth it
Two trailers at different heights. A travel trailer and a utility trailer rarely want the same drop. One adjustable mount replaces two fixed ones and removes the question of which is in the truck.
A lifted or leveled truck. Raising the receiver means the trailer sits nose-high, and nose-high trailers sway. An adjustable mount with real drop gets you level. The lifted-truck geometry explains why that matters more than it sounds.
A dual ball. Most adjustable mounts carry both a 2 in and a 2-5/16 in ball on a flip plate, which means one mount covers both common coupler sizes. That is genuinely useful and is worth something on its own.
When it is not worth it: one trailer, stock truck. Buy a fixed mount with the right drop, a correct ball, and spend the difference on a tongue weight scale.
The spec that collapses: capacity at full drop
Read this carefully, because it is where cheap adjustable mounts catch people.
An adjustable mount puts the ball some distance below the receiver. The further below, the longer the lever arm, and the larger the bending moment at the receiver for the same tongue weight. So the mount’s rated capacity frequently falls as drop increases.
A mount advertised at “10,000 lb” may be rated at 10,000 lb in the top hole and considerably less at maximum drop. Manufacturers who publish a de-rating table are the ones to trust; a listing with one headline number and no table is a listing that has not told you the whole specification.
| Drop position | Typical rated capacity |
|---|---|
| Near-zero drop (top hole) | Full headline rating |
| Mid drop | Reduced |
| Maximum drop | Substantially reduced |
The common mistake
Aluminum or steel
Aluminum mounts are dramatically lighter — which matters because you will lift this thing in and out of a receiver repeatedly — and they do not rust. Steel mounts are cheaper for the same rating and tolerate abuse better.
The one thing aluminum demands: anti-seize or grease on the shank. Aluminum against a steel receiver galls, and a galled aluminum shank in a steel tube is a genuinely difficult thing to remove. Grease it when you fit it and it is a non-issue.
Security: the pin is the weak point
An adjustable mount with a dual ball is an expensive item sitting in a receiver in a parking lot, held in by a pin and a clip. Pull the clip, pull the pin, walk away with it.
A locking pin solves this for a very small amount of money, and some mounts ship with one. Check before you buy, and if not, add one — the lock picks cover both the pin and the coupler.
The verdict
The Andersen Rapid Hitch is the best general-purpose adjustable mount here: aluminum, six inches either way, dual plate-steel ball, and light enough to carry in one hand. The BulletProof is the one to buy if you need the highest rating in the lightest material and only need a couple of inches of adjustment. The Weigh Safe is the mount to buy if you would rather have a tongue weight readout than a big drop range. And the budget mount is fine behind a utility trailer and wrong behind a loaded travel trailer.
What to remember
- Adjustable is worth it for two trailers, or a lifted truck. Otherwise buy a fixed mount.
- Rated capacity usually falls as drop increases. Look for the maker's de-rating table.
- A 7,500 lb mount is not enough for a loaded travel trailer.
- Grease an aluminum shank, or it will gall in a steel receiver.
- Add a locking pin — the mount is held in by a clip anyone can pull.
The picks in full
Andersen Rapid Hitch Adjustable Ball Mount, 3410
Andersen Hitches · Best for one mount that fits a trailer and a utility trailer
Aluminum body, plate-steel dual ball, six inches of drop or rise. The practical case for it is owning two trailers with different coupler heights and one ball mount.
Key specifications
- Drop / rise
- 6 in
- Balls
- 2 in and 2-5/16 in plate steel dual ball
- Receiver
- 2 in
- Body
- Aluminum
Capacity figures read from Andersen Rapid Hitch specifications, October 2026.
How it scored
- Rated capacity (25%)8
- Adjustability (25%)9
- Security (20%)6
- Build quality (15%)8
- Price for capability (15%)7
Weighted average of the figures above. We did not test this product — see how we pick.
What it does well
- Flip the ball plate instead of buying a second mount
- Aluminum means you can actually lift it
- Generous drop and rise range
What it is bad at
- Aluminum galls against a steel receiver if you never grease it
- The pin and clip are the weak point for theft unless you add a lock
- Costs as much as three fixed mounts
Price as of October 5, 2026. #ad How this is funded
BulletProof Hitches 2 in Aluminum Adjustable Hitch, 14,000 lb
BulletProof Hitches · Best for high capacity without the weight of a steel drop hitch
A 14,000 lb rating in an aluminum body with a dual ball, which is the rare combination of high capacity and a mount you can carry one-handed.
Key specifications
- Capacity
- 14,000 lb
- Drop / rise
- 2 in
- Balls
- 2 in and 2-5/16 in dual ball
- Body
- Corrosion-resistant aluminum
How it scored
- Rated capacity (25%)10
- Adjustability (25%)5
- Security (20%)7
- Build quality (15%)9
- Price for capability (15%)6
Weighted average of the figures above. We did not test this product — see how we pick.
What it does well
- Highest rating here, in the lightest material
- Dual ball covers both coupler sizes
- Corrosion resistance is a real advantage on a salted road
What it is bad at
- Only 2 in of drop — not a lifted-truck solution
- Aluminum needs anti-seize in a steel receiver
- Price
Price as of October 5, 2026. #ad How this is funded
Weigh Safe Aluminum Adjustable Hitch with Tongue Weight Scale
Weigh Safe · Best for seeing tongue weight every time you hook up, not once a year
An adjustable ball mount with the scale built into the shank, so the number appears every time you couple up rather than only when you remember to get the scale out.
Key specifications
- Gross trailer weight
- 12,500 lb
- Drop
- 4 in adjustable
- Balls
- Stainless 2 in and 2-5/16 in
- Receiver
- 2 in
- Extras
- 2-piece lock set included
How it scored
- Rated capacity (25%)8
- Adjustability (25%)9
- Security (20%)8
- Build quality (15%)8
- Price for capability (15%)6
Weighted average of the figures above. We did not test this product — see how we pick.
What it does well
- Measures tongue weight as part of hooking up — zero extra effort
- Dual stainless balls cover both common coupler sizes
- Adjustable height, so one mount fits two trailers
What it is bad at
- The gauge reads loaded tongue weight at the ball, which is not identical to a scale under the coupler
- Aluminum body scratches easily
- Expensive for a ball mount
Price as of October 5, 2026. #ad How this is funded
Adjustable Trailer Hitch Ball Mount, 9-1/2 in Drop
Generic · Best for a cheap adjustable mount for a light trailer
A budget adjustable mount with a screw-in locking pin and a 7,500 lb rating. Fine for a light trailer; the rating is the reason it is not on the lifted-truck list.
Key specifications
- Capacity
- 7,500 lb
- Drop
- 9-1/2 in
- Rise
- 8-1/4 in
- Pin
- Screw-in locking pin included
How it scored
- Rated capacity (25%)5
- Adjustability (25%)8
- Security (20%)7
- Build quality (15%)6
- Price for capability (15%)9
Weighted average of the figures above. We did not test this product — see how we pick.
What it does well
- A fraction of the price of a name-brand adjustable mount
- Big drop range, useful behind a lifted truck
- Locking pin included
What it is bad at
- 7,500 lb rating rules out most loaded travel trailers
- No published maker spec sheet to check the rating against
- Heavy steel — this is not a one-hand lift
Common questions
Yes, within the rated capacity at the drop you are using. Capacity commonly falls as drop increases, so read the de-rating table, not just the headline number.
Whatever is stamped on your coupler. It is not optional and no adapter makes a mismatch acceptable. The ball size chart.
No — a weight distribution head mounts to a dedicated shank with a specific hole pattern. If you need drop with weight distribution, buy a high-drop WD shank made for your head.
Sources
- CURT published towing product specifications — read October 2026
- SAE J2807 — tow-vehicle gross combination weight rating procedure — read October 2026
- SAE J684 — trailer couplings, hitches and safety chains — read October 2026
- 49 CFR 393.70 — coupling devices and towing methods — read October 2026