Factory trailer receiver play / slop

[MrRoo]

Has anyone else noticed a lot more play/slop with their factory receiver hitch in the 2019+ RAMs? I bought a 2019 2500 RAM back in September and it came with a 2.5" receiver so I ordered a new 2.5" weigh safe hitch for that and it has a lot of play in it. When I put the factory 2.5 to 2" adapter in there and used my 2" weigh safe hitch it actually felt perfect.

Skipping ahead to Dec I just got a 2020 RAM 1500 with the factory 2" receiver. I put that same 2" weigh safe hitch in and it has a lot of play in it. This is the same hitch I've been using on my 2016 RAM 1500 for the past 3 years and I never had an issue with play.

Now when I say play/slop I'm saying you can move the hitch up and down in the receiver, enough that you can hear it clunk around in the receiver going down the road with a trailer. Not something that inspires a lot of confidence when towing. It's also leaving groove marks in my hitch now which I never had before where the hitch and receiver edge meet.

Anyone else having this issue? Seems to only be an issue on the 2019+ RAMs but it's happening on both my 1500 and 2500 truck so it seems like the receivers are being manufactured out of spec.

 

[Rick3019]

Has anyone else noticed a lot more play/slop with their factory receiver hitch in the 2019+ RAMs? I bought a 2019 2500 RAM back in September and it came with a 2.5" receiver so I ordered a new 2.5" weigh safe hitch for that and it has a lot of play in it. When I put the factory 2.5 to 2" adapter in there and used my 2" weigh safe hitch it actually felt perfect.

Skipping ahead to Dec I just got a 2020 RAM 1500 with the factory 2" receiver. I put that same 2" weigh safe hitch in and it has a lot of play in it. This is the same hitch I've been using on my 2016 RAM 1500 for the past 3 years and I never had an issue with play.

Now when I say play/slop I'm saying you can move the hitch up and down in the receiver, enough that you can hear it clunk around in the receiver going down the road with a trailer. Not something that inspires a lot of confidence when towing. It's also leaving groove marks in my hitch now which I never had before where the hitch and receiver edge meet.

Anyone else having this issue? Seems to only be an issue on the 2019+ RAMs but it's happening on both my 1500 and 2500 truck so it seems like the receivers are being manufactured out of spec.

View attachment 42725

Yes I have the same problem I had to make a Shim for mine

 

[Mikent]

My receiver seems to have quite a bit of play. My Ram sits higher than my last truck so I purchased an adjustable ball mount to get the correct ball height. It seems to me the adjustable ball mounts have quite a bit of play, so I think some of the play may be in the ball mount.

 

[Snwjnky]

I bought a CURT 4" drop for my trailer. Yes, a lot of slop. Not happy about it. The banging sucks when towing. And I don't want to hassle with a wrench-on hitch pin.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Shimming usually helps, slop in the receivers has been around for years. Seems tolerances can vary a lot.
A really old thread from 2008 said this:
”Yeah, thin sheet metal or i used banding strap on older units. Fold it over on both ends and it stays there w/the hitch removed. Banding strap is around .025" thick usually /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif”
and this:
”I use the threaded pin kit from Draw-Tite or Reese (can't rememeber). I think I got it at WalMart for about $15.
You shove a threaded aluminum insert into the ball mount, and then thread the pin in and lock it with an inluded wrench. The pin still has the standard groove for a lock or hitchpin clip.
I have it on all my trucks. Totally eliminates all slop and that annoying banging. Only drawback is it's a pain if you change out draw tubes often for different drops or move a tube between trucks. I've tried the weld-bead-grind-to-fit-tight thing in the past, but if the tube rusts to the inside of the receiver, you might spend a day of cussing trying to get it out.
If there's slop in the ball and tongue itself, it's best to figure out why and replace the worn parts. But if you have just a little bit of play, coat the ball with heavy axle grease and that eliminates most of the noise. And makes a bit of a mess. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif”
I found it here so you can see what I mean. So called "anti-wobble device" :
http://www.reese-hitches.com/cargo_carrier_accessories.htm
Also, here's another style that I haven't tried:
http://www.etrailer.com/mm5/merchant.mvc...ory_Code=BMAIII
End of copied quotes

 

[MrRoo]

Honestly I would probably consider removing the factory receiver and replacing it with a more accurately manufactured one since that seems to be where the issue is. I've used these hitches on a lot of vehicles and never had an issue so I'm hesitant to make changes to the hitches themselves if its the factory receiver being out of spec on the 2019+ RAMs that makes it sloppy.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Some slip and clunk is to be expected or it would be very difficult to remove the hitch head, especially if the slightest amount of corrosion occurred.
This below is from etrailer.com:
“The amount of play or slop you are experiencing between your receiver and ball mount is caused by different manufacturing tolerances between the ball mount and receiver tube that the ball mount slides into. The receiver does not measure exactly 2 inches side to side. A receiver can be a few hundredths of an inch larger or smaller than 2 inches and still be considered within tolerance. The same goes for the shank on the ball mount. The shank is purposely made a bit smaller than 2 inches so that the parts can slide together. However, if you get a receiver that is on the large side and a ball mount that is on the small side, you end up with the movement you are describing.

You can try a different ball mount, and it might or might not fix the situation. Roadmaster makes a product called the Quiet Hitch, part # RM-061. I have used it myself, and without a doubt works as advertised. The product works by clamping the ball mount tightly against the receiver and prohibiting movement.

Increasing the tongue weight of the trailer might help, as well. Adding more weight forward of the trailer axle will increase the tongue weight. The additional force applied to the ballmount will alleviate some of the movement.

I have linked you to a product demonstration video featuring the Quiet Hitch, as well as a link that shows our other anti-rattle option.”
End of copied article

 

[hatchin]

I have a new body style 2020 Ram 1500 and have the same issue. I ordered a new "Named Brand" Class 5 trailer hitch for the truck and it had the same slop with a new receiver hitch installed into it. I then ordered a shim kit from Ebay because I don't like the "Anti-Rattle" bolt on kits and I want to use a pin lock and the L piece installed on the right with one shim on the left (I drilled a 5/8" hole in the shim with a stepped bit) and it is a snug fit now. You can force the other shim in the top and beat the receiver ball in with a rubber mallet to have a super tight fit but good luck getting it back out at that point. Here is the kit and the link for it: 2'' HITCH RECEIVER SHIM ANTI-RATTLE TOWING | eBay


And if they pull the listing the title is: 2'' HITCH RECEIVER SHIM ANTI-RATTLE TOWING

 

[DEG]

I thought the oversized receiver was a new reminder feature that my last 3 Ram's didn't have. When I'm not towing I hear it rattling as I go down the road it serves as an annoying reminder to remove my drawbar to save my shins.

 

[Hawkshot99]

A wrap or 2 of duct tape around the hitch quiets any rattling in the receiver.