Camco Adjustable Hi/Low Weight Distribution Hitch Shank, 12 In

The Camco adjustable hi/low hitch shank is the piece that gets your trailer sitting level behind a heavy-duty truck or a big RV. It's a forged steel shank built for a 2-1/2 inch by 2-1/2 inch receiver, the larger square opening you'll find on one-ton trucks and heavier tow rigs. Slide it in, set your height, and you've got a solid base for the rest of your towing setup.

The whole point of an adjustable shank is height. The 12 inch shank gives you room to work with, and the six mounting holes let you dial the height in real increments instead of eyeballing it. Run it in the low position and you get a 5.75 inch drop, which is what you want when your trailer's coupler sits below the truck's receiver. Flip the shank over and you bring the coupler up instead. That hi/low flexibility is why folks reach for a shank like this rather than a fixed ball mount.

Here's how it plays out at the hitch. Say your travel trailer sits an inch or two low when you couple it to a stock truck. Drop the shank into the low position, snug it up, and the trailer levels out. Swap to a taller trailer or a different truck down the road, and you flip the shank and reset the holes. One part covers a range of setups, which is handy if you tow more than one trailer or you change tow vehicles now and then.

Why does level matter so much? A trailer that tows level tracks straight down the road. The tires wear evenly, the trailer brakes bite the way they were designed to, and sway stays under control. When the nose rides high or low, weight shifts off the axles that are supposed to carry it, and you feel it in every crosswind and every semi that passes you. Getting the height right isn't cosmetic. It's how a heavy trailer stays planted.

Camco forged this shank from steel because a 2-1/2 inch receiver usually means real weight behind the truck. Forged steel handles the constant load and the road shock better than a lighter part would, and it's the kind of piece you bolt in once and stop thinking about. There's no flex where you don't want it and no drama on rough pavement.

Who's this for? Owners running larger travel trailers, toy haulers, and the kind of tow vehicle that came with the bigger 2-1/2 inch receiver from the factory. If you've stepped up to a one-ton truck or you're pulling something with real tongue weight, the 2-1/2 inch shank is what fits your setup. It's also the right starting point when you're building out a weight-distribution system and need an adjustable base to get the head at the correct height.

A couple of honest notes. This is the adjustable shank itself. Pair it with the weight-distribution head and a hitch ball rated for your trailer's tongue weight, and always check that your receiver and your trailer are rated for the load you're pulling. The shank is only as strong as the weakest link in the chain, so match everything to your heaviest trailer, not your lightest.

Installation is straightforward. Slide the shank into the receiver, pick your height using the six holes, and run the bolts to the torque your hitch head calls for. After your first trip, pull over and check the hardware again. New setups tend to settle in over the first few miles, and it's worth a quick two minute recheck to know everything's still tight and torqued. Do that once and you're set for the rest of the season.