2” class 1 hitch receiver???

[KiteVan]

Looks like the factory stock hitch is rated class 1 but comes in 2”. I thought  you don’t get 2” receivers until you hit class 3.  So did Ford splurge on a class 3 receiver but down rated the tongue weight and tow capacity to fit vehicle’s towing limitations? 
I’m asking both out of curiosity and because the bike rack I want to install requires 500lb tongue weight rating. I know in one of the previous posts it was mentioned the tongue weight Is more for handling purposes while towing, but I have bent hitches in the past due to over loading tongue weight.  Just want to be safe. I don’t want to spread 300lbs worth of E-bike and batteries all over the highway. 

[Fifty150]

I think you'll be okay.  A few hundred pounds of bicycle and bike rack is not heavy enough to snap off.  Those ratings are for towing.  I see those mobility scooters for the disabled on hitch racks.   Those are a lot heavier, and require a bigger, heavier hitch rack platform with some sort of ramp or winch.  

 

What I have seen, and don't like, is when different things are carried on hitch receiver racks, and those items appear to be bouncing as the vehicle drives down the road.   It's usually something like a 4 bike rack, or a basket rack on an extension.  

 

I have a rack made for motorcycles.  I've never used it for motorcycles.  I just don't like the idea of that much weight, bouncing around like that.  Bicycles work great on it.  I would imagine that an electric bike would be fine on a motorcycle rack.  Since most bicycle racks are made for bicycles which weigh a lot less.

 

 

 

 

[JackGrimshaw]

The way I look at it,tongue weight is measured at the ball or pintal hitch,in other words a set distance from the mounting bolts.

500 lbs at "x" distance from mounts for towing is fine but a 500 lb load with center of mass at 3"x" distance would exceed the rating.

 

As the engineers would say  "There's a formula for that."

[windguy]

Below is the label on the factory hitch on my 2015 cargo TC.