Towing a trailer requires careful planning and preparation. From selecting the suitable hitch class to using safety chains properly, many steps are involved in ensuring your trailer and vehicle are ready for the road.
Each trailer hitch has a unique capacity and set size. Towing your cargo safely depends on the combined weight rating of all components, including the receiver and all accessories.
What is a Tow Hitch?
The tow hitches allow you to haul a trailer, which expands your cargo-carrying capabilities by adding extra space. This is perfect for families that want to take more gear on trips or anyone who wants to bring along a camper, boat, or other leisure item that doesn't fit in their vehicle.
The most typical hitch is a Class 1 trailer hitch designed for passenger cars, crossovers, and minivans. This type of hitch can tow up to 2,000 lbs.
The next step up is a Class 2 hitch, commonly used on SUVs, vans, and trucks. These hitches can tow up to 3,500 lbs. Weight distribution hitches help evenly distribute the load across your vehicle and trailer's axles, which enhances driving performance, reduces stress on your car, and provides a smoother, more level ride.
What are the Different Types of Hitches?
There are many different types of hitches, and each one is designed for a particular purpose. Using the right hitch for your trailer can improve towing capacity and driving performance and reduce stress on your vehicle.
Receiver hitches are the most popular and are broken down into five classes based on their maximum weight capacities. 5th wheel and gooseneck hitches are heavy-duty options attached to the truck bed. They use a kingpin to connect to the trailer and are commonly used for flatbeds, livestock trailers, and car haulers.
Front trailer hitches mount to a vehicle's front and is often used to install truck-mounted accessories like cargo carriers, snow plows, and winches. They're also great for maneuvering a trailer into tight spaces.
How Do I Know Which Hitch I Need?
When choosing a trailer hitch, knowing what your vehicle can safely tow is essential. Refer to your owner's manual or online towing guides for more information.
A class 2 trailer hitch can handle up to 3,500 lbs. of GTW and 350 lbs. of tongue weight and is commonly installed on cars, crossovers, and minivans. This type of hitch has a square 1 1/4-inch receiver size and is usually designed for a direct fit on your vehicle without any modifications.
Typically found on full-size pickup trucks and SUVs, class 4 hitches are the most extensive available trailer hitches. With a max GTW of up to 10,000 lbs and tongue weight capacity of up to 1,000 lbs, this heavy-duty rating is excellent for towing travel trailers and machinery.
How Do I Know Which Hitch Fits My Vehicle?
The hitch class your vehicle is equipped with determines the max gross trailer weight (GTW) and tongue weight capacity it can pull. You can find this information in the owner's manual or by calling your local car dealership.
Choosing a hitch with a lower towing capacity than your vehicle can pull can result in unsafe driving and damage to the car and trailer. Towing capacities are also determined by the cargo attachment you'll use with your hitch.
Cargo attachments include receiver hitch balls, clevis mounts, and gooseneck hitches. Before purchasing a trailer hitch, read general installation instructions and check the vehicle this part number fits' tab. These are located on the right side of the search results page and will show a list of vehicles with which the particular part number is compatible.
How Do I Know Which Hitch is Right for Me?
There are a few essential things to remember when selecting a hitch. First, the receiver must fit your tow vehicle and have a weight capacity greater than or equal to the GVWR of the trailer you're pulling.
Next, you'll need to select a trailer hitch ball mount and coupler that are appropriately sized to match each other. If the coupler is not a good size match, sitting on the trailer hitch ball and making a secure connection will be challenging.
Before connecting your trailer, raise the tongue jack on your tow vehicle and back it up until the ball is completely seated in the coupler socket. Connecting safety chains or cables and installing a breakaway system on your trailer is also good.