Your Trusted Source For Trailer Hitches Information And Pricing

Different Trailer Hitches For Different Purposes

So what are the components of a good hitch? All Trailer Hitches have at the very least 3 things in common. They all have a Receiver Hitch or Bumper Hitch, a Ball Mount, and a Trailer Ball.

Depending on the towing purposes, your hitch mechanism might also include Safety Chains and an Electrical Wiring. Although these last two are highly recommended if you plan on using your trailer on public roads, they are not always necessary for trailers that will never leave your property.

Choosing A Bumper Hitch Or A Receiver Hitch

Choosing the right Receiver Hitch for your towing vechicle is an important decision because it is the primary towing device that is attached to the rear of your vechicle. You must find out two critical pieces of information before you make your decision. First, what will be the maximun weight of the trailer and its cargo? Second, what is the torque capacity of my bumper or vechicle?

The Bumper Hitch is recommended for light weight towing. These trailers include cargo trailers, bike trailers, and sometimes canoe or kayak trailers. The gross trailer weight should not exceed 5000lbs, and the torque weight should not exceed 500lbs. Check the owners manual of your vechicle to be sure!

The Receiver Hitches for larger towing jobs come in different classes generally ranging from 1 to 5. These larger Receiver Hitches are used for Large Boat Trailers, Horse and Livestock Trailers, and Construction or Landscaping. Again it is important to consult the owners manual of your vechicle to determine the weight and torque capacities of your vechicle.

Choosing The Right Ball Mount

The Ball Mount is placed in the openning of the Receiver/Bumper Hitch that you have attached to the rear of your vechicle. The Ball Mount is secured to the Receiver Hitch by locking the Hitch Pin in the hole on the sides of both the Mount and the Hitch. Ther are two types of Ball Mounts, those used for level towing and those that are not level.

Level Towing. If you are in the fortunate situation where your trailer coupler will match up perfectly with the height of your receiver hitch then you can use a Ball Mount like the one shown to the right. It is going to give you the best and safest connection between your trailer and towing vechicle.

Unlevel Towing If your trailer coupler and receiver hitch do not match up perfectly its not the end of the world. It simply means that you cannot use the Ball Mount Pictured above. It is common to see the alternative style of Ball Mount pictured to the right. You can see from the pictured that it is designed specifically for the situation of unlevel towing.

The Hitch Ball & Trailer Hitches

Choosing the properly rated Trailer Ball for your towing vechicle is just as important as the the rest of your towing mechanism.

Your towing system’s maximum weight rating is always equal to the lowest rated item in the system. In other words, your chain is only is strong as its weakest link.

For example, a 5000lb ball on a 3500lb maximum weight capacity trailer rated hitch does not increase your towing capacity to 5000lbs. Your hitching system is still only rated at 3500lbs. However, a 3500lb ball on a 5000lb maximum weight capacity trailer hitch will decrease your maximum towing capacity to 3500lbs.

The Trailer Ball diameter(1-7/8”, 2”, or 2-5/16”) must be the same diameter as the trailer coupler on your trailer.

The shank diameter of the hitch ball should be the same as the hole diameter of the ball mount you selected.

The shank length should be long enough to allow at least three threads on the shank to be visible when the hitch ball is installed and the nut has been completely tightened.

Return to the Home Page from Trailer Hitches