The most popular style of hitch and is what you see on most trucks, SUV's, RV's and vans.This leaves the hitch's opening about even with your bumper. The ball mount (also called ball platform) is removable when the hitch is not being used.A fixed tongue hitch can be used as a weight carrying hitch only.These style hitches are decreasing in popularity and are seldom installed anymore.Main disadvantage is the tongue sticks out as a "shin buster" when hitch is not in use.Everything is permanently installed in place and remains so when you are unhitched.This can also be obtained by writing to the vehicle's manufacturer.
#TRAILER HITCH MANUAL#
The TW limit also changes when a weight distributing system is used with Class III or IV Receivers.Īlways consult your vehicle owners manual for information about towing a trailer and your vehicle's weight capacity limitations. The maximum limits for a Class on your particular vehicle may be less than the upper limits for that Class because both the physical strength of the hitch structure and a particular vehicle's weight capacity limitations are taken into account when a hitch is rated by the manufacturer.įor example, a small vehicle might be equipped with a Class I hitch rated by the manufacturer at 100 lbs TW and 1,000 lbs GTW while a larger vehicle might have the identical hitch installed, but be rated by the manufacturer at 200 lbs TW and 2,000 lbs GTW. Hitches are divided into five Classes each of which has a maximum Tongue Weight (TW) limit and a maximum Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) limit. It is my belief that the better informed you are, and the more you understand exactly what is going on when you tow, the safer you will be. So what trailer hitches are right for you in your own towing situations? This is the question you and your qualified hitch installer will answer before deciding on the equipment that you will purchase to tow. Here's what happens when people don't follow our advice and ignore common sense: I couldn't do that as I have a legal responsibility to "hitch" you up safely. One person called up and wanted to tow a 2-horse trailer with his Ford Mustang! His Mustang was only rated to tow up to 2000 lbs! He tried every which way to get me to tell him it was OK to do what he wanted to do. What really gets me is when people call me up and I ask them what they need, and it turns out that what they want to tow is totally dangerous for their car. Once I know what you need, then I can quote you based on the exactly what we need to do for you.Īs you can see, every towing situation is different, depending on what you want to tow. Some have electric brakes, some need a charge line, some don't. The tent trailers all seem to have different wiring requirements and plugs. Me: Well in your case, I would recommend that you select the specific trailer you want first, then we can set your ball and wiring up specifically for the trailer you end up purchasing. Now, what size ball will you need? And what are the wiring requirements of the tent trailer you want?Ĭustomer: I haven't a clue. Your tent trailer probably doesn't weigh more than 3500 lbs loaded so this hitch will be fine for that. Just to let you know most of the bike racks available are designed for the Class 3 - the 2" square receiver style hitches, so I think we should just look at that size hitch. Oh, and I also want to get one of those bike racks that slide into the hitch. Me:ĝo you have any idea how much the trailer you want to buy weighs?Ĭustomer: Not really. Me: What type of trailer do you want to tow?Ĭustomer: Well, I'm looking at one of those pop-up tent trailers that you tow behind your car. Me: Ok, what kind of vehicle does this hitch need to be installed on?Ĭustomer: I need a trailer hitch for a 2011 BMW X5. Here's a typical conversation that I'll have when someone calls us to get a quote on hitching up a vehicle:Ĭustomer: Hi, I'd like to get a quote on a hitch. Let's discuss load and weight requirements, safety features and tips for hitching and unhitching your trailer to your tow vehicle. What exactly goes into the selection of trailer hitches for your towing situation?
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