What kind of trailer hitch do i need

While this seems intuitive, many forget these simple preparatory steps, which help maintain the integrity of your hitch and receiver over the years:. Other convenient tools and materials for installing trailer hitch include:. Hitches should bolt relatively easily into pre-existing holes on the underside of your vehicle. If no such appropriate holes exist — or are misaligned due to vehicle alterations — then you must drill bolt holes into the frame yourself.

Follow the drilling instructions included in the guide accompanying your hitch kit. Center punch any new holes first. Follow center punching by drilling a small pilot hole before exchanging bits and creating the full-sized drill hole. This ensures as little damage to your underbed as possible, plus it helps protect vehicle equipment or components located near the drilling area. Still not sure what type of trailer hitch is right for you? Consult the hitch experts at All Pro Trailer Superstore.

From financing trailers to vehicle inspections to picking the right hitch types for your car or fleet, we have an unmatched depth or breadth of services available in one place. Reach out with your trailer hitch question today. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Use trailer hitches to easily and securely transport: Bicycles Motorcycles ATVs Camping gear Campers and RVs Boats Utility or landscaping trailers Livestock trailers Flatbed trailers Enclosed trailers Cargo carriers 5 th wheelers Other transportation vehicles Other equipment or heavy machinery Buying Is More Cost-Effective Than Renting Renting a vehicle with a pre-installed hitch and the capacity to haul trailers is expensive and cumbersome.

Class 1 Hitch Class 1 hitches are known as light-duty receiver-hitches and are the most basic hitch style available. Class 3 Hitch Class 3 hitches are considered heavy-duty hitch types. Gooseneck Hitch Gooseneck hitches are a cousin to the 5th-wheel trailer hitch type.

Front-Mount Hitch As their name suggests, front-mount hitches are installed on the front of your vehicle. This hitch type allows for a range of attachments and new hauling applications, including: Snowplowing Scooping and dumping Small cargo carriers Winch insertions Front-mount hitches come with a different class rating system than rear mounts.

Understanding what hitch class your vehicle can take provides a number of benefits, such as: Make measuring and installing the trailer hitch easier Maintain the integrity of its assigned towing capacity Preserve the health of your transmission Give you confidence in which hitch class and receiver size you pick for your car 2.

Consider Additional Accessories Additional trailer or towing accessories may be necessary depending on your towing needs. Doublecheck the Ball Mount and Ball Size Ball mounts are pivotal when creating a safe couple between your trailer with your hitch.

Prepare Kit Parts Inspect all the parts and components of your hitch prior to installation. While this seems intuitive, many forget these simple preparatory steps, which help maintain the integrity of your hitch and receiver over the years: Clean the bolt holes on your vehicle frame.

Soaking these holes in WD usually does the trick. After a minute or two, scrub the holes free of grime and dirt with a small wire brush before initiating the rest of the installation.

Clean the bolts. Follow the same steps you did for the bolt holes on the bolts themselves, taking care not to scratch or cause surface damage. Ensure you have the correct bolts. Since hitch manufacturers create kits to match certain vehicle types, you should have properly sized bolts on hand. However, mix-ups can happen. Light-duty receiver hitches are designed typically for towing bike racks and cargo carriers.

This style of hitch can also be used to tow smaller utility or enclosed trailers, and motorcycles as well. The maximum gross trailer weight should be less than 2, lbs. The towing vehicle commonly associated with this specific type of hitch receiver is usually a compact car or midsize car, these vehicles can usually tow with a light-duty transmission cooler.

A regular-duty receiver hitch can tow up to 3, lbs and has a tongue weight of lbs. Tow vehicles which usually have a Class 2 type of hitch receiver installed include midsize cars, minivans, small pickup trucks and midsize SUV's. Majority of those vehicles have a regular-duty transmission cooler which should be able to handle 3, lbs of towing weight. A weight distribution hitch is used to haul extremely heavy loads using a conventional hitch receiver. If you are interested in using your hitch mount to transport something other than a trailer, check out our hitch-mounted accessories for hitch-mounted cargo options like bike racks, cargo carrier, wheelchair and scooter carriers and motorcycle carriers.

Discount Ramps cannot be held liable for damage, injuries, or accidents that occur after reading this article. Note: The gross vehicle weight should always be lower than the gross vehicle weight rating. To find: Weigh your empty car with all fluids topped up. To find: It should be on a placecard somewhere on the trailer. To find: It should be on a placard somewhere on the trailer, or you can weigh your empty trailer at a weigh station.

To find: Read the label on your hitch, or measure the size of the opening. Please note: Most components will have their maximum weight capacity ratings etched or labeled on them. Read the ratings of all components and use the lowest rating to determine the maximum weight capacity that you can safely tow.

Fifth Wheel and Gooseneck A fifth wheel hitch connection can be found inside the bed of some larger pickup trucks, or in the rear of semi-trucks. Hitch Adapter A hitch adapter fits into the receiver tube of your hitch to convert it from a smaller opening to a larger one or vice versa.

Please note: Using a hitch adapter may reduce the overall capacity of your towing system. Please note: Using a hitch extender may reduce the overall capacity of your towing system. Hitch Ball Also known as a trailer ball or coupler ball, the trailer ball attaches to the ball mount and comes in many sizes.