| Do you want to haul a boat, an ATV trailer, a work | | | | hitch (hauls up to 5,000 gross trailer weight), but your |
| trailer, or a camper? Obviously, you need a trailer | | | | vehicle is only rated to haul 3,500 lbs; you have to |
| hitch. Trailer hitches have all kinds of handy uses and | | | | stay below that 3,500 lbs. Otherwise your steering |
| are invaluable on the rear of your truck or SUV. If | | | | and braking won't be enough to control a load that |
| you have or need a trailer hitch, you probably have | | | | big, and you will be a hazard on the road. |
| the most common type which is a receiver hitch, but | | | | If you need to haul more weight, and your tow |
| if you have a vehicle with lots of power and a heavy | | | | vehicle can handle it, there are weight distributing |
| load to haul, you might have a gooseneck or a fifth | | | | hitches that work with a receiver hitch to increase |
| wheel hitch. | | | | safety on the road. If you need to haul a whole lot |
| A receiver hitch is fabricated from metal and bolted | | | | more weight, you should consider a gooseneck or |
| to rear of your vehicle's frame. What shows in the | | | | 5th wheel trailer hitch. Gooseneck hitches look like a |
| back of the car, under the rear bumper is a "hole," | | | | (you guessed it), gooseneck and they arch up over |
| usually 1-2 inches square. To haul with this hitch, a | | | | the rear of your truck to attach to a ball mounted on |
| person simply has to insert and secure a ball shank. | | | | the floor of the truck bed. These hitches can often |
| This is the square metal tube that fits into the | | | | haul 30,000 lbs, so make sure your truck can handle |
| receiver and on which the trailer ball is mounted. To | | | | it! |
| hitch some thing to a receiver hitch, you simply drop | | | | You have probably seen many Fifth Wheel hitches on |
| the ball coupler of your trailer onto the hitch ball and | | | | the highway or around campgrounds as they are |
| secure it. | | | | often used to haul the biggest camping trailers. Like |
| Receiver hitches come in Class I through Class IV | | | | the gooseneck, the point of attachment for the |
| sizes. Weight tolerances increase with the class | | | | trailer and truck is in the truck bed. But, unlike the |
| number (so a class III hitch can haul more weight | | | | gooseneck, the fifth wheel hitch is much more than a |
| than a class I hitch). Ball sizes and shank sizes also | | | | ball, it's a pin that slides down into a hitch raised |
| vary according to your needs. Class II and III | | | | above the bed floor of your pickup. Depending on |
| receiver hitches are the most common and can haul | | | | your hitch, fifth wheels can haul 15,000 to 30,000 lbs. |
| up to 3500 lbs (class II) and up to 5,000 lbs (class | | | | Now that you know something about the different |
| III). | | | | types of trailer hitches, make sure to educate |
| It is important to note not only the maximum weight | | | | yourself on towing safety and vehicle requirements |
| your hitch and ball can handle, but also your towing | | | | for the type of trailer you want to haul. |
| vehicle's weight maximums. If you have a class III | | | | |