Distribution Hitch

Distribution Hitch

Choosing the Best Kind of Hitch for Your Trailer

Travelling with a trailer behind one's vehicle can be quite an exciting activity. For safety purposes, it's important to have the proper hitch connecting the trailer to your car. Whether one is towing a boat, a camper or another vehicle, all trailers being pulled have their own hitches and hitch receivers specifically designed to meet unique requirements.

It's important to know the existing hitch classifications:

Before embarking on a hitch purchase exercise, one needs to know the weight of their trailer and cargo. The towing capability of the truck or car also needs to be determined. This will assist in the determination of the kind of trailer hitch to purchase. Many cars can pull a lightweight trailer but it's advisable to opt for a truck to do the job.

It's recommended that one buys a Class I hitch in order to pull a lightweight trailer. Normally, a trailer hitch in this group can pull up to two thousand pounds. A load of up to two hundred pounds can be put on the tow bar. Class one hitches may connect to the bumper or may have hitch receivers that are square in nature.

A class II hitch should be selected for weights up to three thousand five hundred pounds. The tow bar or bumper should be in a position to hold three hundred and fifty pounds of weight from the hitch receiver of the trailer.

For weights of up to 5,000 pounds, one should select a class III hitch. The hitch receiver for this class is around five hundred pounds.

Class IV trailer hitches are chosen for vehicle weights of up to 12,000 pounds. These kinds of hitches can support up to one thousand two hundred pounds of hitch receivers. One can tow Class I through to Class IV behind saloon cars, sport utility vehicles and trucks so long as they have the capability to tow.

One should order a unique trailer hitch if the trailer requires it. The two main categories are fifth wheel and gooseneck. Both of these have hitch receivers specifically mounted on the bed of the truck that does the pulling.

One should pick a weight-carrying hitch if there's need to have the entire weight of the vehicle being towed supported on the hitch of the trailer. A weight- distributing hitch on the other hand should be chosen when there's need to spread the weight of the trailer across a tow bar (attached to the vehicle) so that the trailer is stable. This is mostly a preference for large trailers.

A user should determine that the ball hitch receiver on the car fits the receiving ball on the trailer. The ball should fit perfectly. The same goes for the fifth-wheel hitch receivers and gooseneck as well.

A user should consider professional installation of the hitches. A reputable technician who regularly installs hitches and accessories should be chosen. A trailer must be in level position when being towed so getting the hitch level is paramount. Hooking up of the brake lines and electrical devices requires involvement of a skilled technician so that everything works well.

About the Author

C Johnson is the author of this article on Hitch Receivers. Find more information on Hitch Receivers here.

What size (weight) camper can I tow?

I have a 2000 Chevy Silverado 1500 Ext Cab long bed pickup? It has a 5.3L V-8, auto, 4wd, 4.10 gears. According to the manual, it can tow up to 8000lbs, but I know virtually nothing about towing. I know I will need a weight distribution hitch and sway control unit, but I don't know what weight to look for. It seems almost impossible to find a travel trailer that is light enough to tow, yet big enough for a family of 5 that's not gonna break the bank. We are not talking a long distance tow. Only about 20 miles one way a couple times a year. Also, there are no steep grades along the way. Every single one that I have looked at seems to have different weights. Dry weight and GVWR. So what I need to know is what can I pull safely. I don't want to max out my truck and kill it.

you need to first find out what weight is going to be in your truck (how many people what camp equipment you will carry in your truck)subtract that from your 8000lbs dry weight on your trailer is with nothing in the camper for a family of 5 there are all kinds of choices I would keep it about 4-5000lbs If you can

Measuring for Weight Distribution Hitch Shank - etrailer.com