Hitch Receiver

Hitch Receiver

Take Your Auto's Hauling Power Over the Top with a Hitch Receiver

Need some extra room for hauling more gear? If the cinematic lessons of Sylvester Stallone are to be believed, you could sign up for an arm wrestling competition and best Bull Hurley's biceps to win a full blown big rig. But how many of us have Lincoln Hawk-grade arm muscles and a hat that acts like a switch when you twist it around on your head? Not that many, my friends.

Boosting your ride's cargo carrying capacity doesn't need much machismo. It just takes a simple upgrade: bolting on a receiver hitch. Receiver hitches create a sturdy anchoring point on your rear bumper where you can hook up a wide assortment of cargo carriers, trailers and sport racks.

Now, a lot of people think that it takes a professional to install a trailer hitch, but that's just not true. All of the big-name trailer hitch brands (Draw Tite, Hidden Hitch and Curt) make hitches that are custom designed to bolt directly to your frame. See, most vehicles come from the factory with holes pre-drilled in the frame because dealerships want to up-sell customers on costly towing packages. So the hard work has already been done for you. All you have to do is line up the receiver hitch and snug it into place with the included hardware. Easy peasy.

Once installed, a Draw Tite hitch or Hidden Hitch receiver transforms your car, truck or SUV into a freight-hauling beast, and you'll be whistling the theme song to Convoy in no time. Want to pack along a ton of extra gear? Just connect a hitch-mounted cargo carrier and fill 'er up like a second trunk. Got a hankering to challenge your boys to a downhill mountain bike competition? Slip on a hitch-mounted bike rack and cart your 2-wheelers down to Dead Man's Plunge. Need to drive cross country but don't want to waste your money on motor lodges with crusty comforters? Sync up your camper trailer and sleep in your own sty. Nothing can hold you back when you're rolling with a receiver hitch.

One thing to keep in mind: trailer hitches come in a range of strengths for hauling light and heavy loads. Before you commit to installing one, check out what your vehicle's maximum towing capacity is (it should be listed in your owner's manual) and find a hitch that doesn't exceed this capacity. You wouldn't want your chassis to rip in half when you're halfway up the Grapevine, and the people behind you certainly wouldn't want that either.

About the Author

Sure, we all wish we had guns like Lincoln Hawk, but we can't rely on the meat in our arm for solving life's big problems, like not having enough towing capacity. Instead of chasing after big rig windmills, turn to a <a href="http://www.autoanything.com/towing/20A50742A1.aspx"><font color="#0000ff">Draw Tite</font></a> or <a href="http://www.autoanything.com/towing/20A50741A1.aspx"><font color="#0000ff">Hidden Hitch</font></a> receiver hitch.

 

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