​Trailer Hitches ABC

Trailer hitches are available for wide range of vehicles including trucks and SUV's. Hitches are very useful for hauling items over distance. The items can include things like boats, campers, cargo trailers, and a myriad of other objects that may be useful to someone who needs to travel over distance. 

It is important to note that there are many different types of trailer hitches. Interestingly, many trucks use something called a ball trailer hitch. However, there are other types of hitches like gooseneck and fifth wheel but they all carry the same function, which is to enable the user to bring their cargo to a place over distance. 

The most important thing that we take for granted is that we have to consciously understand that we need a truck that is capable of bearing the load will we place upon it. JSonline recently featured an article where an owner bought a vehicle for the express purpose of towing a smaller trailer for a wheelchair. The car actually warned against towing any type of item which went unnoticed by the dealership and the new owners. The end of the story is that the owners are suing the dealership for selling them a car that cannot tow a trailer because it causes a sag. (Vielmetti, 2015). A truck must have enough power to pull the trailer and it must be designed to handle the forces that will be placed upon its structure. The article mentioned makes that point fairly clear as the sagging issue was apparent. It is also important to note that the hitch was specifically designed for the model of the station wagon that couple bought, but it still had sagging issues. The structure and the power of the vehicle is an important thing to check before deciding to haul something with a trailer. Power is the main reason that you do not see normal cars hooked up to trailers. The simply lack the power and structural integrity needed to make the action of hauling items safe for the user. Trailer hitches are designed to be correctly and accurately installed on their hauling vehicles or accidents can happen. If an accident happens it could leave the cargo behind, and even worse, it may injure other people when it comes off the hitch.

The most common place that a trailer hitch is found is below the bumper and below the tailgate. Tailgate parties derived their name from this fact. If a person is going to have food at a football game, then they need to bring some gear with them and what better way to do that then to bring it in a trailer. The overall structure and integrity of this set up is what determines how much load the hitch is capable of managing. It goes without saying that there are several classes of towing capabilities. Class-1 trailer hitches are the least powerful of all the types. The maximum load this trailer hitch can handle is 2000 lbs. Class-5 trailer hitches are the most durable and powerful you can find at this moment. Class-5 hitches can handle up to 10,000 lbs. 

SUV's and trucks have something called a ball trailer hitch and your best bet is to find out if yours does. You will need to find a trailer that allows the use of this type of hitch. The ball trailer hitch is constructed with a metal ball that is connected to a socket on the cargo. Hence the name, ball trailer hitch. It is a special type of hitch that is commonly found on trucks and SUV's as previously mentioned. Larger trailer hitch balls tend to be able to manage larger loads better than smaller ones. Why are ball trailer hitches so common in durable type vehicles such as trucks and SUV's? They tend to be more versatile than the other hitches and are designed to handle bigger loads such as small cargo trailers, campers, and even boats. 

Another type of trailer is the Gooseneck trailer hitch. Interestingly enough, they also make use of a ball set up but the ball is used in a different way in this type of set up. The real difference here is that the hitch is connected to the top of the truck bed instead of being connected on the bumper. 

However, let us talk about the type of hitch that is the most powerful of any hitch. They are commonly called Fifth Wheel Hitches.  Ideally, these are the types of hitches one would use to carry large cargo or large amounts of cargo. They are the go-to choice for vehicles that must carry large loads. 

Remember that trailer hitches are what allow you to bring heavy  large amounts of equipment/possessions with you to your destination. You must have a trailer hitch if you intend to haul any type of trailer with you. You must have the right type of hitch and you must make sure that your vehicle can actually handle the load you require it pull. 

If you need a hitch, then you should take a look at Weigh Safe's trailer hitches. They come with a built-in scale that allows you to know if you are overweight or underweight easily. Check out Weight Safe here.


Vielmetti, Bruce. "Dealer Sued over Trailer Hitch for Wheelchair Responds to Lawsuit." Dealer Sued over Trailer Hitch for Wheelchair Responds to Lawsuit. Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2015. Web. 25 Nov. 2015