Choosing The Best Trailer Hitch

Choosing The Best Trailer Hitch

by Mike Richards

The best trailer hitch is the one that very best fits the
situation and load capacity of the unit being towed. Safety
is always a concern, and trailer hitches are manufactured
with certain load rating, as well as different sizes of
coupling parts. Here are a few details that may aid you
decide which kind you would need.

The most common hitch is the type utilized to pull boat, RV,
and utility trailers, which require a ball of a particular
diameter to securely make the connection. These balls come
in different sizes measured in inches that range from 1 1/4"
to 2 5/16", with shank sizes of 3/4" to 1 1/4". The right
size is often stamped into the metal tongue of the trailer
to be towed.

The 5th wheel hitch is made more popular by RVs that are
fashioned after horse and livestock trailers. The front of
these trailers hangs over into the back of a pickup truck
bed, where the king pin plate is set up. Eighteen wheelers
use the kingpin connection, but most RV trailers use the
same kind of ball as the utility trailers. The purpose for a
5th wheel is the 'goose necked' placement of the load over
the drive train offers greater stability when traveling.

Pintle hook hitches can be found in use on trailers which
are little enough for a pickup truck to pull, but the most
used application of this hitch is in agriculture and heavy
road construction. Due to the uneven terrain, any other type
of hitch leads to binding which could result in turning the
towed trailer over. A pintle hook has a single spring clamp
that secures inside a hook which is installed to the trailer
tongue and provides quick connect and release.

Selecting the proper hitch for your towing needs depends on
the kind of trailer, the type of towing vehicle and the load
rating of each. There might also be state, local and federal
requirements which apply to each kind and what the intent of
destination might be. Commercial haulers will need a license
and possibly a special permit to use some types of trailer
hitch. - 31853

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