When a person is looking for the best trailer hitch, what needs to be considered is the capacity of the unit that is being towed. The major concern should be always the safety, which is why trailer hitches are manufactured with certain load rating, and different sizes of coupling parts. Trailer coupling should also be done properly to ensure the best towing experience.
If you are planning to get a trailer hitch for your vehicle, you can consider the three essential types of hitches available.
The ball hitch, the 5th wheel hitch, and the pintle hook.
Each of these can be utilised for different applications and basically depends on the terrain and load requirements.
The most common of all hitches is the one used to pull boats, RVs, and even utility trailers, in which all that is needed is a ball of a particular diameter to securely make the connection. These balls are available in different sizes measuring in inches which range from 1 ¼ inches to 2 5/16 inches with shank sizes ranging from ¾ inches to 1 ¼ inches. To determine which of these balls fit your hitch, its correct size is normally stamped into the metal tongue of the trailer to be towed.
The 5th wheel hitch has been very popular due to RVs that have been fashioned after horse and livestock trailers. The front of these trailers hang over into the back of a pickup truck bed where the king pin plate is normally set up. And although eighteen wheelers normally use the kingpin connection, most RV trailers use the same type of ball as the utility trailer.
This is because the 5th wheel is the goose necked placement of the load over the drive train offers greater stability when traveling. This can prove to be very helpful especially when taking long road trips.
Choosing the right hitch for your towing needs depends mainly on the type of trailer, the type of towing vehicle and the load rating of each. To ensure road safety travel, these should always be matched with their correct counterpart. There may even be state, local and federal requirements which hitch to apply to each type and what the target destination may be.
Commercial haulers will need a license and possibly a special permit to use some types of trailer or tow hitch.
