Towing a trailer is a great way to move items and possessions from one place to another, so it’s great to have your truck set up and ready to tow. However, not all vehicles are equipped or even capable of towing a trailer. It’s important to understand what’s needed to tow and to make sure that your vehicle is set up to do so safely. So what do you need to tow a trailer? Let’s take a look!
Trailer Hitch Receiver
The first thing you need when preparing to tow a trailer is a trailer hitch receiver. This is the heavy-duty tube that mounts to the underside of your vehicle to house the ball mount. The trailer hitch receiver can be mounted under the rear of your with bolts. Generally, your receiver will have a 1-1/4″ x 1-1/4″ or 2″ x 2″ opening, depending on what your vehicle’s tow rating capacity is. For heavy-duty applications, you can also use a 2 ½” x 2 ½” receiver.
Ball Mount
The ball mount, also known as the drawbar, is the metal ball that sticks off the back of a vehicle and attaches to the trailer. Ball mounts are available in several sizes, heights, and styles. For maximum efficiency, we recommend getting one of GEN-Y’s fully adjustable drop hitches. These hitches can be raised or lowered depending on your trailer, so you can achieve the perfect height every time.
Pin and Clip
The pin and clip are small but important features. It holds your ball mount inside the receiver so it doesn’t move around or fall out while you’re towing your trailer. Furthermore, hitch locks are available to add an extra level of safety and security as they help prevent your ball mount from being removed or stolen.
Trailer Hitch Ball
Trailer hitch balls sit inside the ball mount and are available in multiple sizes to match your trailer coupler. These can easily be swapped out depending on your trailer. Trailer hitch balls generally come in one of three sizes, 1-7/8″, 2″ and 2-5/16″. Be sure to check your trailer coupler ahead of time to make sure that the sizes match. Otherwise, your trailer may become disconnected during transit.
Wiring Harness
The wiring harness provides power to the trailer and signals. Every trailer being used to tow required by law to have power and signals. Trailers will generally come with the necessary wiring harness, but always make sure to check your lights before hitting the road to make sure everything is working correctly. This will help prevent any unnecessary accidents on the road.
Let Us Help!
Gen-Y Hitch exists to better the lives of our customers, dealers, vendors, employees, and the automotive industry. We will always put our customers’ needs ahead of our own. Contact us today and let us help you!
