britvette

Compleately off topic , I know but there is a lot of general knowledge here in the forum and I guess a whole bunch of you with pickups .
I am looking at fitting a tow hitch to my pickup , it already has the tow package fitted but not the hitch. At home in the UK we don't have all this Class II / III hitches , You just buy a hitch that bolts to the chassis and away you go.I am not sure what hitch I need for what I am planning to do.
So I had gathered so far that there is a hitch on the rear bumper (basically a hole) that I can fit a ball hitch to?
I can also I think get a hitch (class II ??) that bolts to the bottom of the bumper under the hole and has a square recepticle in it that you then fit a draw bar with a ball hitch on it.
Then I can get the hitch that bolts to the chassis rails , again with the square hole setup for the draw bar.
I plan on towing either a small 8x5 trailer , a braked camper trailer , or an open car hauler trailer. The ball hitch on the bumper won't work as it would be too high from the floor. So do I need the bolt to the bumper or the bolt to the chassis type of hitch? Also I assume I can get a draw bar that allows me to adjust the ball hitch height so the trailor doesn't look like its pulling a wheelie
It is probably a stupid question , I know but your system with hitches is completely different to what I am used to and I wanted to get a little more knowledge before I go to a store to buy one and either look like an idiot or get sold a hitch that is either not strong enough for what I want to do or way over the top and a cheaper version would be fine
Thanks in advance to anyone that can offer some advice

Godfathers Ghost

For towing a large camper or a car trailer you need a class III which is the ome that bolts to the chassis and has a 2 inch receiver (the square hole)
Bumper mounted ***** or receiver hitches are not strong enough.

britvette

Thats what I needed to know - Thanks very much

I love this forum!!!

Entropy

I used to sell hitches at the parts store where I worked in college.

The hitch under the rear bumper are called receiver hitches. They generally bolt to the frame rails or strong parts of the unibody depending on the design. There are receiver hitches for just about anything out there.

There are 5 classes of receiver hitches, based on how much you can tow.
Class 1 is the least, 5 is the most.

Class 1 and 2 generally are used on cars and minivans. They use a smaller receiver (1 1/4") and can't handle that much weight. Class 3 and up use a 2" receiver and can handle a good amount of weight.

Looking at what you might be towing, I would suggest a Class IV or higher (make sure you check the weight on your car trailer, you might be able to squeak by with a III, but double check).

The receiver that slides into the hitch has different drops (3" to over a foot depending on what you need) and you should be able to find one that fits your situation.

Personally, I've been a big fan of Curt hitches (largely because they were made not far from my home town).

I hope this helps.

trw

Rander

Class III is rated to 5000lbs. I have a Grand Cherokee with tow package. Hitch is rated 5000 and vehicle is rated 5700. Pulled many trailers ranging from 5 x 9 cargo to 26ft Campers, including U-Haul Car hauler with a vette. No problems. Electric brakes are strongly advised for anything bigger than a small cargo.

Class IV is mostly found on 3/4 or 1 ton with Diesel power. Would exceed the tow capacity of a gasoline 1/2 ton.

The only thing I know of beyond Class IV is 5th wheel (ClassV??) and that's a whole different ball game.

Entropy

Class V does exist. Just increased tow weight. A 5th wheel is a different thing entirely.
http://www.trailersnhitches.com/receiverhitchindex.htm

trw

noonie

As you can see this can be confusing.
The highest receiver type hitch is a Class V receiver.
These have a rating of
12,000 lbs. Weight Carrying
14,000 lbs. Weight Distributing
and above.

Be careful of being told a hitch is Class V-5 as in this photo. This is not a Class V hitch

As you can see by the numbers spec they don't meet the above. It is misleading because this is a design and welding spec not a weight capacity spec. A dealer that sold me my Class IV receiver showed me that and tried to tell me it was a Class V.

Also the ball mount must be forged and the ball itself must have a 1 1/4 shaft to maintain the Class V rating. Most people neglect these ratings.

Here are some examples
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Hidde...QQcmdZViewItem

Reese also makes a TITAN class V
Most hitches are made by only a couple different companies.

For towing a Vette with an open flat hauler a Class IV and above is necessary.
Brakes etc are required by law, so check your state.

eBay is a good source for all your towing needs if shopped right.

britvette

Just wanted to say thanks to all who posted replies , I now have a better understanding of what I am looking for.