Small Farm Equipment

By: Oscar H. Will III, editor

Trailer hitches come in all sizes and shapes for a variety of applications. However, hitches are classified as either weight-carrying or weight-distributing.

Weight-carrying hitches (such as a bumper pull) are recommended for use when the trailer weight (including cargo) is 3,500 pounds or less. Make sure the tow vehicle is rated by the manufacturer to accommodate that load. The tongue weight is carried directly on the rear of the tow vehicle and on the hitch. You can find your vehicle's tow rating online at www.CampingLife.com or download a listing of tow ratings at www.TrailerLife.com.

Use weight-distributing hitches for heavier loads. These hitches redistribute the tongue weight – the amount of a trailer’s weight that is transferred to a tow vehicle through the trailer tongue or gooseneck – throughout the frame of the tow vehicle. The result is that the trailer's weight is distributed among the trailer axles and the front and rear axles on the tow vehicle. Ask your dealer about weight distribution hitches if you intend to tow using a “bumper” type hitch or hitch receiver.

Fifth wheels and goosenecks are two weight-distributing hitches used most often with pickup trucks. The weight of the trailer is carried directly over the rear axle with the hitch mounted in the truck's bed.

A fifth wheel hitch is used for larger trailers and is a small version of the type of hitch used on semi trucks. A gooseneck coupler attaches to a tow ball that usually is mounted in the bed of a pickup truck. Underneath the bed are support rails that are bolted or welded into place.

A frame-mounted hitch is one where the hitch is attached to the frame of the tow vehicle. This gives more stability to a bumper pull type of hitch.

Before every trip, check the tow ball and coupler to ensure they are the same size and that all bolts are securely tightened. Also, make sure the latching mechanism is locked in place.

Related Articles

A No-More-Tears Approach to Backing Up
Trailer backing can be one of the more vexing of human activities: More so if someone is watching you and especially so if someone is fussing at you while you try to learn.

Some Gross Acronyms
Making sense of the alphabet soup you'll see on trailers, vehicles and hitches can make life much easier. Here are the major players

When Getting Hitched, The Mirrors Are Key
To hitchup, jack the trailer's tongue to the appropriate height (if you have a gooseneck hitch be sure to lower the tailgate on the truck) and slowly back the truck to the trailer (check those mirrors). Once properly oriented, lower the jack, centering the coupler on the ball. With the trailer's tongue fully seated, latch and lock the coupler, connect the safety chains, make the electrical connections, fully raise the jack, close the tailgate if you opened it, and test the lights and brakes to be sure that they all work properly.

Hooking Up with the Right Trailer
A good trailer can be one of your best assets. But it helps to know a few things first.