Which Is The Best Hitch for Your Car?

By: cargarl | Feb 22 2013 | 495 words | 1264 hits

When you need to tow something, a boat, skiis or bicycle, you need to take into consideration the strength of the hitch you are using. It is not advisable to tow a horse trailer with a class I hitch as this can seriously damage your cars bumper. Subsequently, before you think of buying that hitch, you must take into consideration the make of your car and the appropriate hitch to use.
There are about five different classes or levels of hitches.

Let us consider them one by one.

1. Class I - this is the lightest sort of hitch that can tow up to 2,000 pounds. The class I hitch can pull a trailer that is about six feet and a boat that is 14 feet long. These hitches are best used on small cars such as sedans or compact cars. These hitches are normally designed to attach to the bumper while others to the frame of the car. To that end, the type of hitch you get will depend on the make of car you own.

2. Class II - these hitches can tow up to 35,000 pounds. These are trailers that can tow up to double the weight of the class I hitch. That could be a trailer that is 12 feet long and a boat that is 20 feet long. These hitches work well on larger cars such as minivans and midsized Sedans. Most of these hitches are attached to the frame of the vehicle.

3. Class III - From here, the hitches begin to be more heavy duty. These hitches are considered as the average hitch. The class III hitches come in different sizes depending on the car you have. They can tow up to 5,000 pounds and can pull a 24 foot boat trailer. They are perfect for mid-size trucks.

4. Class IV - these are used for even more heavy duty towing. They can tow up to 7000 pounds with a tongue weight of up to 1200 pounds. The class IV hitches use mounting brackets that help distribute the weight of the frame of the truck as it is towing. These are designed for use by a full size truck and van.

5. Class V - This is the largest hitch available. It is normally a weight distributing hitch that can tow an extreme load of up to 24,000 pounds. The class V hitch is a must have for trucks that perform heavy duty hauling. These hitches tow cars, campers, horse trailers and any other heavy duty loads.

These are the five classes of hitches normally used when towing loads with your car/truck. You must know exactly what you will be using the hitches for and the maximum weight the hitch can handle. In conclusion, before you go out and buy a hitch, make sure you know exactly what you want from it. After you have considered all the different hitches provided and various advantages and disadvantages, then you can know which hitch is best for you.

 

 

 

About author:
Mary is a seasoned automotive article writer. She writes articles on cars,SUV's, trucks, trailers and any other related automobiles. For more information on Towing Accessories,click here and check out the B&W Hitches.