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The Curious Bag
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Towing a trailer, whether for work or pleasure, has some important safety considerations. One of the biggest is selecting the proper hitch for the job. The heavier the load, the more robust the hitch needs to be.
Hitch Classifications
Tow hitches are classified by how much weight that they can carry. A Class III hitch is rated for loads up to 5,000 pounds of gross trailer weight.
Tongue Weight
The maximum tongue weight of a Class III hitch is 500 pounds. Tongue weight is the amount of downward force put on the hitch ball.
Receiver Size
A Class III hitch has a 2-inch square receiver hole. This is so you can install different drawbars, depending on what you are towing.
Drawbars and Drop Height
One of the advantages of a Class III hitch is the use of drawbars or ball mounts. These are what slips into the receiver, and they have offsets of varying sizes to compensate for different suspension heights on the tow vehicle and trailer tongue heights.
Hitch Balls
Class III hitches can use different sizes of hitch balls, and the most common sizes are 1 7/8, 2 and 2 5/16 inches. Heavier trailers use larger hitch balls.
Source:
Washington State Patrol: Inspection and Trailer Requirements
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