{"id":31760,"date":"2023-03-02T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-02T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinginsider.com\/?p=31760"},"modified":"2023-09-07T07:59:47","modified_gmt":"2023-09-07T14:59:47","slug":"trailer-hitch-101-everything-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/02\/trailer-hitch-101-everything-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Trailer Hitch 101: Everything You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/AV-Trailer-2016-10-05_006-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Car towing a trailer\" class=\"wp-image-55049\" style=\"width:844px;height:560px\" width=\"844\" height=\"560\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Our vehicles can transport us from point A to point B. But sometimes our cars aren&#8217;t as flexible as we would like them to be. Attaching a trailer to a vehicle can maximize how much you haul. Here is everything you need to know regarding a trailer hitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trailer Hitch 101<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So, having a hitch is necessary to rent a trailer! A trailer hitch is a device that attaches directly to a tow vehicle, providing the connection between the tow vehicle and the trailer. As North America&#8217;s #1 hitch installer, U-Haul has everything you need to fulfill your towing dreams. And with over 1,500 install locations in the U.S., we can guarantee you&#8217;ll find a location near you. We&#8217;ve made finding the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/Trailer-Hitches\/?utm_campaign=uhaulsm&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=hitch&amp;utm_content=20230906-trailerhitch101everything\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">correct hitch<\/a> for your vehicle super simple! Here&#8217;s all you&#8217;ll need to fill out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Vehicle year<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Model<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>U-Haul&nbsp;has it all.&nbsp;All trailer hitches that are sold and installed at a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/Trailer-Hitches\/?utm_campaign=uhaulsm&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=hitch&amp;utm_content=20230906-trailerhitch101everything\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">U-Haul&nbsp;Moving Center<\/a>&nbsp;come with the option of a lifetime warranty plan guaranteed to replace your hitch with no limitation for any damage, including collision, corrosion, accidental overload, jackknifing, and vehicle theft. A wiring service plan is also available, covering the repair and replacement of any damage to your wiring setup for up to two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hitch brand options include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Curt<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Draw-Tite<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>B&amp;W<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>REESE<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hidden Hitch<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>While typically a hitch is used for hauling trailers, there are other uses for it like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Bikes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Boats<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/MovingSupplies\/Wheelchair-Cargo\/1\/Cargo-Carriers\/?utm_campaign=uhaulsm&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=hitch&amp;utm_content=20230906-trailerhitch101everything\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cargo carriers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Another vehicle<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Aside from the hitch itself, there is still more you can add! Your installed hitch has a receiver tube accommodating inserts like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/MovingSupplies\/Hitch-Balls-Mounts\/1\/Ball-Mounts\/?utm_campaign=uhaulsm&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=hitch&amp;utm_content=20230906-trailerhitch101everything\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ball mounts<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/MovingSupplies\/Bike-Racks\/?utm_campaign=uhaulsm&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=hitch&amp;utm_content=20230906-trailerhitch101everything\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bike racks<\/a>, or accessory carriers. Watch this video for a little more insight:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"U-Haul Trailer Hitch Receiver Adapter\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qQgB3y8kb0o?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Finding the Correct Ball Mount<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before towing your trailer, you need to have the proper ball mount! The trailer must be leveled when you tow. Let&#8217;s cover the basics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Measure and note the height of the top of your vehicle&#8217;s receiver tube.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Level your trailer, then measure and note the height to the bottom of the coupler.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once both measurements are made, subtract the height of the coupler from the receiver&#8217;s height. That will be the amount of drop you need in your ball mount.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If the vehicle&#8217;s receiver is lower than the coupler, that will determine the rise you need from your ball mount.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>U-Haul trailers are built with the standard coupler size of approximately 18&#8243;. The measurement above can be used to order the correct ball mount online. For reference, see the video below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Measuring and Choosing the Correct Ball Mount\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iIZElaU6Js8?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For more tips on growing your business, follow us on our social pages:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/uhaul\">X (formally Twitter)<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uhaul\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Facebook<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uhaul\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our vehicles can transport us from point A to point B. But sometimes our cars aren&#8217;t as flexible as we would like them to be. Attaching a trailer to a vehicle can maximize how much you haul. Here is everything you need to know regarding a trailer hitch. Trailer Hitch 101 So, having a hitch [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":179,"featured_media":55048,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[999,195],"tags":[2140,82,2141,86,112,175,178],"class_list":["post-31760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-towing-trailers","category-trailers","tag-ball-mount","tag-hitch","tag-hitch-101","tag-how-to","tag-moving","tag-towing","tag-trailer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/179"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31760"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31760\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57464,"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31760\/revisions\/57464"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}