What do I need for towing a trailer?
Thinking about towing but not sure where to start? You’ve come to the right place!
The first thing you want to look into is what your specific vehicle has in regards to towing, what the weight capacity is for your vehicle, is one of the most important. Next thing is, does your vehicle have a trailer hitch receiver already or do you need to get one installed. For your receiver tube it is likely that you will have a 2”,2.5” or 3” receiver. This determines which size hitch you will need in order to have a proper fit, with no reducing sleeves inside of the channel.
Now that you have the receiver, you can get yourself set up with a hitch! There are many different types of hitch but the most versatile would be the BulletProof Hitch. BulletProof Hitches come in 3 different weight capacities, Medium Duty, Heavy Duty and Extreme Duty. When it comes to selecting the right hitch for your truck it is important to note the maximum towing capacity of your truck. The Medium Duty offers box steel shank and is available from a 2” to a 6” drop and is rated up to 14,000 pounds maximum towing capacity. Heavy Duty and Extreme Duty hitches feature a solid steel shank, which makes these heavier in overall weight. Heavy Duty hitches are available from a 4” to a 16” drop and are rated up to 22,000 pounds. Extreme Duty hitches are available from 4” to 12” drop and are rated up to 36,000 pounds. All 3 classes have a tongue weight capacity of 2,000 to 6,000 pounds and are available in an offset hitch as well. Each hitch comes with a 2” & 2-5/16 ” dual ball. The dual ball allows you to interchange the sizes based on your trailer coupler size quickly and easily.
The hitch receiver is set and now you have the hitch, let’s talk about installation. When it comes to installing a BulletProof Hitch, they are manufactured to an incredibly tight tolerance for the size of the receiver. They simply slide into the receiver tube, there are 2 holes in the shank to allow for adjustability with an after-market bumper. These hitches are sent with 2 pins for the ball and you have the option of standard pins or locking pins. If this is the first hitch you have owned, you will need one more pin in order to secure the hitch to the vehicle. The standard pins are secured by an R-clip. Standard pins are not as secure as a locking pin for obvious reasons, but if theft is not an immediate concern they are a great option. BulletProof standard pins are made of heat treated steel and are corrosion resistant. Our Locking pins are stainless steel and also corrosion resistant. They are a great way to truly secure your hitch to the vehicle or for locking the dual ball to the hitch as well. In the case of locking pins, it is recommended that you order in packs in order to have them all keyed alike. Locking pins are a great way to reduce the chances of anything happening to your new hitch.
There is one very important thing that comes with a BulletProof Hitch that is often overlooked or forgotten about after the first use and that is anti-friction grease. Anti-friction grease aids in reducing the metal of metal contact between the ball and the trailer coupler. Each time prior to towing, it is recommended that you apply a thin layer of grease on the ball as well as the inside of the trailer coupler at points of contact between the two. All that's left now is to back up to your trailer coupler and hit the road! There is not much that goes into setting up and being ready to tow a trailer, the difficulty comes in the proper set up of your trailer and keeping that vehicle under control. It also takes practice, so get to practicing!
