Tow Hitch

Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Tow Hitch shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Tow Hitch offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Tow Hitch at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Tow Hitch? Wrong! If the Tow Hitch is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Tow Hitch then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Tow Hitch? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Tow Hitch and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Tow Hitch wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Tow Hitch then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Tow Hitch site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Tow Hitch, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Tow Hitch, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

A tow hitch (or tow bar or recovery point) is a device attached to the chassis of a vehicle for towing or a towbar to an aircraft nose gear, or paired main gears.

It can take the form of a tow-ball to allow w:swivelling and articulation of a trailer, or a tow pin and jaw with a trailer loop - often used for large or agricultural vehicles where slack in the pivot pin allows the same movements. A further category is the towing pintle used for military vehicles around the world with a hook and locking catch.

In the US the vehicle attachment is known as the tow-hitch. It is the receiver which bolts to the chassis of the vehicle. In the U.S. there are a few common classes: I, II, III and IV that are defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers. Class I (to 2000 lbs / 909.1 kg) and II (to 3500 lbs / 1591 kg) are for light loads, and the receiver is a square hole 1.25 inch / 31.7 mm x 1.25 inch. Class III (to 5000 lbs / 2272.7 kg) and IV (to 10,000 lbs / 4545.5 kg) can accommodate much larger trailers such as campers, boats, etc. A Class III/IV receiver is 2 inches / 50.1 mm square and in some cases 2 1/2inch / 63.5 mm.

The trailer tongue or coupling US slips over a tow-ball. Tow-balls come in various sizes (1 7/8 in / 47.6 mm, 50 mm / 1.97 in, 2 in / 50.1 mm and 2 5/16 in / 58.7 mm), depending on the load they carry and the country of operation.

Outside the US the vehicle mounting for the tow-ball is referred to as the tow-bracket. The mounting points for all recent passenger vehicles are defined by the vehicle manufacturer and the tow-bracket manufacturer has to use these mount points and prove the efficacy of their bracket for each vehicle by a full rig-based fatigue test.

In order to tow safely the right combination of vehicle and trailer has to be combined with correct loading horizontally and vertically on the tow-ball. Advice should be taken references to avoid any potential problems as an unstable combination can kill.

In North America the ball attaches to a ballmount. The ballmount must match the US hitch class. The ballmount is a rectangular bar that fits into a receiver attached to the vehicle. It may drop down to get the ball closer to the ground so the trailer will ride level.

In the European Union, towbars must be a type approved to European Union directive 94/20/EC to be fitted to automobiles first registered on or after 1st August 1998.

The ISO standard tow-ball is 50mm in diameter and conforms to a standard BS AU 113b. The ISO standard has been adopted in most of the world outside North America.

There are two main categories of ISO tow-ball - the flange fitting and the swan-neck which has an extended neck fitting into the tow-bracket. Swan-neck tow-balls are often removable to avoid the inconvenience of a tow-ball sticking out from the vehicle when not required. Some manufacturers are now introducing retractable tow-balls as a further option.

Across Europe around 25% of the vehicle park have tow-balls fitted - but there are distinct regional variations with benelux and scandinavia having 70 to 90% of vehicles with tow-balls.

Trailer Tow hitch Cars can include trailer tow hitch with removable tow ball.

References

Towing Guide - Couplings
Directive 94/20/EC of the European Parliament
Trailer hitches
UK National Towing & Trailer Association

See also

Coupling (railway)
Fifth wheel coupling
Trailer Brake Controller
Trailer (vehicle)
Tow truck
Tractor unit
Tractor

External links

Longhorn Motors, Ltd. Definitions of North American towing terms

de:Anhängerkupplung es:Tirador para remorcar ru:Фаркоп

A tow hitch (or tow bar or recovery point) is a device attached to the chassis of a vehicle for towing or a towbar to an aircraft nose gear, or paired main gears.

It can take the form of a tow-ball to allow w:swivelling and articulation of a trailer, or a tow pin and jaw with a trailer loop - often used for large or agricultural vehicles where slack in the pivot pin allows the same movements. A further category is the towing pintle used for military vehicles around the world with a hook and locking catch.

In the US the vehicle attachment is known as the tow-hitch. It is the receiver which bolts to the chassis of the vehicle. In the U.S. there are a few common classes: I, II, III and IV that are defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers. Class I (to 2000 lbs / 909.1 kg) and II (to 3500 lbs / 1591 kg) are for light loads, and the receiver is a square hole 1.25 inch / 31.7 mm x 1.25 inch. Class III (to 5000 lbs / 2272.7 kg) and IV (to 10,000 lbs / 4545.5 kg) can accommodate much larger trailers such as campers, boats, etc. A Class III/IV receiver is 2 inches / 50.1 mm square and in some cases 2 1/2inch / 63.5 mm.

The trailer tongue or coupling US slips over a tow-ball. Tow-balls come in various sizes (1 7/8 in / 47.6 mm, 50 mm / 1.97 in, 2 in / 50.1 mm and 2 5/16 in / 58.7 mm), depending on the load they carry and the country of operation.

Outside the US the vehicle mounting for the tow-ball is referred to as the tow-bracket. The mounting points for all recent passenger vehicles are defined by the vehicle manufacturer and the tow-bracket manufacturer has to use these mount points and prove the efficacy of their bracket for each vehicle by a full rig-based fatigue test.

In order to tow safely the right combination of vehicle and trailer has to be combined with correct loading horizontally and vertically on the tow-ball. Advice should be taken references to avoid any potential problems as an unstable combination can kill.

In North America the ball attaches to a ballmount. The ballmount must match the US hitch class. The ballmount is a rectangular bar that fits into a receiver attached to the vehicle. It may drop down to get the ball closer to the ground so the trailer will ride level.

In the European Union, towbars must be a type approved to European Union directive 94/20/EC to be fitted to automobiles first registered on or after 1st August 1998.

The ISO standard tow-ball is 50mm in diameter and conforms to a standard BS AU 113b. The ISO standard has been adopted in most of the world outside North America.

There are two main categories of ISO tow-ball - the flange fitting and the swan-neck which has an extended neck fitting into the tow-bracket. Swan-neck tow-balls are often removable to avoid the inconvenience of a tow-ball sticking out from the vehicle when not required. Some manufacturers are now introducing retractable tow-balls as a further option.

Across Europe around 25% of the vehicle park have tow-balls fitted - but there are distinct regional variations with benelux and scandinavia having 70 to 90% of vehicles with tow-balls.

Trailer Tow hitch Cars can include trailer tow hitch with removable tow ball.

References

Towing Guide - Couplings
Directive 94/20/EC of the European Parliament
Trailer hitches
UK National Towing & Trailer Association