Trailer Hitch Receiver - Indispensable Trailer Hitch

Transporting objects becomes easier if you connect a trailer to your vehicle with the proper trailer hitch. The trailer hitch receiver is the part of the trailer hitch which is bolted to the frame of the tow vehicle. Generally, the sizes of the trailer hitch receiver opening vary between 1-1/4" and 2". They are generally categorized as Class I, II, III and IV and performs such duties as weight distribution, launching or recovering boats and carrying bike, ski or cargo racks in addition to general towing.

The end part of the trailer hitch receiver is a square tube, which is actually a receptacle planned to accommodate inserts like ball mounts, drawbars, carriers, racks and other accessories. The ball mount slips into the tube and a pin, which is inserted through the holes on both the receiver and the ball, holds them together firmly. The ball mount can be removed when the hitch is not in use.

The trailer hitch receiver is an important component for maintaining the functionality of the trailer hitch. The receiver ensures the ground clearance by holding the trailer off the ground at the corect height. Moreover, it is specially designed to maintain the proper weight distribution by transferring weight from the front of the hitch to the rear and front of the wheels equally. The weight transfer is carried when other hitch parts twist the receiver, which is then automatically pushed up in the rear and the front end is pulled down. The receiver should be powerful enough to withstand this twist or torque so that it connects to the vehicle firmly despite the thrust.

Heavy duty trailer hitches have 2 receiver type tube along with 1/2 safety chain loops. Many other features like three 1/2 & 1/4 wall cross tube and 2 angle diagonal braces makes it ideal for towing the trailers with larger frames with heavier weight.