A Curt Hitch for Every Situation

If your pickup truck doesn’t have a hitch, is it even a pickup? Whether you’re hauling a trailer to your favourite camp spot or loading up your toys for a weekend ride, you’re not getting very far if your truck isn’t equipped with the right hitch. Luckily there are Curt hitches for every job, and this blog will help break down what you need to know to get your truck set up with the right one. 

Classes and Types of Curt Hitches 

Hitches are meant for hauling, however, depending on the purpose and required capacity, there are different classes and styles of hitches for different jobs. 

Receiver Hitch 

A Curt receiver hitch is the most common style of hitch and comes in 5 different classes organized by coupling size and towing capacity. The most common installation is rear-mounted, but you can also find purpose-built hitches for specific uses (like a front receiver hitch for snowplows or an RV hitch for the back of your trailer). For this blog, we are talking especially about rear-mounted hitches. 

Class 1 and 2 Receiver Hitches 

Class 1 and 2 receiver hitches are generally reserved for passenger vehicles, crossovers, and minivans; they come with a 1-1/4” receiver and can tow a maximum of 3,500 lbs. These are perfect for everything from your bike rack to a basic, lightweight camper.  

Class 3 Receiver Hitch 

Once you move up to class 3, you’re gaining a lot in terms of towing capacity. Class 3 Curt hitches have 2” receivers and max out at 8,000 lbs. You can also add a Curt weight disruption hitch which will increase towing to 12,000 lbs, keeping in mind that you are limited to the capacity of your lowest-rated component; if your SUV has a towing capacity of 8,500 lbs a hitch isn’t going to change it. 

Class 4 and 5 Receiver Hitches 

Class 4 and 5 Curt hitches are what you typically see on full-size pickup trucks. Class 4 is similar to a class 3 with a 2” receiver and compatibility with weight distribution hitches for added capacity, however, these hitches can tow 10,000 lbs alone or up to 12,000 with weight distribution. Class 5 Curt has the highest towing rating of all receiver hitches. This category of hitch can tow up to 17,000 lbs with a 2” receiver and weight distribution hitch or as much as 20,000 lbs with a class 5, 2-1/2”, commercial duty hitch. 

Gooseneck Hitch 

Both the Curt Gooseneck hitch and 5th wheel hitch are installed in the bed of your pickup truck and affixed directly to the chassis. 

A gooseneck hitch may look nondescript from the outside with its ball and coupler connection, but this heavy-duty hitch is designed to tow up to 30,000 lbs. While they are most frequently used to haul heavy equipment and livestock trailers, they can be used for recreation vehicles (RVs) if you are looking for an affordable, less invasive alternative to a full 5th-wheel hitch. 

5th Wheel Hitch 

If you want to ultimate driving experience for towing your 35 or 40-foot RV, you probably want a 5th-wheel hitch. Like the gooseneck hitch, a 5th wheel hitch can handle up to 30,000 lbs, however, they have a much larger footprint and take up significantly more space in your bed. On the flip side, a 5th wheel hitch provides the smoothest, quietest towing experience, which makes those long road trips more enjoyable for everyone. 

How to Shop Curt Hitches 

Determining what style and class of hitch you need comes down to a few key considerations. First, what vehicle are you driving and what do you want to tow? The capabilities of any hitch are limited by to towing capacity of your ride, so while it makes sense to buy a hitch at the highest end of your towing capacity, there’s no benefit to exceeding it. 

Next, what are you planning on towing? Receiver hitches are a pretty multifunctional hitch; depending on the class these can be used for everything from your bike rack to your boat trailer to most travel trailers. If you need something for bigger toys or commercial use, you’re probably going to want to explore more heavy-duty options like a Curt gooseneck or 5th-wheel hitch.