Local trailer hitches retail stores specialize in everything needed for towing. There is an enormous range of trailer hitches, ball mounts, hitch balls, fifth-wheel hitches, and more. Local trailer hitches retail stores will also offer a line of towing and hitch accessories, like trailer and vehicle lighting, and electric brake controls. Local trailer hitches retail stores make it their business to supply you with the right hitch for your vehicle. These hitches are not universal, and are manufactured to fit specific vehicles. The sales people will take your vehicle information, and will search by make, model and year, then will supply you with the hitch you need. Factors other than the vehicle used for towing will be the weight of the trailer, and its capacity. There are lighter duty hitches, medium and heavy duty hitches. Hitches are rated by capacity, usually class I through Class V hitches. Local trailer hitches retail experts will familiarize you with all of the requirements for safe towing, based on what your intentions and needs are. They will discuss terms such as Gross Trailer Weight, (GTW), and the Weight Carrying Tongue Weight (WCTW). These terms apply to the capacity of the trailer and tongue when the trailer is loaded. Be sure to discuss these issues with local trailer hitches retail dealers, so that you receive a hitch and accessories that will have the capacity to provide safe towing. Local trailer hitches retail dealers will carry receiver hitches, in which a metal sleeve fits into the receiver attached to the vehicle. The nice thing about receiver hitches is that you can use various sleeves, each having a different size hitch ball. This is handy, since different trailers require a range of ball sizes. It is more convenient to simply replace the sleeve, rather than having to remove the ball and replace it with a different size ball.
