Horsepower is just smoke and noise without a job to do, and a quality towing hitch serves as the vital link between the power and the load. We’ve rounded up several quality offerings in towing hitches in bumper pull, gooseneck, and fifth-wheel arrangements to showcase some of the clever innovations these companies bring to bear in towing your trailers and toys for superior strength, safety, and convenience. This isn’t all that’s out there, but it shows ideas to get your trailering wheels turning.
B & W
The B&W Turnoverball Gooseneck Hitch isn’t the number one bestselling gooseneck hitch in America for nothing. A hitch when you need it, a level bed when you don’t, the Turnoverball Gooseneck Hitch brings strength to bear on your heavy loads without filling the bed of your truck with inconvenience. With a square shank in a round hole, this gooseneck hitch is stored out of the way right where you use it in the bed of your truck. Installation requires only a 4-inch hole in the bed, and the hitch assembly bolts to existing holes in the frame with no extra drilling or welding required. The 2 5/16-inch hitch ball is machined in a single solid piece, and the assembly is protected both by a powder-coat finish and a limited lifetime warranty.
(800-810-4918 // www.turnoverball.com)
Blue Ox
A winner of the 2016 SEMA Show Stopper award, the Blue Ox Super Ride Fifth Wheel Slider attaches directly to the gooseneck ball and not the socket, which makes it compatible with any gooseneck hitch with a 2 5/16-inch hitch ball. This allows full access to the truck bed when not towing, and with its convenient, modular design, it’s very easy for customers to use. It comes apart into 3 parts and is very easy to put in and get out of the vehicle. It has an all-plastic head that’s self-lubricating, with 360 degrees of lock around the king pin and rubber shocks that support the ride and eliminate the bucking and stress on the truck and trailer. It also has a manual slider so it can be used in a short bed or long bed pickup. The Super Ride embodies all the features you need for a universal fifth-wheel hitch, and it has a 20,000-pound rating as well.
(800-228-9289 // www.blueox.com)
Curt
This brand-new gooseneck hitch from Curt Manufacturing has been designed specifically for the Ford Super Duty, but what makes this heavy hauler special is the design features that allow it to be installed by a single person. The hitch is built with fewer, more compact pieces, so they can be lifted and bolted into place by a single installer, without the help of a second person, and that’s not all. The Curt design team have also eliminated a number of steps from the process to speed up installation time. With this hitch there is no need to lower the exhaust or remove the truck bed. Also, there is no bed flange trimming, frame drilling, or welding required.
Once installed, this hitch offers reliable towing strength with a gross trailer weight capacity of 30,000 pounds with its patented 2 5/16-inch latch-locking trailer ball. One-person installation, a 30K weight rating and a limited lifetime warranty, all wrapped up in a dependable, made-in-USA design.
(877-287-8634 // www.curtmfg.com)
Draw-Tite
Draw-Tite proudly offers its own take on the adjustable ball mount, providing three towing options to cover all bases. Each fits a 2” receiver and is rated up to 14,000 lbs. GTW, with an adjustable height up to 10.5”. Dual (2”, 2-5/16”), tri-ball (1-7/8”, 2”, 2-5/16”) & pintle mount options have an adjustable cast shank, knurled bolt pin(s) with a secure lanyard. All three feature a black powder coat finish to resist corrosion and a best in class, three year warranty.
(800-632-3290 // www.draw-tite.com)
Equal-i-zer Hitch
The Original Equal-i-zer 4-Point Sway Control hitch is perfect for RVers who want superior sway control and weight distribution performance. With arms extending out to grip the frame of the RV trailer with a steel-on-steel friction lock, this hitch system stabilizes any potential sway from your trailer, making for a safer, smoother ride. The Equal-i-zer is 100 percent American-made, using the highest-quality steel from the Mountain West. Superior technology, ease of use, and exceptional sway control have made Equal-i-zer one of the safest hitches on the market for over 70 years.
(800-478-5578 // www.equalizerhitch.com)
Fastway
The Fastway Flash E series HD is one of the strongest heavy-duty ball mounts on the market, and it’s gorgeous as well. Built to last, the E series HD is surprisingly light for its strength and will tow your heaviest trailers. Made from a solid piece of aircraft-grade aluminum, the HD won’t rust, and commands attention with its slick, hand-polished finish. The Flash E is adjustable in height to meet your trailering load and designed for a quick switch between the two sizes of steel ball mounts. Combining strength with a glossy shine, this HD ball mount will dazzle for years.
(877-523-9103 // www.fastwaytrailer.com)
Husky
Isn't it frustrating when your water buffalo trailer requires a different ball mount height than your new yacht? Lucky for you the Husky Liners Adjustable Ball Mount has you pegged. With models that deliver up to 14 inches of adjustable drop and their nifty EZStow feature, this versatile ball mount offers real flexibility to haul what you need without a hassle in changing height for multiple loads. In addition to being convenient to change, the dual clevis pin setup that makes the height switch possible also provides exceptional strength and an additional failsafe. Then, Husky’s Action Lifetime Guarantee and made-in-the-USA quality ensure that this hitch will tow for decades.
(800-344-8759 // www.huskyliners.com)
Intelli-Hitch
Intelli-Hitch incorporates the company’s proprietary “in-hitch trailer brake controller” with a sturdy Class IV drop hitch. The Intelli-Hitch constantly monitors the motion between the trailer and tow vehicle, applying exact proportional braking to the trailer, a feat that the Intelli-Hitch manages with a microprocessor that can read and react to the trailer’s situation to provide exact braking in less than a nanosecond.
Where surge brakes fail in reverse, the Intelli-Hitch really shines. The reversing algorithms on the unit allow for a first in proportional braking during backing: a “Descend Assist” program helps in holding the trailer steady when backing down a slope such as a boat ramp.
Like conventional receiver hitches, Intelli-Hitch is installed in just seconds, then at any time can be moved to another vehicle. Unlike any other hitch, the brake controller is embedded into the hitch frame so moving the Intelli-Hitch takes the brake controls with it. The best part? The whole system is plug-and-play with no adjusting required.
(844-786-3902 // www.intelli-hitch.com)
Reese
The Reese Goose Box gooseneck coupler has something special for RV trailer owners who wish to tow with their gooseneck hitch. Designed to replace the traditional RV trailer pin box, the Goose Box provides for superior ride and comfort when towing, and full use of the pickup bed when you’re not. Endorsed by Lippert Components, Inc. for its frame systems, the Reese Goose Box includes 5th Airborne technology that reduces stress transferred to the RV frame and provides multi-directional shock absorption for a smoother driving experience. The Goose Box is tested to the meet or exceed CSA & SAE J2638 standards and has a limited lifetime warranty.
(800-632-3290 // www.reeseprod.com)
Weigh Safe
The importance of tongue weight is not lost on this remarkable bumper hitch. The Weigh Safe Drop Hitch brings a clever new diagnostic tool to towing with a built-in scale that effectively measures the tongue weight of your towing load. This scale allows you to quickly check the vertical weight placed on the hitch itself and ensure that your vehicle is balanced properly and safe to tow.
Proper tongue weight improves vehicle and trailer performance, and GMC guidelines for proper towing state tongue weight should be no less than 10 percent of gross trailer weight and no more than 15 percent. For example, tongue weight for a 10,000-pound trailer should be no less than 1,000 pounds and no more than 1,500 pounds. With a GTW rating of up to 21,000 pounds with a 2 5/16-inch ball, this hitch can handle up to 2,200 pounds of tongue weight. Pressure on the ball sends a reading to the built-in scale that measures tongue weight in pounds for convenient reading.
The hitch includes stainless steel tow balls in both the 2-inch and 2 5/16-inch dimensions with gross trailer weight ratings of 8,000 and 21,000 pounds respectively.
(855-492-6444 // www.weigh-safe.com)