How to Select a Trailer Hitch
Match hitch class to the door sticker and the product page before you shop a heavier trailer than the vehicle can safely tow.
Watch on YouTubeDrawbar versus Ball Mount (Canada)
Towing
At the parts counter, shoppers ask for a drawbar, a ball mount, a shank, or a drop hitch and often mean the same family of parts. In plain English, the hitch receiver is the square tube bolted to the vehicle. The piece that slides into that tube and holds the trailer ball is usually called a ball mount, and older counter talk still says drawbar. This Canada page clears the language, then points you at rise, drop, and ball-size decisions with free shipping anywhere in Canada.
Built for Canadian hitch shoppers. free shipping on CURT towing gear from Lots of Parts.
Related reading: ball mount guide, rise versus drop, and hitch height and ride height. Prefer the full index? Open the towing guides hub.
Related reading: ball mount guide, rise versus drop, and hitch height and ride height. Prefer the full index? Open the towing guides hub.
How we translate drawbar talk into a ball mount order
Drawbar and ball mount usually point at the same sliding insert that holds the hitch ball. Shank size must match the receiver tube. Drop or rise levels the trailer. Ball diameter must match the coupler. None of those decisions are interchangeable. Measure hitch height and coupler height before you guess at a drop number, then shop a mount that lists your tube size and capacity.
Step 1Match shank size to the receiver tube
One and one quarter inch versus two inch first.
Step 2Measure for drop or rise
Level the trailer. Do not guess from a photo.
Step 3Match ball diameter to the coupler
Ball size is a separate decision from drop.
Step 4Confirm capacity on the product page
Mount rating still sits under the door sticker.
Official CURT videos for Canadian ball-mount shoppers
These clips come from the official CURT YouTube channel (@curtmfg). Use them before you open a product page.
If an embed does not load, use the YouTube link under each video.
Trailer Hitch Installation Techniques
Confirm shank size, drop or rise, ball hole size, and capacity on the product page before you pin a mount in the receiver.
Watch on YouTubeHow to Connect a Trailer Wiring Harness
A ball mount does not include trailer lights. Prove the plug before a night tow.
Watch on YouTubeHow to Choose a Ball Mount and Trailer Ball
Match shank size to the receiver tube, then level the trailer with drop or rise once the hitch is on.
Watch on YouTubeOpen the ball mount trailer hitch guide
Shop ball mounts by tube size and drop or rise with free shipping from Lots of Parts.
Open the guideWorth knowing. Drawbar talk usually means ball mount. Measure before you order.
CURT gear for the job
CURT part 22272Two inch receiver coverTwo inch receiver cover for empty-tube days on Class 3 receivers.$15.92 CAD
CURT part 21500Five-eighths hitch pinFive-eighths hitch pin with clip for everyday inserts. Confirm tube size first.$12.84 CAD
CURT part 22321Two inch anti-rattle kitAnti-rattle kit sized for a two inch tube.$54.92 CAD
CURT part 45036Two inch ball mountTwo inch ball mount for Class 3 and Class 4 tubes. Confirm drop or rise on the product page.$57.03 CAD
| Topic | What we tell shoppers |
|---|---|
| Same family | Drawbar and ball mount usually mean the sliding insert that holds the hitch ball. |
| Shank size | Match the receiver tube before you talk about drop. |
| Drop versus rise | Measure hitch height and coupler height. Photos lie. |
| Ball size | Coupler diameter is a separate decision from the mount drop number. |
Related guides worth opening
Ball mount guideFull mount shopping.
Rise versus dropWhich way to flip.
Hitch height and ride heightAfter lifts and lowers.
Towing guides hubFull Canada hitch index.
In short: treat drawbar and ball mount as the same family, match shank size, measure for drop or rise, and size the ball to the coupler separately.
