How to Select a Trailer Hitch
Trailer hitch class is about towing a trailer or carrying a rack behind the tow vehicle, not about dinghy-towing a car behind a motorhome.
Watch on YouTube →Flat Tow versus Trailer Hitch (Canada)
Looking at a dinghy base plate or flat-tow kit on a Canada product page and wondering if that is your trailer hitch? It is not. A trailer hitch sits on the tow vehicle so you can pull a trailer or hang a rack. A dinghy or flat-tow base plate mounts on the vehicle being towed behind a motorhome so a tow bar can pull that car or SUV with all four wheels on the ground. Mixing those up is a common product-page trap, especially when SUV pages also list RV flat-tow harnesses next to hitch cards. Use this page to separate the jobs, then open hitch class help or factory-hitch keep-or-replace when you are actually shopping a rear receiver.
Built for Canadian shoppers sorting hitch versus dinghy gear. Free shipping on CURT towing gear from Lots of Parts when the SKU is live on this store.
Need hitch class first?
What hitch class do I need.
Already have a factory receiver?
Factory hitch keep or replace.
Prefer the full index?
Open the towing guides hub.
Watch these CURT videos first
All four videos are from the official CURT YouTube channel (@curtmfg). They cover trailer hitch habits. Use them when your job is towing a trailer, not when you are building a dinghy tow setup.
If an embed does not load, use the YouTube link under the card.
Trailer Hitch Installation Techniques
A rear trailer hitch install is a different job than mounting a dinghy base plate on the front of a towed vehicle.
Watch on YouTube →How to Connect a Trailer Wiring Harness
Trailer light wiring and dinghy-towing lighting kits are easy to mix up on product pages. Match the job before you order.
Watch on YouTube →How to Choose a Ball Mount and Trailer Ball
Ball mounts belong with trailer hitches. Dinghy tow bars and base plates do not use a trailer ball the same way.
Watch on YouTube →Two different jobs on the same aisle
A rear trailer hitch is for the vehicle that pulls. You bolt a CURT Class 1, Class 2, Class 3, or heavier receiver to that tow vehicle, then add a ball mount, pin, wiring, and trailer when you need to haul cargo, a boat, or a utility trailer. Door-sticker tow ratings still win over hitch marketing claims.
A dinghy or flat-tow base plate is for the vehicle that gets pulled. The base plate mounts on that dinghy vehicle so a tow bar can connect to the motorhome. That setup is not a substitute for a trailer hitch when you want to tow a trailer behind a pickup or SUV. Base plates, tow bars, and dinghy lighting kits stay in the RV flat-tow lane.
| If you want this | Shop this lane |
|---|---|
| Pull a cargo, boat, or utility trailer | Rear trailer hitch, ball mount, and trailer wiring on the tow vehicle. Start with hitch class. |
| Hang a bike rack or cargo carrier on a receiver | Still a rear trailer hitch conversation. Match receiver size and tongue weight honestly. |
| Tow a car or SUV behind a motorhome with four wheels down | Dinghy base plate, tow bar, and dinghy lighting on the towed vehicle. Not a trailer hitch. |
| Keep or replace a factory receiver already on the vehicle | Read factory hitch keep or replace before you buy another hitch carton. |
| Saw base plate language on an SUV hitch page | Treat that as a mix-up risk. Confirm whether the SKU is a rear hitch or a dinghy base plate before checkout. |
Common mix-ups we see on product pages
Some SUV and crossover pages show RV flat-tow harnesses or dinghy kits near hitch SKUs. An RV wiring harness that lights a dinghy vehicle is not the same carton as a trailer four-flat for towing a utility trailer. If the title says base plate, dinghy, or flat tow, you are not looking at a rear trailer hitch even when the same brand logo is on both boxes.
Another mix-up is treating a front-mounted base plate like a hitch receiver for a ball mount. Base plates are for tow-bar arms. They do not give you a Class 3 two inch tube for a trailer ball. If your goal is a cottage trailer, stay on hitch class and vehicle buyer guides instead of dinghy hardware.
Live CURT dinghy examples (not trailer hitches)
These in-stock CURT SKUs are dinghy or flat-tow related. They are labeled here so you do not confuse them with rear trailer hitches. Confirm vehicle fitment on each product card. We do not invent base plate years, and we do not treat these as hitch substitutes.
Dinghy base plate · not a trailer hitch
CURT 70105
Base plate for listed Jeep Wrangler JL years on the live card. For dinghy flat-tow behind a motorhome, not for towing a trailer.
Dinghy base plate · not a trailer hitch
CURT 70110
Base plate for listed Jeep Wrangler JK years on the live card. Separate job from a rear Wrangler trailer hitch.
Dinghy base plate · not a trailer hitch
CURT 70109
Base plate for listed Equinox years on the live card. Easy to confuse with Equinox hitch pages, so read the title twice.
Dinghy base plate · not a trailer hitch
CURT 70104
Base plate for listed CR-V years on the live card. Not a CR-V trailer hitch receiver.
Dinghy base plate · not a trailer hitch
CURT 70121
Base plate for listed Ram years on the live card. Ram trailer hitch shopping stays on hitch buyer guides.
Dinghy lighting · not trailer hitch wiring alone
CURT 58980
Dinghy towing four-way flat on the live card. Confirm dinghy lighting fitment. Do not treat it as a substitute for a vehicle-specific trailer harness without reading the card.
When you actually need a trailer hitch
If the job is towing a trailer or mounting a receiver rack, open what hitch class do I need, then use the vehicle buyer guide that matches your door sticker. If a factory hitch is already welded or bolted on, start with factory hitch keep or replace before you spend on a second receiver. For wiring that lights a trailer, use the wiring harness guide and four pin versus seven pin pages.
Trailer hitch
Tow vehicle rear
Receiver on the vehicle that pulls. Ball mount, pin, trailer wiring, door-sticker ratings.
Dinghy base plate
Towed vehicle front
Mounts on the car or SUV being flat-towed. Tow bar connects to the motorhome.
Product-page trap
Same brand, different job
CURT hitch and CURT base plate logos look related. Read the title for hitch versus base plate.
Next step
Class or factory
Hitch class guide when you need a receiver. Factory keep-or-replace when one is already there.
Step 1Name the job
Trailer behind a tow vehicle, or car flat-towed behind a motorhome. Those are different carts.
Step 2Read the title
Hitch and Class mean rear receiver. Base plate and dinghy mean flat-tow hardware.
Step 3Open the right guide
Hitch class or factory keep-or-replace for trailers. Base plate cards only for dinghy setups.
Need a trailer hitch instead?
Start with hitch class, then open the vehicle buyer guide that matches your door sticker.
Open hitch class guide →Factory hitch keep or replace when a receiver is already on the vehicle.
Wiring harness guide for trailer lights, not dinghy lighting alone.
Ball mount guide when the hitch tube is sorted.
CURT dinghy base plate and lighting cards linked above are live on Lots of Parts for Canadian shipping when the SKU shows available. They are not trailer hitches. Confirm fitment on each product page. We do not invent dinghy SKUs, and we do not treat base plates as hitch substitutes.
