How to Select a Trailer Hitch
Receiver size decides which lock shank fits. Match Class and tube size before you shop a keyed lock.
Watch on YouTubeHitch Ball Mount Lock Tips (Canada)
A ball mount left in the receiver is convenient and easy to steal. A coupler lock on the trailer is a different job. This page keeps those two locks honest for Canadian shoppers: when to lock the ball mount in the tow-vehicle receiver while parked, when a coupler lock belongs on the trailer instead, how that differs from a plain hitch pin, and when a cover is weather gear rather than theft gear. We point at live CURT lock SKUs we stock and link the deeper lock-versus-pin, coupler-lock, and cover-versus-lock guides already on this store. No invented legal cutoffs.
Built for Canadian receivers that see shared parking. Free shipping on CURT towing gear from Lots of Parts when the SKU is live on this store.
Pair this page with
hitch lock versus hitch pin,
trailer coupler lock tips, and
hitch cover versus hitch lock.
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 are hitch and ball-mount basics, not lock law. Use them when the mount, pin, and trailer lights are part of the same trip plan as locking habits.
If an embed does not load, use the YouTube link under the card.
Trailer Hitch Installation Techniques
A solid hitch install still needs a pin or lock every time you insert a ball mount. Habits beat hope.
Watch on YouTubeHow to Connect a Trailer Wiring Harness
Locks do not replace lights. Confirm wiring on the same walk-around where you check the keyed pin.
Watch on YouTubeHow to Choose a Ball Mount and Trailer Ball
Once the mount fits the tube and the ball matches the coupler, decide whether a pin or a keyed lock holds it overnight.
Watch on YouTubeLock the ball mount in the receiver when parked
If the ball mount stays in the receiver overnight at a hotel, a trailhead, or a shared lot, a keyed hitch lock is the parts-counter habit. A plain pin and clip keep the mount from walking out on the highway. They do not stop someone with a spare clip and thirty seconds. A receiver hitch lock replaces that pin with a keyed shank sized for your tube, usually one and one quarter inch or two inch depending on the hitch class.
Pull the mount when you can. An empty tube with a cover is quieter and harder to borrow. When you leave the mount in for convenience, lock it. Match the lock to the receiver opening and the hole size on the live product card. Right-angle locks help when a bumper or fascia crowds a straight shank. Stainless options help in Canadian salt seasons, but any lock still needs grease on the keyway and a spare key somewhere you will actually find it.
This is not legal advice and we are not inventing parking rules. Theft risk varies by neighborhood and season. The practical rule is simple: if the mount is worth keeping and the lot is not your locked garage, use a hitch lock instead of a naked pin.
CURT 23518 hitch lock
Live keyed hitch lock on this store for locking a ball mount or accessory in the receiver. Confirm tube size on the live card before you order.
Open live 23518 product →Parts-counter note. Receiver locks and coupler locks are different tools. Lock the mount on the tow vehicle. Lock the coupler on the trailer. A cover is weather gear, not a substitute for either lock.
Coupler lock on the trailer versus receiver lock on the tow vehicle
A coupler lock sits on the trailer tongue. It blocks the coupler opening or latches through the coupler so another ball cannot grab the trailer while it sits unhitched. That is the right tool when the trailer is parked and the tow vehicle is gone. A receiver hitch lock sits on the tow vehicle. It keeps the ball mount, bike rack, or cargo carrier from sliding out of the hitch tube.
Using one does not retire the other. Weekend boat trailers often need both: lock the coupler at the driveway, and lock the ball mount in the truck when you leave the mount installed between trips. Deep coupler habits live on our trailer coupler lock tips page. Deep pin-versus-lock shopping lives on hitch lock versus hitch pin.
How to choose in about ten minutes
Step 1Name the job
Mount left in the receiver needs a hitch lock. Trailer sitting alone needs a coupler lock. Empty tube needs a cover.
Step 2Match the tube
One and one quarter inch and two inch locks are not interchangeable. Read the live card for your receiver size.
Step 3Pin for the highway, lock for parking
A pin and clip are fine for a short move in your own driveway. Overnight shared parking wants a keyed lock.
Step 4Keep a spare key
Grease the keyway after salt season. Store a spare key where the rest of the towing kit lives.
Receiver lock
Ball mount and rack security
Keyed shank through the hitch and the mount. Stops casual borrowing of the ball mount, bike rack, or carrier.
- Match one and one quarter inch or two inch tube size
- Right-angle styles help tight bumpers
- See lock versus pin for deeper shopping
Coupler lock
Trailer parked alone
Barbell and padlock styles lock the coupler when the trailer is unhitched. That is a trailer job, not a receiver job.
- Use when the tow vehicle is gone
- Does not lock a ball mount in the truck
- See coupler lock tips
Cover
Weather, not theft
A receiver cover keeps salt and mud out of an empty tube. It is not a hitch lock. Lockable covers exist, but a keyed hitch lock is still the clearer theft tool.
- Cover empty tubes after you pull the mount
- See cover versus lock
- See plug versus cover tips
Live CURT locks and covers on this shelf
These SKUs are live on the storefront today. Confirm available status and receiver size on each card before you order. We are not inventing fitment beyond what the live title shows.
Receiver lockCURT 23518Keyed hitch lock for holding a ball mount or accessory in the receiver.
Receiver lockCURT 23501Keyed hitch lock option. Confirm tube size on the live card.
Right angleCURT 23504Right-angle hitch lock when a straight shank fights the bumper.
Two inch pathCURT 23021Receiver lock path for larger tubes. Confirm the live card for your hitch.
Coupler lockCURT 23520Barbell coupler lock for a trailer sitting unhitched.
CoverCURT 22272Two inch receiver cover for empty-tube weather protection, not theft control.
| Topic | What we tell shoppers |
|---|---|
| Ball mount parked | Use a keyed hitch lock in the receiver, or pull the mount and cover the tube. |
| Trailer parked alone | Use a coupler lock on the tongue. See coupler lock tips. |
| Pin versus lock | Pins hold hardware on the road. Locks deter borrowing in shared parking. See lock versus pin. |
| Cover versus lock | Covers fight weather. Locks fight theft. See cover versus lock. |
| Legal honesty | No invented legal cutoffs live on this page. Local parking and theft rules vary. Ask your insurer or municipality when you need a rule, not a habit. |
Related guides worth opening next
Lock versus pinWhen a keyed lock replaces a pin and clip.
Coupler lock tipsTrailer tongue locks when the tow vehicle is gone.
Cover versus lockWeather covers are not theft locks.
Hitch lock and safetyBroader lock and safety habits with CURT videos.
Parts-counter summary: lock the ball mount in the receiver when it stays parked in shared lots, use a coupler lock when the trailer sits alone, treat covers as weather gear, match lock size to the live receiver card, and keep spare keys with the towing kit. Free shipping on live CURT towing gear from Lots of Parts across Canada when the SKU shows available on this store.
