How to Select a Trailer Hitch
Receiver class and pin diameter still come first. A half-inch pin belongs in a one and one quarter inch tube. A five-eighths pin belongs in a two inch tube.
Watch on YouTubeHitch Pin Lanyard and Clip Tips (Canada)
A hitch pin is only useful if the clip is still on it when you leave the driveway. This Canada parts-counter page covers keeping the clip on a lanyard so it does not vanish in gravel, pin orientation habits, when a lock replaces a plain pin, and how that hardware sits beside safety chains on a first tow. We will not invent legal cutoffs.
Practical Canada pin and clip advice. Free shipping on CURT towing gear from Lots of Parts when the SKU is live on this store.
Related reading:
hitch lock versus hitch pin,
pin, clip, and safety chains, and
first tow day checklist.
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). Use them for class selection, install habits, wiring basics, and ball-mount height before you dig into the product cards below.
If an embed does not load, use the YouTube link under the card.
Trailer Hitch Installation Techniques
Anything you insert still needs a pin or a lock. A shiny receiver without hardware is not ready for the road.
Watch on YouTubeHow to Connect a Trailer Wiring Harness
Trailer lights still need a plug-test habit. A perfect pin does not fix a dark trailer or a bad ground.
Watch on YouTubeHow to Choose a Ball Mount and Trailer Ball
Ball-mount height and pin security work together. Level the coupler, then pin what you inserted before you leave the yard.
Watch on YouTubeKeep the clip on a lanyard
Most lost clips disappear the same way. You pull the pin to swap a bike rack, set the clip on a bumper or a tire, and the next gust or step kicks it into driveway gravel. A short lanyard or coiled keeper that ties the clip to the pin handle keeps the pair together. You still need to seat the clip fully through the pin hole. A dangling clip that never goes through the pin is just jewelry.
If your pin arrived without a keeper, a small coiled cable or a short nylon loop through the clip ring is enough. Prefer bright colors so you can spot the clip against dark asphalt. Do not replace the clip with a random wire twist that can snag or open under vibration.
Pin orientation that shoppers forget
Slide the pin fully through the receiver and the insert so the bent handle sits where you can grab it later. Seat the clip through the pin hole until it snaps or seats against the pin body. A half-seated clip can walk out on washboard gravel. Recheck after the first few kilometers, especially after salted Canadian roads where grit packs into the hole.
Match pin diameter to the receiver. One and one quarter inch tubes commonly use a half-inch pin such as CURT 21400. Two inch tubes commonly use a five-eighths pin such as CURT 21500. Do not force the wrong diameter and hope the clip will save you.
Class 1 style · half-inch pin
CURT 21400
Half-inch hitch pin with clip for one and one quarter inch receivers. Bent handle, zinc finish on the live card.
Class 3 style · five-eighths pin
CURT 21500
Five-eighths hitch pin with clip for two inch receivers. Everyday non-locking pin when theft risk is low.
When a lock replaces a plain pin
A plain pin keeps the insert from walking out. A hitch lock does that job and adds a keyed barrier against casual theft of a bike rack, cargo box, or ball mount. Use a lock when the vehicle sits in shared parking, overnight at a trailhead, or anywhere you would miss the accessory if it walked away. Use a plain pin when you are swapping gear often in a supervised driveway and speed matters more than the key.
Open the hitch lock versus hitch pin guide for the full decision fork. Match lock pin diameter to the receiver the same way you match a plain pin. CURT 23501 covers one and one quarter inch receivers. CURT 23515 and 23518 style locks cover common two inch tubes on the live cards.
Lock · one and one quarter inch
CURT 23501
Keyed hitch lock for one and one quarter inch receivers when you want more than a plain pin.
Lock · two inch
CURT 23515
Keyed hitch lock sized for a two inch receiver on the live card.
Lock · two inch black
CURT 23518
Black finish hitch lock for two inch receivers. Confirm usable pin length on the live card.
Pin, clip, and safety chains on a first tow
A pin does not replace safety chains, and chains do not replace a seated clip. Latch the coupler, pin or lock the ball mount, hook chains to the hitch side loops or dedicated hooks without wrapping them around the ball, then plug in lights and walk around. The pin, clip, and safety chains guide and the first tow day checklist walk that sequence without inventing legal cutoffs.
| Topic | What we tell shoppers |
|---|---|
| Lost clip habit | Keep the clip on a lanyard tied to the pin. Do not set it on a bumper while you wrestle a rack. |
| Diameter match | Half-inch for one and one quarter inch tubes. Five-eighths for two inch tubes. Confirm on the live card. |
| Lock versus pin | Locks add theft resistance. Plain pins are fine for quick supervised swaps. See lock versus pin. |
| Chains still matter | Hook chains correctly after the pin is seated. See safety chain hooks tips. |
| First tow walk-around | Lights, coupler, pin or lock, chains, tire pressure. Open first tow day checklist. |
Related guides worth opening next
Lock versus pinWhen a keyed lock earns its keep.
Pin, clip, and chainsHow those three pieces work together.
Chain hooks tipsLoops versus dedicated hooks, S-hooks versus clevis.
First tow checklistLights, chains, coupler, and tire pressure habits.
Parts-counter summary: keep the clip on a lanyard, seat it fully through the pin, match pin diameter to the receiver, upgrade to a lock when theft risk is real, and never let a pin replace chains or a latched coupler. Free shipping on live CURT towing gear from Lots of Parts across Canada when the SKU shows available on this store.
