Lincoln Aviator Trailer Hitch Buyer's Guide (Canada)

Shopping a trailer hitch for a Lincoln Aviator in Canada? Start with the door-sticker tow limit, then confirm whether the truck already has a factory receiver. The live CURT 13438 Class 3 card covers listed 2020 through 2026 Aviator years on a two inch receiver when the vehicle does not already wear a factory hitch, with about six thousand pounds gross trailer weight and six hundred pounds tongue weight on the hitch card. The same SKU also lists matching Ford Explorer years, so keep the badge honest in the bay and open the Explorer guide when that is the vehicle in the driveway.

Built for Canadian Aviator owners and shops. Free shipping on CURT towing gear from Lots of Parts when the SKU is live on this store. New to hitch shopping? Start with the buying guide, how to choose a hitch, Explorer hitch guide, and hitch for bike rack only. 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.

How to Select a Trailer Hitch

CURT · Hitch class basics

Match Class 3 to the Aviator door sticker and the live 13438 rating before you shop a heavier trailer.

Watch on YouTube

Trailer Hitch Installation Techniques

CURT · Install habits

Confirm the install sheet for vehicles without a factory receiver, then recheck torque after salted Canadian winters.

Watch on YouTube

How to Connect a Trailer Wiring Harness

CURT · Wiring basics

Plan lights after the hitch. An Aviator often needs a vehicle-specific harness path rather than a guess at the bumper plug.

Watch on YouTube

How to Choose a Ball Mount and Trailer Ball

CURT · Ball-mount height

A two inch ball mount must level the trailer. Check rise versus drop once the hitch is on the vehicle.

Watch on YouTube

What the live CURT 13438 card actually covers

CURT 13438 is a Class 3 hitch with a two inch receiver. On the live card it is rated to about six thousand pounds gross trailer weight and six hundred pounds tongue weight. The fitment note is clear: listed 2020 through 2026 Explorer and Aviator years without a factory receiver. If Lincoln already bolted a receiver on at the plant, do not order 13438 to stack a second hitch. Those numbers are hitch ratings, not a promise that every Aviator trim can tow that much.

The concealed main body is meant to blend with the bumper line. Still treat salt, gravel, and parking scrapes like any other Canadian Class 3 install. Read the Lincoln tow limit before you treat the Class 3 stamp as a blank cheque for bikes, a cargo box, or a family trailer.

CURT 13438 Class 3

Two inch receiver for listed Aviator years without a factory hitch. Confirm year, factory-receiver status, and ratings on the live card before you order.

Open live 13438 product →

Parts-counter note. Door sticker first. Factory receiver check second. Hitch third. Explorer siblings share this shelf, so match the badge before you click buy.

Hitch versus vehicle tow rating

When weight distribution helps

How to shop an Aviator hitch without getting lost

Step 1Read the door sticker

Find the Lincoln tow and tongue numbers for your trim. The hitch cannot raise that limit.

Step 2Check for a factory receiver

Look under the rear bumper. If a receiver is already there, 13438 is the wrong path.

Step 3Open live 13438

Confirm your Aviator year is listed, then note Class 3, two inch tube, and the hitch ratings.

Step 4Match accessories

Two inch cover, five-eighths pin or lock, ball mount height, then a first-tow walk-around.

Receiver

Two inch Class 3

13438 gives a two inch opening. Bike racks, cargo boxes, and ball mounts must match that tube size.

  • About six thousand pounds GTW on the hitch card
  • About six hundred pounds tongue on the hitch card
  • No factory receiver on the fitment note
Platform honesty

Explorer sibling

Ford Explorer shares this hitch shelf on the same card. Use the Explorer guide when that is the badge in the driveway.

Install

Follow the live sheet

Use the CURT install sheet that ships with 13438. Recheck hardware after winter salt and gravel trips.

Year pages that already exist for Aviator

These year landers are already live. Use them when you want a year-first path into the same hitch shelf.

Always confirm the live 13438 card still lists your year, and that the Aviator does not already have a factory receiver.

Accessories that match a two inch Aviator receiver

Keep the tube covered when empty, pin what you insert, and quiet chatter with an anti-rattle kit sized for two inch. Ball mounts must match that opening. If you need rise instead of drop to level a low trailer, open the rise versus drop guide after you pick the shank size.

CoverCURT 22272Two inch receiver cover for empty-tube days. PinCURT 21500Five-eighths hitch pin with clip for everyday two inch inserts. Quiet kitCURT 22321Anti-rattle kit sized for a two inch tube. Ball mountCURT 45036Two inch ball mount with useful drop or rise options. Confirm the live card before you tow. Receiver lockCURT 23515Hitch lock sized for a two inch receiver when you want more than a plain pin.
Topic What we tell shoppers
Door sticker first A hitch is not a blank cheque. Read the Lincoln tow limit, then open hitch versus vehicle tow rating.
Factory receiver 13438 is for Aviators without a factory hitch. Do not double up receivers.
Explorer sibling Keep Explorer shopping on the Explorer hitch guide when that is the badge in the bay.
Bike rack reality Plenty of Aviator owners only want bikes or a cargo box. Open hitch for bike rack only.
Wiring path Start with the wiring harness guide, then trailer light converter tips if turn signals need help.
Receiver size Match accessories to the two inch opening. See the receiver size guide.

Related guides worth opening next

Explorer hitch guideSame hitch shelf with Explorer-year shopping notes. Corsair hitch guideSmaller Lincoln crossover path on the Escape shelf. Nautilus hitch guideLincoln midsize path kept separate from Aviator. First tow checklistLights, chains, coupler, and tire pressure habits.

Parts-counter summary: match the listed Aviator year to 13438 only when there is no factory receiver, respect the Lincoln door sticker under the hitch rating, keep Explorer siblings honest on their own guide, and never let hitch tube looks outvote the sticker. Free shipping on live CURT towing gear from Lots of Parts across Canada when the SKU shows available on this store.