How to Select a Trailer Hitch
Capacity and tongue-weight context beside hitch class.
Watch on YouTubeTrailer Tongue Weight Explained (Canada)
Towing
Tongue weight is the downward force the trailer puts on the hitch ball. Too little and the trailer can sway. Too much and the rear squats while the front gets light. Stay inside the hitch, mount, and vehicle ratings, and measure when the trailer is loaded as you tow.
We stock CURT hitches and mounts rated for real tongue weight, with free shipping anywhere in Canada.
Scale tips?
Tongue weight scale tips.
WD?
Weight distribution.
Hub:
towing guides.
What the number means
Most conventional travel trailers aim for roughly ten to fifteen percent of gross trailer weight on the tongue. That is a starting window, not a law. Follow the trailer maker guidance. Utility trailers and boat trailers can sit differently. Cargo behind the trailer axle lightens the tongue. Water, generators, and batteries on the tongue raise it.
Hitch class ratings list tongue weight beside gross trailer weight. The ball mount and hitch ball have their own caps. The lowest number wins. A Class 3 receiver does not raise a light-duty mount.
How to get a real reading
Bathroom-scale methods work for lighter tongues. Heavier tongues need a commercial scale, a tongue-weight scale, or a careful jack-and-scale setup. Measure with the trailer loaded and the coupler at towing height. Recheck after you move gear. More detail: tongue weight scale tips.
If tongue weight is high enough to unload the front axle, look at weight distribution. If tongue weight is too light and sway shows up, move cargo forward before you buy hardware.
Official CURT context
Parts that manage tongue weight
Every part ships free anywhere in Canada. Open the product page for the full rating and fit notes.
CURT part 45036Two inch ball mountClass 3 and Class 4 two-inch receivers. Check drop and rating on the product page.$57.03 CAD
CURT part 45900Adjustable ball mountOne mount that drops or rises to suit more than one trailer.$247.00 CAD
CURT part 17050Round bar weight distribution hitch, 600 lbLevels a heavier trailer across both axles.$363.86 CAD
CURT part 17200Sway control kitFriction sway control for the trailer frame.$89.54 CAD
CURT part 40003Two inch hitch ballThe common two-inch ball. Match the shank to the mount hole.$26.20 CAD
CURT part 21500Five-eighths hitch pin with clipEveryday pin for two-inch receivers.$12.84 CAD
