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Most people can get by with using their regular, old ball hitch. But not every load can be carried with ease. Bigger loads call for more hauling power, and so you're forced to consider some of the heavy duty trailer hitches available on the market today. These hitches include fifth wheel trailer hitches, gooseneck hitches and to a lesser extent, the heavy duty ball hitches.

The heavy duty ball hitch can tow around ten thousand pounds or slightly more. The ball is generally bigger and they are built sturdier. While these hitches can't haul as much weight as the fifth wheel trailer hitches or gooseneck hitches, they can haul considerably more weight than some of the other hitches.

The gooseneck hitch is second only to the fifth wheel hitch in towing power. The gooseneck hitch can haul about twenty five thousand pounds or more. However, they are harder to install. You have to install a frame, which generally goes into the bed of your pickup truck. They take up more space than the ball hitch and you can't install one on your car or motorcycle.

Besides the obvious added towing power, the gooseneck will also provide you with added maneuverability, which is important to consider when towing irregularly shaped, large trailers.

The third option is the most powerful hitch you can buy for a truck. The fifth wheel hitch can tow more than thirty thousand pounds. It resembles the hook up that eighteen wheelers us to haul their trailers, and just like the gooseneck hitch, it must be installed in the bed of a pickup truck or flatbed.

Both the gooseneck and fifth wheel hitches cause another problem; they force you to remove the gate on your pickup truck. Because the hitch is not mounted on the rear of the truck, but instead is mounted inside the trailer, the trailer is forced to go through the space normally occupied by the gate.

However, this can be taken care of by purchasing an air gate, which will allow the trailer to enter the bed of the truck unobstructed but will allow you to have a resemblance of a gate. The air gate also minimizes gas consumption when the trailer isn't hooked up because there is less sir resistance.

When using heavy duty trailer hitches, you should remember to always check the maximum weight that your vehicle can tow. Hauling something that exceeds the maximum towing ability of your vehicle can be very dangerous.

You should also make sure that the hitch is installed properly. Get a professional to install it or at the very least make sure you understand and install the hitch properly yourself. Driving around with an improperly installed hitch is not only dangerous to yourself, but also the other drivers that share the road with you.

The heavy duty trailer hitch isn't good for everything, but it's the only tool that makes sense if you're hauling heavy cargo. Getting used to hauling such large, heavy loads is probably another good idea, if you plan on using your heavy duty trailer hitch often.

Whichever hitch you choose, make sure you choose the one that best suits your needs. Make sure you buy a high quality hitch that is sure to last you for many years and keep in mind the safety measures mentioned in this article.

Good luck making your choice, and enjoy your new heavy duty trailer hitch.

About The Author
Scott Gray is a trailer hitch specialist and provides useful information about heavy duty trailer hitches and all other types of hitches.