A good hitch is a guarantee of safe transport of the trailer. However, the variety of towing couplings on the market today makes you think about the right choice of this accessory.
When choosing a towbar model (or towing hitch), first of all, it is recommended to pay attention to the model of the car that will be equipped with the towbar and the technical parameters of the trailer itself.
Trailer coupling
The design includes a metal frame, a ball and a socket for connecting electrical wiring. The ball is rigidly attached to the frame by welding, or is removable. The first thing to find out when buying a towbar is its carrying capacity, which can vary from 600 to 3500 kg. It is worth noting that according to the models of a driver's license recently introduced in the Russian Federation, a separate category will have to be opened for transporting a trailer, the permitted carrying capacity of which exceeds 800 kg.
The next point is the material for making the ball. The budget option does not provide for any special coating, the more expensive balls on the trailer hitch are made of stainless and even molybdenum-vanadium steel. The ball can be fixed or removable. The latter option is suitable for those who often travel abroad to Western Europe. There, it is quite rightly believed that the protruding towing hitch in the event of an accident causes serious damage to both vehicles. Pay special attention to the electrician: the socket can contain 7 or 13 contacts; their number should correspond to the number of pins on the counterpart of the trailer (if necessary, you can purchase a special adapter adapter). If you do not have a Russian car, it is better to entrust the electrical connection to a specialist: the on-board computer often regards the trailer as an alien device and refuses to "work" with it.
Vehicle and towbar manufacturers
Manufacturers usually offer towbars designed for standard vehicles. The type of vehicle for which the vehicle is intended can be found in its passport. Separately, it is worth mentioning the tuned models: the rear bumper, which will have to be redone, can interfere with the installation of the towbar. There is one more "hindrance": parking sensors. These devices start to work, regarding the trailer as an obstacle. Therefore, when operating a car with a trailer, the parking sensors will have to be turned off. Some car manufacturers (mainly Japanese) offer a specific towing hitch for each specific model, which is associated with the design features of cars of various series. Of the large companies producing towbars, the most popular are Bosal (Belgium), Brink (Netherlands), VFM (Bosal subsidiaries located in Russia and Turkey).
