Tow hitch

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Rail car tow hitch

A tow hitch (or tow bar or recovery point) is a device attached to the chassis of a vehicle for towing.

The hitch, is the receiver which bolts to the chassis of the vehicle. In the U.S. there are a few common classes: I, II, III and IV that are defined by the SAE. Class I (to 2000 lbs) and II (to 3500 lbs) are for light loads, and the receiver is a square hole 1.25 inch x 1.25 inch. Class III (to 5000 lbs) and IV (to 10,000 lbs) can accommodate much larger trailers such as campers, boats, etc. A Class III/IV receiver is 2 inches square and in some cases 2 1/2inch.

The trailer tongue (or coupling) slips over a ball. Balls come in various sizes (50 mm, 1 7/8 in, 2 in and 2 5/16 in), depending on the load they carry. The load of the tongue on the ball is commonly specified as the trailer's tongue weight. Proper trailer loading avoids making this too high, lest steering be affected, or too low, which could involve traction loss.

The ball attaches to a ballmount. The ballmount must match the hitch class. The ballmount is merely a rectangular bar that may or may not drop down to get the ball closer to the ground so the trailer will ride level.

In the European Union, towbars must be a type approved to European Union directive 94/20/EC to be fitted to automobiles first registered on or after 1st August 1998.