In order to tow heavy loads or livestock, many people need access to a reliable trailer. Your trailer hitch plays an essential role in ensuring the safety of your loads during transit. Damaged trailer hitches could spell disaster, so it's important that you take the time to provide proper protection for your trailer hitch at all times.
Here are three simple tips you can use to keep your hitch in working condition in the future.
1. Prevent rust by coating your hitch with clear spray paint.
Because many trailer hitches are made from metal, they can begin to develop signs of rust if left exposed to the elements. As rust corrodes metal, the metal becomes weaker. A weak trailer hitch will not have the ability to withstand the pressure placed on it during transit, and the ball could break off.
Coating your hitch with clear spray paint will create an impervious barrier that water cannot penetrate. Keeping water away from your metal trailer hitch will help prevent rust from forming in the future. Be sure that you are applying your spray paint in an environment that is between 50 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit in order to achieve the greatest results.
2. Be sure your hitch exceeds your truck's towing capacity.
A secure connection between hitch and trailer is essential when it comes to towing heavy loads safely. When you routinely tow loads that are too heavy for your hitch, you risk bending the receiver. A bent receiver will not be able to support the weight of a trailer properly and could cause your trailer to come unhitched during transit.
To avoid a bent hitch receiver, be sure that you invest in a hitch that exceeds your truck's towing capacity. This ensures that your hitch will always be rated to tow the weight load you place on it in the future.
3. Keep your hitch pin firmly in place with a hitch immobilizer.
Once you have settled the tongue of your trailer over the ball of your hitch, you insert a hitch pin to hold the ball mount in place. When your truck's hitch rattles around during transit, this rattling could cause the hitch pin to become dislodged.
You can prevent rattling (and the subsequent damage a trailer breakaway could cause) by installing a hitch immobilizer. Immobilizers are designed to eliminate excess space between your hitch and receiver, ensuring a more secure connection.
For more information, contact Burnsville Trailer Hitch or a similar company.
Share4 November 2015
When my husband and I went to buy our RV, I thought I had a good idea as to what I wanted. I knew what general options I wanted and what size. But, as I begin to explore the new options available, I realized that there were so many add-ons and upgrades that I had not even considered. I probably took more time to select an RV than I should have, simply because I wasn't prepared for all of the choices I had to make. I decided to start this website to let people know about all of the RV upgrades and options that they could select from when buying a new RV. If you are in the market for a new RV, hopefully this helps you decide what features are must-haves for you.