How to Choose a Trailer Hitch Coupler

(Find Your Hitch's Perfect Match)

When it comes to selecting a coupler, there are a few key pieces of information you need to make the right choice. Information like:

What Kind of Trailer Do You Have?
What Are You Towing Your Trailer With?
What Weight Capacity Do You Need?
What Type of Latching Mechanism Do You Prefer?
How Will You Install Your Coupler?

We'll go over how you can find the answers to these questions below, so you can confidently choose the right coupler for your towing setup!

Want a little more background on how couplers work? Check out our overview here.

Watch Now: How to Choose a Trailer Hitch Coupler

What Kind of Trailer Do You Have?

The type of trailer you have will determine the type of coupler you need. Since the coupler will bolt or weld onto the trailer frame, it's important that your coupler matches your frame type.

For instance, if you have a straight trailer tongue, you'll need a straight coupler. For an A-frame trailer, you'll need an A-frame or flat mount coupler. A gooseneck trailer will require a gooseneck coupler.

Do you have hydraulic brakes? You'll need a surge brake actuator coupler to sync up your trailer brakes with your tow vehicle brakes

There should be no excessive movement or gaps between your coupler and trailer tongue, so it's important to choose a coupler of the right size and shape. For instance, if you have a standard 2" straight trailer tongue, you'll need a standard 2" coupler. Alternatively, a 3" round channel will require a 3" round coupler.

Straight Trailer Coupler

A-Frame Trailer Coupler

Gooseneck Trailer Coupler

What Are You Towing Your Trailer With?

Although most trailers are towed with a ball mount/hitch ball combo, other mechanisms for towing do exist. For instance, you can also use a lunette ring or clevis for heavy-duty towing. Many overlanders choose to go with a fully articulating coupler like the Lock N Roll.

If you stick with a more traditional hitch ball, your coupler will need to match your hitch ball size. Ball couplers are available in various sizes, including 1-7/8", 2", and 2-5/16". Couplers should be secure but still allow for pivot during turns.

Do you tow with multiple different vehicles? Consider an adjustable coupler, which mounts to your trailer tongue and adjusts to match the height of different tow vehicles.

What Weight Capacity Do You Need?

The next thing to consider is your coupler's weight capacity. Most trailer couplers are rated for gross trailer weight (GTW), although some are also rated for a maximum tongue weight (TW). Be sure to select a trailer coupler of sufficient weight capacity to support your towing setup. Remember, every setup is only as strong as its weakest component.

Gross Trailer Weight

The weight of the fully loaded trailer (including the weight of the trailer itself, loaded cargo, and any additional weight along for the ride, such as fuel, gear, water, etc).

Example: If your GTW is 15,000 lbs, your coupler will need to be rated for 15,000 lbs or greater to support the load.

So how do you determine your GTW? Your dry weight (the weight of the unloaded trailer) should be listed on a plate or sticker somewhere on the trailer itself. Add to this the weight of any added cargo (fuel, batteries, water, etc). This is your GTW.

Tongue Weight

The weight that the fully loaded trailer exerts downward on the hitch ball of the tow vehicle. Typically, your tongue weight should be 10-15% of your total trailer weight. Not all couplers are tested for tongue weight ratings. If no tongue weight rating is available, simply refer to the GTW rating for your coupler and and keep your tongue weight in the 10-15% range.

Gooseneck trailers feature a "vertical load limit," which is essentially the same as tongue weight on a traditional trailer hitch. Vertical load limit refers to the amount of weight pushing down on the gooseneck ball.

Learn more about determining trailer tongue weight here.

What Type of Latching Mechanism Do You Prefer?

Couplers attach to hitch balls by means of their latching mechanisms. These latching mechanisms clamp around the ball, allowing for pivot during turns while also maintaining a secure connection.

There are several different coupler latch types available. Entry-level couplers generally include a trigger or handle used to latch/unlatch the coupler. If you'd prefer a more convenient option, you can also purchase an upgraded coupler with an automatic latching feature.

In cases where there is no hitch ball, such as setups using a lunette ring, the coupler will instead attach to the pintle hitch mount, clevis mount, etc. These are typically for heavy-duty setups.

How Will You Install Your Coupler?

Trailer couplers are either bolted or welded onto the trailer frame. All welding should be completed by a qualified professional, but if you're handy, you can probably install a bolt-on coupler at home.

Click here to watch a step-by-step video on installing a bolt-on trailer coupler. Note that you can weld a bolt-on coupler to a trailer, but you cannot bolt on a weld-on coupler.

Weld-On A-Frame Trailer Coupler

Bolt-On Straight-Frame Trailer Coupler

Still have questions?

Give our experts a call at 800-298-8924, or contact us online. We're happy to assist any way we can!

About the Author

As a content writer for etrailer, I might spend my morning loading and unloading a bike on five different bike racks to figure out which is easiest to use. I might be in the parking lot, taking pictures of an impressive RV battery setup our techs came across in the shop and discussing the benefits of the setup with the owner. I might spend an afternoon in a manufacturer training classes for some hands-on experience with new products, and then sit down to assemble all this information into a coherent article.

At etrailer, one of our core values is that we are always learning, and I learn something new every day. I start each morning with the goal in mind of taking all of this information and figuring out the best way to answer the questions people ask us (and the ones they don’t know to ask yet), and helping people get the solutions they need to make their lives easier, safer, and more fun. I’m a DIYer at heart, so it brings me great joy to help a fellow DIYer find what they’re looking for, whether that’s a product, an answer, or a community.

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Trailer Couplers

How Does a Trailer Hitch Coupler Work

Ball Mount Basics: Weight Capacity, Class, and Size

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Written by: Amber S.

Updated on: 12/2/19

Angela B.

1/18/2022

Looks like a pretty easy install.

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