Is a Hitch Necessary for a 1995 Ford Ranger With Bumper That has Hitch Ball Holes?

Question:

I want to get a pop up camper. I got a hitch for my own car 2005 Ford Taurus but want to be able to put it on my brothers truck, a 1995 Ford Ranger, also. There's a ball opening on the bumper. Does that mean it comes equipped with the hitch already and all I need is the ball or do I also need to get a hitch? Thank you.

asked by: Tracy

Expert Reply:

If your brother's 1995 Ford Ranger has a bumper with integrated hitch ball holes, then you may not need a hitch, depending on the weight of the camper and the towing capacity of the Ranger using the bumper hitch ball. If his Ranger did have the ability to pull your pop-up camper, you would only need a hitch ball with the same diameter as the coupler on your camper, and the shank diameter that fits the hitch ball hole on your brother's Ranger.

For example, the Draw-Tite # 19260 is a 1-7/8" hitch ball with a shank that is 1" in diameter and 2-1/8" long. The Draw-Tite # 19255, meanwhile, is a 2" ball with a shank that is 3/4" in diameter and 3-3/8" long. I have added a link to our page with each of our available hitch balls for you.

If you find out the bumper hitch on the Ranger did not have the weight capacity to tow he would need a hitch such as the Curt # 13138, a Class III hitch with a 400 lb tongue weighty capacity and 4,000 lb towing capacity. He will also need a 4-flat connector # 118325, to power the lights on the camper.

I've attached links to video reviews for you to take a look at as well.