different class ratings

[jabink89]

what is the differnece on class ratings in standard 2 inch hitches?

thanks in advance.

JOSH

[TonkaThunder]

class 4 max trailer weight=10,000lbs
class 5 max trailer weight=15,000lbs
off the top of my head I cant remember max tounge weights, but 10% of max trailer weight is a good max weight.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by jabink89

what is the differnece on class ratings in standard 2 inch hitches?

There is no such thing as an industry-standard "class" rating for receivers. So ignore the so-called class of a receiver and go by the weight capacity.

A standard 2" receiver can have as little as 3,500 pounds trailer weight capacity, or more than 12,500 pounds trailer weight capacity. Most, but not all, receiver manufacturers go up to a 2.5" receiver when they go over about 12,500 pounds gross trailer weight capacity.

And pay attention to both the weight-carrying (WC) and the weight-distributed (WD) capacity of the receiver. Most receivers with 10,000 or more pounds of WD capacity will have only half that much WC capacity.

Ford's definition of class IV and V were not clear, but they called my receiver a class IV, and it has 5,000 WC / 10,000 WD. Reese calls that one a Class III. And because the line is blurred, some retailers call any receiver with a WD around 10,000 pounds a Class III/IV.

Later, Ford advertising said the optional SuperDuty receiver was a Class V, but it has a 2" receiver and it was rated only 6,000 WC and 12,500 WD. Reese calls that one a Class IV.

Reese, Drawtite, and Hidden Hitch are all the same company now, and they are by far the largest hitch manufacturer in the USA. Their definition of class V is the Titan or Tow Beast receiver with a WC of 12,000 pounds and a WD of 17,000, and with a 2.5" receiver. But others, Ford included, call a receiver with a lot less capacity a class V.

Because Reese/Drawtite/Hidden Hitch are the big boys, some folks assume their class definitions are some sort of an industry standard. They're not. But if you are buying one of their receivers, here is part of their definition of class III, IV, and V ratings. To see the full definition, look on the Reese website at || REESE PRODUCTS ||

Class III
Class III hitches used as weight carrying are rated up to 6000 lbs. gross trailer weight (GTW) with a maximum trailer tongue weight (TW) of 600 lbs. Hitches that are used for weight distributing are rated up to 10,000 lbs. gross trailer weight (GTW) with a maximum trailer tongue weight (TW) of 1000 lbs.

Class IV
Class IV hitches used as weight carrying are rated up to 10,000 lbs. gross trailer weight (GTW) with a maximum trailer tongue weight (TW) of 1000 lbs. Hitches that are used for weight distributing are rated up to 14,000 lbs. gross trailer weight (GTW) with a maximum trailer tongue weight (TW) of 1400 lbs.

Class V
Class V hitches are very similar to Class III & IV hitches except for the weight ratings and that the hitch uses a 2-1/2" receiver. Class V hitches are weight carrying (WC) and weight distributing (WD) hitches. Class V hitches used as weight carrying are rated up to 12,000 lbs. gross trailer weight (GTW) with a maximum trailer tongue weight (TW) of 1200 lbs. Hitches that are used for weight distributing are rated up to 17,000 lbs. gross trailer weight (GTW) with a maximum trailer tongue weight (TW) of 1700 lbs.