Trailer Hitches and Towing Parts in Ocean View, NJ
If you're getting a travel trailer ready to tow down the shore, the right ball, the right hitch and whether you need weight distribution all depend on your vehicle and your trailer. Our parts counter in Ocean View carries the towing parts you need, and our staff can help you find what fits.
To choose the right towing parts, you need three things: the ball size stamped on your trailer's coupler, your trailer's loaded weight and tongue weight, and the towing ratings for your vehicle and your hitch receiver. Once you have those numbers, it's easy to pick the right ball and hitch, and to tell whether you need weight distribution.
Towing Parts We Carry
You'll find these in our 3,500-square-foot parts showroom:
If you're replacing something, bring the old part or a photo of it with you. It's the quickest way to make sure you leave with the right one.
- Trailer hitches
- Tow balls
- Receiver pins
- Weight distribution hardware
What Size Hitch Ball Do I Need?
Your hitch ball has to match the coupler on your trailer's tongue. The size is stamped on the coupler, usually on the top or the side. The three most common sizes are:
Close isn't good enough. On the wrong size ball, a coupler can look latched when it isn't.
The ball also has its own weight rating, usually stamped on the top. Make sure that rating is at least as high as your trailer's loaded weight, and that the ball's shank fits the hole in your ball mount.
- 1 7/8 inch
- 2 inch
- 2 5/16 inch
Do I Need a Weight Distribution Hitch?
You need one when your trailer is heavier than your vehicle or your hitch receiver is rated to handle without it. Those limits are in your owner's manual and on the rating label on the receiver. If the back of your vehicle sags noticeably once the trailer is hitched, that's a sign to check those numbers.
The manual lists the maximum tongue weight your vehicle can carry with a standard hitch, and usually a higher figure with weight distribution. The receiver's label lists its own ratings. Stay within whichever number is lowest.
Other signs worth checking once you're hitched up:
- The front end rises and the headlights aim higher
- The steering feels light on the highway
How a Weight Distribution Hitch Works
A weight distribution hitch moves some of the trailer's tongue weight off your vehicle's rear axle and onto the front axle and the trailer's axles. It does this with spring bars that run from the hitch head back to the trailer's frame. With the bars tensioned, your vehicle rides closer to level, so the steering and brakes work the way they should.
It doesn't reduce the tongue weight. It changes where that weight is carried. Many weight distribution hitches also include sway control, or can have it added.
Check Your Hitch Before the First Trip of the Season
If your trailer has been parked near the ocean since last fall, take a look at the hitch parts before you tow it. Salt air is hard on steel.
If your receiver pin is rusted, we carry replacements.
- Look for rust or pitting on the ball
- Check that the receiver pin and clip come out easily and aren't corroded
- Open and close the coupler latch to make sure it moves freely
- Look over the safety chains for worn or stretched links
Buying a Park Model? You Won't Need a Hitch
A park model isn't something you tow behind your own vehicle. We offer local delivery, leveling and skirting for park models, and delivery to other local campgrounds is free. Our towing parts are for the travel trailer or camper you tow yourself.
See Units for Sale
Visit Our Parts Counter in Ocean View
When you come in, please bring your trailer's coupler size, its loaded weight and tongue weight, and your vehicle's towing ratings. If you're not sure of a number, a photo of the coupler and of the label on your hitch receiver will help us find the right parts. While you're here, you can browse the rest of our parts and accessories.
Get in TouchOcean View Trailer Sales
2555 US-9
Ocean View, New Jersey 08230
(609) 624-0370
Common Questions About Trailer Hitches
What is tongue weight?
Tongue weight is the downward force your trailer's coupler puts on the hitch ball. For most travel trailers it runs about 10 to 15 percent of the trailer's loaded weight. Too little can make the trailer sway, and too much overloads the back of your tow vehicle.
Where do I find my trailer's weight?
Check the weight label on your trailer or in its owner's manual. It lists the trailer's empty weight and the most it's rated to weigh fully loaded. Your actual loaded weight falls somewhere between the two, and a truck scale will give you the exact number. Many labels also list a dry hitch weight, but your loaded tongue weight will be higher, and a tongue weight scale gives the real number.