2008 Mercury Mariner - Trailer Hitch

What Is A Trailer Tow Hitch?

The trailer hitch, or receiver hitch, is at the core of every towing system. A receiver hitch is a type of trailer hitch that attaches a ball mount or other hitch accessory to your vehicle. The receiver hitch bolts onto the underside of the vehicle at the rear, and is used as a tube for attaching the ball mount using a hitch pin and clip retainer. Typically, receiver hitches have a vehicle-specific design. Each receiver hitch design is a standard receiver tube size and falls within one of five hitch classes based on towing capacity and weight rating. Receiver hitches are designed to carry a specific tow weight, and it is important to ensure that not only the hitch, but also the mount, pin, and the vehicle itself are matched to ensure that towing capacity is not exceeded. If the vehicle is overloaded regularly, the receiver hitch may break, crack, or suffer towing system failure. After purchasing a tow hitch additional towing system components are needed to complete the vehicle side of a towing system. Draw bars, hitch ball, pin and clip, or a receiver lock will be needed and selection of proper size and weight capacities are a must to tow safely. If you need to replace a worn trailer hitch or are ready to upgrade your towing setup, visit O'Reilly Auto Parts for all the towing essentials you need. If you haven't installed a hitch yet, you can also learn how to install a trailer hitch with our How-To resources. O'Reilly Auto Parts carries a selection trailer hitches, bolt-on receiver tubes, and towing starter kits for ball mount towing applications.