How to choose a hitch receiver

I could not find an answer to my question.

My 1500HD is fine for towing the TM. I want to tow a utility trailer behind my 1997 dodge Dakota 2wd club cab v6 manual transmission.

Hitch receivers are available with capacities up to 5000 pounds and 500 pound tongue weight. A utility trailer for 2 ATVs and 2 motorcycles (dirt bikes) will be lighter than that. I was thinking that in a pinch if the 1500HD were disable I could potentially tow the TM 2720 with the Dakota, at least to get it home or ff the freeway. I know that my TM weighs 3380 on the axle, so that would make the total weight a little over 4000 and a tongue weight of about 450 to 500 I think.

Hitch receivers are available from Putnam, Hidden Hitch, Reese, Drawtite, and Curt, just to name a few. Prices range from $121 to $170. I searched websites for hitchesonline, etrailer, autoanything and hitchshopusa.

I do not know how to choose. I could go cheap, I could pick one at random or let DW pick out a cute one. There has to be a better way.

I didn't have this issue when I bought the TM because my truck had the towing package.

[Bill]

Wayne -

Since this is for occasional or emergency use only, you won't be looking at the extra cost of an Equal-I-Zer. Once you have stepped off that plateau, hitches and receivers are kind of a commodity item. It appears that Reese and Draw-Tite are the same - they may have merged a couple years ago. Both are well-respected names, and standards in the industry. Hidden Hitch also seem to be well-respected. Is there an extra cost for the HIDDEN feature? I don't know anything about Putnam. Someone on this board had a fit problem with a a Curt unit not long ago, though I don't recall the details - it may have had something to do with the swing tongue. I guess my advice would be "Don't buy a Cadillac - but don't buy a Yugo, either."

Much to my surprise, the various Class ratings (Class III, Class IV, etc) don't seem to be standardized. A Class III hitch from one manufacturer does not have the same rating as someone else's Class III. So when you choose, make sure you understand the actual weight rating, not just the Class category. This is complicated by the fact that the dividing line between Class III and Class IV seems to be right about at the weight of a TM.

Hope this helps. If there are specific questions, come back to us.

Bill