Does the brand of the Hitch matter???

Question

I have an 04 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo and I need to buy a Hitch.So does the brand of the Hitch matter?? What would be a good hitch brand for under $150.00?? Would you trust buying a used Hitch from a used auto parts store or even a junk yard??? I'm planning on renting a 5'x8' Uhaul trailer so I would need a class 3 hitch.Thanks for any help.Bye

Answer 1

The brand of hitch is not nearly as important as identifying the class of hitch that you need.  If all you are doing is hauling a Uhaul then a lighter hitch might work, but if you intend to haul larger trailers at any point you will want a class that is more suitable for higher payloads.

Answer 2

if u are renting a uhaul you can purchase one from them for like 60.00 bucks i think.......l know we bought one when from uhaul when we were moving and pulling a trailer

Answer 3

i like reese got the one for my jeep paid 130 for it has held up very well used it to pull a 35yr old stump out have had it for 3 years and use it all the time and most uhaul places use 2in ball. uhaul sells wiring  for 9.00 thats what it was when i needed to get new wiring

Answer 4

Your best bet is get the yellow pages out and call around to trailer shops. Tell them what you have and how much to install it. However if you are lucky and the SUV has a tow package already, there may be a place to install a hitch receiver or tow "ball".

The hitch receiver is a square tube in the bumper. The adapter goes into that square receiver and a pin holds in it place. Than a Ball Hitch goes on the receiver adapter. They come in different sizes, both the square receiver part and ball side. So ask U-haul what size ball hitch they use.

The other kind of two package is just a Hole in the bumper to put a hitch BALL. The hole is usually right under the license plate.

If all you need is a hitch receiver and/or ball hitch you are looking at $10 to $40 .

Don't mess with used rusty stiff.

U-haul can sell you a clamp on temp deal (or they use to).

Worse case is your will need some hardware and brackets installed by welding and/or drilling holes and bolts. This is best left to the shop to install and they can do it while you wait. In that case you are looking at more. Hard to estimate the cost, but call around. Doing a quick check, it looks like you are looking at $177-$200 plus installation. From the picture it looks like a simple bolt up deal and they should put it in for little or no cost. You will still need a receiver adapter and ball hitch which will cost about $30.

You will also need to tap into the SUV's wiring and install a plug for turn and brake lights. Check with U-haul for type of connection they use and have the shop install that. Again if you have the tow package you should have a plug somewhere in the back, if not you will need this. You are looking at about $10-$20 for the wiring harness and may be about the same to install. Like I said they can usually put all this in in about an hour or less.

The good news is this stuff could be removed and sold easily? Or when you sell the SUV the tow stuff will be there. In the mean time you can always tow stuff. I have a hitch on my passenger car and tow a small trailer when I need a truck. I can sports vehicles or dirt or what ever I need. Its way cheaper than having a truck sitting around to use a few times a year.

You can try a junk yard for a hitch but they will want near new prices and it may be tweaked and rusty garbage. This is your stuff in a trailer and safety (your llfe); don't short cut it to save money.  

Answer 5

The brands to lokk for are dsp and hidden hitch both companies will sell hitches for under 150 dollars and they are the best, any auto parts store will get them for you and take 1/2 hour to install