What you need to tow a car hauler or equipment trailer
Car haulers are dense and low, so they behave better than a travel trailer of the same weight — but the load is the whole problem: it moves if you do not secure it properly.
The core kit at 7,000 lb (a typical car hauler)
- RequiredClass 3 hitch (2 in receiver)
A 7,000 lb trailer needs a hitch rated at or above 7,000 lb gross trailer weight. Class 3 hardware is rated to 8,000 lb (typically) with 1,000 lb tongue weight. Ratings are set per part number — check the sticker on the hitch itself, and remember your vehicle's own tow rating still governs if it is lower. Note: your tongue weight can reach 1,050 lb, which is above the 1,000 lb weight-carrying tongue rating for this class. That is not a contradiction — a receiver carries two ratings, and its weight-distributing tongue rating is higher. It is exactly why the weight-distributing hitch below is not optional. Check both numbers on the hitch's own sticker.
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - RequiredBall mount rated above 1,050 lb tongue weight
Your tongue weight lands in the 700–1,050 lb band (10–15% of 7,000 lb). Size the drop or rise so the trailer sits level when coupled — measure your receiver height and your coupler height first; a nose-high or nose-down trailer moves weight off the axles and starts sway.
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - RequiredHitch ball — 2 in or 2-5/16 in
The ball must match the size stamped on your coupler exactly. Ball diameter MUST match the coupler size stamped on your trailer coupler. An undersized ball lets the trailer bounce loose. Capacity varies by part number. At 7,000 lb the sizes rated to carry it are 2 in or 2-5/16 in, but the coupler decides, not the weight. Full ball and coupler size chart →
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - RequiredWeight-distributing hitch with sway control
Required here because you pass both limits — 7,000 lb is over the 5,000 lb weight-carrying ceiling, and your tongue weight can reach 1,050 lb, over the 600 lb tongue ceiling. Chevrolet and Ford both publish the same ceiling: above 5,000 lb, a weight-carrying hitch is no longer enough. A weight-distribution system spreads tongue load back onto the front axle and the trailer axles instead of squatting the rear.
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - RequiredBrake controller (and a 7-pin connection)
Trailer brakes are required above 2,000 lb of trailer weight on full-size trucks and SUVs, and electric trailer brakes need a controller in the cab to operate them. Brake requirements vary by state — check your state's law, some set the threshold lower. Many recent trucks have an integrated controller already; check before you buy one.
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - Required7-pin wiring harness / adapter
A 4-pin flat carries lights only. Electric trailer brakes and a charge line need the 7-pin round connector. Match the harness to your vehicle, not to the trailer.
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - RequiredSafety chains rated for the trailer
Chains must be rated at or above 7,000 lb and cross under the tongue in an X, so the tongue is caught rather than dropped if the coupler releases.
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - RecommendedHitch pin and lock
Keeps the ball mount in the receiver and makes it much harder to walk off with. Match the pin diameter to your receiver (2 in).
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - RecommendedTowing mirrors
If the trailer is wider than your vehicle you must be able to see down both sides of it. Many states require it; all of them make it safer.
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - RecommendedTongue weight scale
Tongue weight is the one number nobody publishes for you — it depends entirely on how you load the trailer. A scale is the only way to know you are inside 700–1,050 lb instead of guessing.
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
What is different about a car hauler or equipment trailer
- RequiredRated tie-down straps or chains
Secure the vehicle at four points to the trailer's own anchor points. Wheel straps hold the tyres rather than loading the suspension, which stops the car bouncing on its springs and shifting your tongue weight while you drive.
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - RecommendedLoading ramps
Check the ramp's rating and its angle — a low car grounds out on a steep ramp long before the ramp runs out of strength.
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"The most common trailer braking systems are electric brakes (often used on travel trailers, horse trailers and car haulers) and surge brakes (found primarily on boat trailers). An electric trailer brake system uses a brake control unit mounted inside the trailering vehicle; it operates by sensing the vehicle brakes and then applying the trailer brakes. Surge brakes are a self-contained hydraulic brake system on the trailer, activated during deceleration as the trailer coupler pushes on the hitch ball."
— 2025 Chevrolet Trailering Guide, p.6 (Trailer Brakes)
Common questions
Do I need a brake controller for a car hauler or equipment trailer?
Yes, if the trailer has electric brakes — which car haulers normally do. The controller lives in the cab and applies the trailer brakes in step with yours. Many recent trucks have one built in; check before buying.
What tongue weight should a car hauler or equipment trailer have?
10–15% of the loaded trailer weight. At a 7,000 lb trailer that is 700–1,050 lb on the ball, and all of it counts against your payload, not your towing capacity.
What hitch do I need for a car hauler or equipment trailer?
Size it to the loaded weight, not to the type. At 7,000 lb that is Class 3 hardware in a 2 in receiver, plus a weight-distributing hitch with sway control. Weigh yours loaded — a car hauler at its GVWR can need a different class entirely.
Your exact weight
Towing something else?
Source: 2025 Chevrolet Trailering Guide, p.8-9 (Tongue Weight / Loading Your Trailer) · last verified 2026-08-29