Conventional, weight-distributing, fifth-wheel and gooseneck hitches
A conventional hitch couples the trailer to a ball at the rear of the vehicle. A fifth-wheel or gooseneck hitch sits in a pickup's bed over the rear axle. Manufacturers rate them separately, which is why one truck can have two different maximums.
Conventional: weight-carrying and weight-distributing
A weight-carrying hitch puts the trailer's tongue load on the rear of the vehicle. Ford describes it as commonly used for small and medium trailers.
A weight-distributing hitch adds spring bars that spread the tongue load across all the wheels of the vehicle and trailer. Ford's guide says it is required for certain Class III and all Class IV applications. A vehicle's table or footnotes say when its rating depends on one, and we list that under what the rating needs.
Fifth-wheel and gooseneck
A fifth-wheel hitch is mounted in the pickup bed and puts more of the trailer's weight directly over the towing vehicle. A gooseneck attaches in the bed too, with the weight resting over the rear axle, and is common for horse and farm trailers.
Manufacturers publish these ratings in their own tables, usually for full-size and heavy-duty pickups. We show them in a separate table from conventional ratings.
When the source does not say
Some documents give a trailer weight without naming a hitch type, especially spec sheets for SUVs and crossovers. We show those under "Hitch type not stated" and do not assume one.
This explains the terms. The limits for your own vehicle are on its door-jamb label and in its owner's manual.
Equipment this guide mentions
- Weight-distributing hitch. See on Amazon (paid link)
- Fifth-wheel hitch. See on Amazon (paid link)
- Gooseneck hitch. See on Amazon (paid link)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Equipment does not raise a vehicle's rating.