Hitch Class Finder

US & Canada

Enter the trailer's loaded weight and tongue weight. Get the hitch class, the receiver size, and whether your own hitch's label covers it.

Your trailer and hitch

1. The trailer

lb

Gross trailer weight: the trailer as towed, with water, gas and gear aboard.

lb

Measured on a tongue scale or a weigh scale. Leave 0 and it is estimated at 15% of the trailer.

2. Your hitch's label, if you have one

lb

Gross trailer weight on the hitch's label. Leave 0 if unknown.

lb

Tongue weight on the same label. Leave 0 if unknown.

The label is usually on the receiver tube or the hitch's cross bar. Use the weight-carrying figures (GTW and TW), not the weight distribution ones, unless you tow with a weight distribution hitch.

Result

0

How the class was picked

Class limits are CURT's published class chart, which is a manufacturer's convention, not a law. Ratings vary by part number, so the label on your hitch wins over its class, and the lowest-rated part of the rig (vehicle, hitch, ball mount, ball, coupler) sets the limit.

How the finder picks a class

It takes the lowest class whose chart ratings cover both figures: the loaded trailer weight against the class's gross trailer weight (GTW), and the tongue weight against its tongue weight (TW). The tongue is the one people forget, and it often decides the answer on its own.

  • A 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) trailer is inside Class 2's 3,500 lb GTW. At 15% its tongue is 450 lb (204 kg), past Class 2's 350 lb TW, so it needs a Class 3. At 10% (300 lb) it would fit a Class 2.
  • A 9,000 lb (4,082 kg) trailer at an estimated 15% tongue (1,350 lb) is past Class 4's 1,000 lb TW and lands in Class 5 Xtra Duty. Measured at 900 lb it fits a Class 4. That is why weighing the tongue is worth doing.

If you leave tongue weight at 0, the finder uses 15% of the trailer, the top of the 10 to 15% band in Chevrolet, 2026 Trailering Guide, p. 8. That band is manufacturer guidance, not law, and sizing to the top of it avoids buying a hitch that is too small.

Hitch class chart: Class 1 to Class 5

These are CURT Manufacturing's published class figures. They are "up to" figures for the class, not the rating of any particular hitch.

Receiver hitch classes, receiver size and ratings (CURT chart)
Class Receiver GTW TW With WD Typical vehicles
Class 1 1-1/4 in (31.8 mm) up to 2,000 lb up to 200 lb Not rated Cars and crossovers
Class 2 1-1/4 in (31.8 mm) up to 3,500 lb up to 350 lb Not rated Cars, crossovers and minivans
Class 3 2 in (50.8 mm) up to 8,000 lb up to 800 lb up to 12,000 lb / 1,200 lb TW Crossovers, vans, SUVs and trucks
Class 4 2 in (50.8 mm) up to 10,000 lb up to 1,000 lb up to 12,000 lb / 1,200 lb TW Trucks and SUVs
Class 5 Xtra Duty 2 in (50.8 mm) 16,000 to 17,000 lb 2,400 to 2,550 lb up to 17,000 lb / 2,550 lb TW Trucks and SUVs
Class 5 Commercial Duty 2-1/2 in (63.5 mm) 18,000 to 20,000 lb up to 2,700 lb up to 20,000 lb / 2,700 lb TW Dually and chassis cab trucks

The class is a starting point, not a rating. CURT's own chart says "Trailer hitch weight ratings vary by part number. Capacity limited to lowest-rated towing component." Draw-Tite's page for one Class 3, 2 in hitch (part 76396) reads: "This DRAW-TITE Class 3 receiver hitch is rated for up to 3,500 lbs. gross trailer weight (GTW) and up to 525 lbs. tongue weight (TW)." That is under half of the 8,000 lb Class 3 figure, and the same hitch is not rated for weight distribution. Always read the label.

In metric, the top of each class is 907 kg for Class 1, 1,588 kg for Class 2, 3,629 kg for Class 3, 4,536 kg for Class 4 and up to 9,072 kg for Class 5. The calculator converts both ways.

What hitch class means, and how hitches are rated

A hitch class groups receiver hitches by receiver size and weight. The higher the number, the bigger the opening and the more the hitch is built to carry. But most receiver hitches are made for a specific vehicle, and each one carries its own GTW and TW. CURT Manufacturing says "it is important to remember that not all hitches are rated at the same capacity and that no hitch ever increases the maximum weight a vehicle can tow."

The test standard behind hitch ratings is SAE J684. Its scope, quoted from SAE: "This SAE Standard includes couplings, hitches, and safety chains used in conjunction with all types of trailers or towed vehicles whose Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) does not exceed 4540 kg (10 000 lb)." The standard is paywalled, so this page does not print its class limits or test loads; the class figures above are CURT's. Note the scope: J684 stops at a 10,000 lb trailer. Class 5 ratings above that are published by hitch makers, but J684's scope statement does not reach them. Draw-Tite says its hitches are tested to "V-5 and SAE J684 standards".

Class 1 vs 2, 2 vs 3, 3 vs 4, 4 vs 5

  • Class 1 vs Class 2. Same 1-1/4 in receiver. Class 2 is rated higher: up to 3,500 lb against 2,000 lb, and 350 lb of tongue against 200 lb.
  • Class 2 vs Class 3. The receiver jumps to 2 in, and the chart jumps to 8,000 lb. CURT calls Class 3 the most common class on full-size pickups and SUVs, and some Class 3 hitches can take a weight distribution system.
  • Class 3 vs Class 4. Same 2 in receiver. Class 4 is rated higher, up to 10,000 lb and 1,000 lb of tongue in the chart. Ask "Class 3 or 4?" by reading the label, because the receiver looks the same.
  • Class 4 vs Class 5. Class 5 is for heavy-duty trucks: 16,000 to 17,000 lb on a 2 in receiver (Xtra Duty) or 18,000 to 20,000 lb on a 2-1/2 in receiver (Commercial Duty), in CURT's chart.

Receiver hitch sizes

CURT Manufacturing lists four standard sizes: "There are four standard trailer hitch sizes: 1-1/4", 2", 2-1/2" and 3". The hitch size refers to the inside dimensions of the hitch receiver." That is 31.8 mm, 50.8 mm, 63.5 mm and 76.2 mm. Measure the inside of the opening, not the outside of the tube.

  • 1-1/4 in: Class 1 and 2. Cars, crossovers, minivans.
  • 2 in: Class 3, Class 4 and Class 5 Xtra Duty. Most SUVs and pickups, including heavy-duty trucks fitted with a 2 in Class 5.
  • 2-1/2 in: Class 5 Commercial Duty. Dually and chassis cab trucks.
  • 3 in: beyond CURT's five-class chart; Lippert's pin guide lists it as Class 5+.

Receiver adapters let a 2 in receiver take a 1-1/4 in accessory, for example. An adapter is one more part in the chain: it never raises the hitch's rating, and if it carries a lower rating of its own, that becomes your limit.

Hitch pin size by receiver

Hitch pin diameter and minimum usable length by receiver size
Receiver Classes Pin diameter Usable length, at least
1-1/4 in1 and 21/2 in (12.7 mm)2 in
2 in3, 4 and 55/8 in (15.9 mm)3 in
2-1/2 in55/8 in (15.9 mm)3-3/8 in
3 inAbove 55/8 in (15.9 mm)4-7/8 in

From Lippert, Towing 101: Guide to Hitch Pin Sizes, Trailer Hitch Pin Size Chart. Usable length leaves out the bent handle, so a pin that looks long enough overall can still be too short. If a pin or a locking pin states a weight rating of its own, it is one more component, and the lowest rating in the chain still wins.

Hitch rating vs towing capacity

Three different limits get called "towing capacity", and the lowest one is yours:

  1. The vehicle's ratings: tow rating, GCWR, GVWR and payload, from the door sticker and the manual. Payload usually runs out first, because the tongue counts fully against it.
  2. The hitch's label: GTW for the trailer, TW for the tongue.
  3. Everything between: the ball mount, the ball, the coupler and the safety chains, each with its own rating. Ball and ball mount sizing has its own page.

A hitch rated well above the truck does not raise the truck. A truck rated well above the hitch is limited to the hitch. Take a 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) trailer with a 650 lb tongue on that 3,500 lb / 525 lb Class 3 label: it is over by 1,500 lb on GTW and 125 lb on TW, whatever the truck is rated for. Run the vehicle side on Can I tow this?.

How to find your hitch's rating

  • The label on the hitch. A sticker or stamped plate on the receiver or the cross bar, giving GTW and TW, and WD and WDTW if it is rated for weight distribution.
  • A factory hitch: the towing section of the owner's manual, which typically gives the receiver's weight-carrying and weight distribution limits for your build. The door sticker gives the vehicle's limits, not the hitch's; see how to read it.
  • An aftermarket hitch: the maker's product page or install sheet for that part number. Bolt grade and torque come from the install instructions for that part; this page gives no single figure, because there is none for every hitch.
  • Not the VIN. A VIN decode carries neither the hitch rating nor the tow rating; here is why.
  • A rental or borrowed hitch: the same label, on the receiver. The brand on the hitch does not change the rule.

Searching for your vehicle's hitch rating, such as an F-150, Ram 1500, Silverado 1500, Tacoma, Model Y or Outback? The answer changes with year, trim and package, so read it off your own receiver label and manual rather than a chart. This page prints no model's figure without the maker's own document.

Where the hitch label is the law

Hitch classes are not law, but some places regulate the label. In Washington State, Wash. Admin. Code 204-70-060, Hitches says: "Hitches must be tested and labeled in accordance with SAE standard J684 revised July 2005 by its manufacturer to include the maximum gross trailer weight (MGTW) and the maximum vertical load on hitch (tongue weight) each is qualified to tow." Subsection (2) adds that the load on the hitch must not exceed the maker's maximum tongue weight. The chapter covers trailers of 10,000 lb gross weight or less and does not cover fifth wheel or pintle hitches. This is law in Washington only; other states and the provinces were not checked for this page.

Other hitch types: gooseneck, fifth wheel, pintle, bumper

Receiver classes cover the hitch with a square tube. Heavier trailers use a different coupling altogether. Capacities here are the top of CURT Manufacturing's own product ranges:

  • Gooseneck: a ball in the truck bed. Pickups only. Up to 38,000 lb (17,237 kg) in CURT's range.
  • Fifth wheel: a plate in the bed that takes the trailer's kingpin. Pickups only. Up to 30,000 lb (13,608 kg).
  • Pintle: a hook on the truck and a lunette ring on the trailer, common in farm and commercial use. Up to 60,000 lb (27,216 kg) in CURT's range, but the hook's own label sets its GTW and tongue limit.
  • Bumper pull: any trailer coupled behind the vehicle on a ball, as opposed to in the bed. A hitch fitted to the bumper itself is limited to what the bumper can take, as CURT puts it.
  • Weight distribution: an attachment that goes in a receiver rated for it, not a hitch class of its own. Whether you need one is its own page.

Bike racks and cargo carriers

These ride on the receiver like a trailer tongue that never touches the road, so the number that matters is the hitch's tongue weight rating, against the loaded rack or carrier. Class 1's tongue figure in CURT's chart is 200 lb, so weigh the loaded rack or carrier against your own hitch's TW. Match the shank to the receiver size, and use the rack maker's own weight limit as one more component in the chain.

Hitch classes in Canada

The classes and receiver sizes are the same in Canada, and so is the rule: whether the hitch comes from Canadian Tire, Princess Auto or a dealer, its label's GTW and TW are the limit. Use the unit toggle on the calculator to enter kilograms; it converts rather than relabels, so 8,000 lb reads as 3,629 kg.

Sources

Metric figures and the worked examples are arithmetic on the figures above.

Common questions

What class hitch do I need?
The lowest class whose ratings cover both your loaded trailer weight and its tongue weight. In CURT's chart that is Class 1 up to 2,000 lb (907 kg), Class 2 up to 3,500 lb (1,588 kg), Class 3 up to 8,000 lb (3,629 kg), Class 4 up to 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) and Class 5 above that, with tongue limits of 200 lb, 350 lb, 800 lb, 1,000 lb and 2,400 lb to 2,700 lb. Then buy a hitch whose own label covers your numbers, because ratings vary by part number.
What does hitch class mean?
It is a size and weight bracket for receiver hitches: the class tells you the receiver opening and roughly how much the hitch is built to pull. It is a manufacturer convention, not a legal rating. The figures that bind are the gross trailer weight (GTW) and tongue weight (TW) printed on the hitch itself.
What is a Class 1 hitch, and which class supports up to 2,000 lb?
Class 1 is the lightest receiver hitch: a 1-1/4 in receiver rated up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) gross trailer weight and 200 lb (91 kg) tongue weight in CURT's chart. It is the class that tops out at 2,000 lb, typically fitted to cars and small crossovers for a bike rack, a cargo carrier or a small utility trailer.
What class hitch do I have?
Read the label on the hitch first: it gives the GTW and TW ratings, and often the class. If the label is gone, measure the inside of the receiver opening. 1-1/4 in means Class 1 or 2, 2 in means Class 3, 4 or a Class 5 Xtra Duty, and 2-1/2 in means a heavy Class 5. The opening tells you the class family, not the rating.
What class hitch comes on an F-150, Ram 1500 or Silverado 1500?
It depends on the year, the trim and the tow package, and this page does not print a figure for any model without the maker's own document behind it. CURT calls Class 3, a 2 in receiver, the most common class on full-size pickups and SUVs. For the rating, read the label on the factory receiver and the towing section of the owner's manual for that truck.
What class hitch do I need for a bike rack?
Match the rack's shank to your receiver (1-1/4 in or 2 in), then check the loaded rack against the hitch's tongue weight rating, because a rack and its bikes sit entirely on the tongue. The rack maker states its own fit and weight limits.
What class hitch do I need to tow a car?
Add the car's weight to the car trailer's or tow dolly's own weight, then put that total and its tongue weight in the calculator above. The answer is in the numbers, and the tow vehicle's own ratings come first.
What size hitch pin do I need?
A 1-1/4 in receiver takes a 1/2 in pin. A 2 in, 2-1/2 in or 3 in receiver takes a 5/8 in pin, with a longer usable length as the receiver gets bigger. Usable length is measured without the bent handle.
Is a hitch rating the same as towing capacity?
No. The hitch rating is what the hitch can carry; the towing capacity is what the vehicle can pull. CURT Manufacturing puts it plainly: "no hitch ever increases the maximum weight a vehicle can tow." The lower of the two is your limit, along with payload and GCWR.
Does a bigger ball mount make my hitch stronger?
No. A heavier ball mount or ball only matters if it is the weakest link. The rig is limited by its lowest-rated part, so a Class 4 rated ball mount in a hitch labelled 3,500 lb is still a 3,500 lb setup.
Are hitch classes the law?
No. The classes are an industry convention. Some places do regulate the label: Washington State requires hitches to be tested and labelled to SAE J684 with their maximum gross trailer weight and tongue weight, and forbids loading a hitch past the maker's tongue weight figure. Other states and provinces were not checked for this page.
What is a Class A or Class C hitch?
Those letters are motorhome classes, not hitch classes. A Class A or Class C motorhome has a receiver hitch like any other vehicle, and its rating comes from the motorhome's label and manual, which set how much it can tow behind it.
What do GTW, TW, WD and WDTW mean on a hitch label?
GTW is gross trailer weight, the whole loaded trailer. TW is tongue weight, the downward load on the ball. WD and WDTW are the same two ratings when the hitch is used with a weight distribution system. Some hitches carry WD ratings and some are not rated for weight distribution at all.
Does the VIN tell me my hitch rating?
No. A VIN decode does not carry hitch ratings, or the vehicle's tow rating either. Read the hitch label and the door sticker instead.