What's the difference between a Class 2 & Class 3 Hitch ?

I wasn't trying to be a smart a** just curious what TT you were looking at. My neighbor towed a 2 place aluminum flatbed open snowmobile trailer with one 4 wheeler and felt he was pushing it. His had the Honda 6 cyl engine. A guy I shoot with tows a very small pop up with his 6 cyl and says it struggles to do 60 mph. i have a V-front 6x12 ft enclosed cargo trailer that weighs 1200 lbs empty that my 6 cyl Jeep Cherokee struggles to tow over 60 mph at 2600 rpm. My fishing partner tows a 5x7 enclosed cargo trailer that is about 50 in high with his 2007 Impala and it is maxed out towing the trailer. So when you say small are you talking about a 8 ft teardrop, 13 ft Scamp?

marquette wrote:
What kind of trailer are you looking to tow with a Saturn Vue?

As I said in my original post . . . a teeny tiny trailer :-)

better be thinking light weight pop up imo

marquette wrote:
What kind of trailer are you looking to tow with a Saturn Vue?

A very small, lightweight one...:W....Dennis

What kind of trailer are you looking to tow with a Saturn Vue?

Okay I pretty much understand this now, thanks so much everyone! :D

As executive said, you need to be aware of all the ratings, of a vehicle and receiver. Travel trailers tend to be more stable at 13-15% tongue weight vs. other types of trailers. Some boats can be stable at 8% for example. So if you expect to tow about 3500 pounds of TT, then you need to be prepared for up to 500 pounds of TW. I believe the means you should be looking at class 3 receivers.

dandybanana wrote:
I'm just wanting to understand what the benefit is of having a class 3 vs a class 2 or if it makes any difference in my situation. Thx :-)

In your particular situation, changing the hitch class, most likely changes nothing.

The max towing capacity of the vehicle, is limited to the weakest link in it's overall ratings. Those ratings include:

GVWR -- max weight on the vehicle
Payload -- max weight the vehicle is rated to carry
GCVWR -- max combined weight of trailer and tow vehicle
Axle weight ratings -- max weight on the vehicles axles
Tire load rating -- max weight on the tires
Hitch receiver rating -- max weight on the receiver, with or without WDH
Max tow rating -- max weight the vehilce is rated to tow.


Changing to a higher class of receiver, increases the weight of what you can pull, ONLY, if the rest of the ratings are high enough to support that load.

If your vehicle is rated to tow 3500 lb and you upgrade the hitch to a class III / IV, your tow rating is still 3500 lbs.

If your vehicle is rated to tow 10,000 lbs and you downgrade to a class II hitch, your tow ratings drops to 3500 lbs.


Another thing to keep in mind is, everything and everybody you put in or on the tow vehicle, reduces it's available payload, and it's tow capacity, pound for pound.

If your vehicle has 3500 lb tow capacity, and you put 700 lbs of people, pets, and cargo in it, your tow capacity drops to 2800 lbs.

dandybanana...your hitch is but ONE factor in safe towing.

In general, the maximum amount of weight you can safely tow will be the LESSER of the following:

• the GCWR (gross combination weight rating) of the MH/TV minus the actual weight of the MH/Trailer as it is loaded for travel (includes fuel, fresh water, food, clothing, people, pets, supplies, etc.)

• the weight rating of your tow bar

• the weight rating of your HITCH

Notice there are three factors and the hitch is but one of them. Also, note to safely tow, use the LESSER of the three.....Dennis

Class 2 you can't use a WD hitch on it, even if it's a 2" square tube hitch.

Class 3, you can use a WD hitch on it.

Mitch