Hitches, Receivers & Ball Mounts
Trailer Hitch vs Receiver
Five parts, five names, and almost everyone uses them interchangeably. Here is which is which.
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Short answer
The hitch is the whole assembly bolted to the vehicle. The receiver is the square tube on it. The ball mount or drawbar slides into the receiver. The ball bolts to the mount. The coupler is on the trailer and drops over the ball.
The parts, from vehicle to trailer
| Part | Where it is | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Hitch | Bolted to the vehicle frame | The whole assembly, including the crossmember |
| Receiver | The square tube on the hitch | Accepts the mount; carries the rating label |
| Ball mount / drawbar | Slides into the receiver, held by a pin | Sets the ball height and carries the ball |
| Ball | Bolted through the ball mount | The pivot the trailer turns on |
| Coupler | On the trailer's A-frame | Drops over the ball and latches |
Why the confusion matters
Because capacity ratings belong to specific parts. "My hitch is rated 10,000 lb" might mean the receiver, the ball mount or the ball, and those are three different numbers. Your actual capacity is the lowest in the chain, including the trailer's own coupler rating, which people forget entirely.
Quick picks
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. How these are chosen - and what we do and do not claim to know - is published in full on our research methodology page.
| # | Product | Best for | Our read | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  CURT Loaded Ball Mount with 2 in Ball (2 in drop, 7,500 lb) The ball mount | One trailer at a known height | The removable part with the ball on it | Check price on Amazon #ad Affiliate link - we publish no price; Amazon shows the current one |
| 2 |  CURT 2 in Stainless Trailer Ball (1 in shank, 6,000 lb) The ball | Replacing a worn or wrong-size ball | Sized by the coupler, torqued to spec | Check price on Amazon #ad Affiliate link - we publish no price; Amazon shows the current one |
| 3 |  CURT Anti-Rattle Hitch Pin and Shim (2 in receiver) The pin | Killing receiver rattle | Holds the mount in the receiver | Check price on Amazon #ad Affiliate link - we publish no price; Amazon shows the current one |
1. The ball mount
CURT Loaded Ball Mount with 2 in Ball (2 in drop, 7,500 lb)
CURT · Best for one trailer at a known height
A one-piece mount with the ball already fitted and torqued, rated to 7,500 lb gross and 750 lb tongue with a 2 in drop. Nothing adjusts, which is exactly why nothing rattles or works loose.
Published specifications
What works
- Arrives with the ball fitted, so there is no torque step to get wrong
- One piece means nothing to loosen or rattle
- Light enough to leave in the receiver or throw in a toolbox
What does not
- The 2 in drop is the only drop - measure before you buy
- 7,500 lb ceiling rules out heavier trailers
Skip it if
Useless on a lifted truck, where a 2 in drop will still leave the trailer nose-high and the weight on the rear axle of the trailer.
#ad Affiliate link - we publish no price; Amazon shows the current one
Raw specifications: CURT’s own page. We earn nothing on that link.
2. The ball
CURT 2 in Stainless Trailer Ball (1 in shank, 6,000 lb)
CURT · Best for replacing a worn or wrong-size ball
A replacement 2 in ball on a 1 in shank, rated to 6,000 lb, with a published torque figure of 250 ft-lb. That torque number is the reason to buy a ball from a manufacturer that publishes specs: an under-torqued ball nut is a genuine failure mode.
Published specifications
What works
- Published torque specification, which many balls do not come with
- Stainless finish survives a boat ramp better than plain zinc
- Correct shank sizing is spelled out rather than assumed
What does not
- 6,000 lb ceiling is below what many 2 in couplers are rated to carry
- Needs a torque wrench to fit properly, which many people do not own
Skip it if
Not enough ball if your coupler is rated above 6,000 lb - match the ball to the coupler's rating, not to the hole in your mount.
#ad Affiliate link - we publish no price; Amazon shows the current one
Raw specifications: CURT’s own page. We earn nothing on that link.
3. The pin
CURT Anti-Rattle Hitch Pin and Shim (2 in receiver)
CURT · Best for killing receiver rattle
A pin plus a wedge shim that takes the slop out of the gap between a 2 in mount and a 2 in receiver. That gap is a manufacturing tolerance, not a fault, and this is the cheapest thing on the whole site that fixes a real, daily annoyance.
Published specifications
What works
- Removes the clunk over expansion joints for very little money
- Fits in a glovebox and transfers between vehicles
- No modification to the receiver or the mount
What does not
- Does nothing about rattle originating at the coupler or the sway bar
- Listed as superseded, so check the current item number
Skip it if
Not the fix if the noise is coming from a loose ball nut or a worn coupler - find the source first, because a shim will just mask it.
#ad Affiliate link - we publish no price; Amazon shows the current one
Raw specifications: CURT’s own page. We earn nothing on that link.
Key takeaways
- Hitch is the assembly; receiver is the tube; mount is the removable part.
- The ball is a separate rated component bolted to the mount.
- The coupler is on the trailer and has its own rating.
- Your capacity is the lowest rating in the chain, plus the vehicle's limits.
How we sourced this
Every figure on this page came from one of the following, each fetched while the page was written. Where a manufacturer or regulator does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate it.
- CURT 2 in stainless trailer ball - published specifications including 250 ft-lb mounting torque (part 40083)
- CURT loaded ball mount, 2 in ball, 2 in drop - published specifications (part 45036)
- 49 CFR 567.4 - certification label content, including Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and Gross Axle Weight Rating
Common questions
- Is a drawbar the same as a ball mount?
- Effectively yes - both are the removable piece that slides into the receiver and carries the ball. Drawbar is the older term and is still used for plain fixed versions.
- What is the tongue?
- The trailer's A-frame at the front, which ends in the coupler. Tongue weight is the downward force that the tongue exerts on the ball.
- What is a receiver hitch?
- A hitch whose connection point is a square tube that accepts removable accessories, as opposed to a fixed drawbar welded to the vehicle. It is the normal arrangement on modern vehicles.
More in Hitches, Receivers & Ball Mounts
Class, receiver size, ball diameter, drop. Four numbers decide whether your setup is right, and three of them are stamped on parts you already own.
Read next
Reference
Hitch Classes Explained
The class system from 1 to 5, the two ratings on every label, and the mistake of inferring capacity from tube size.
Guide
Ball Mount vs Hitch Ball
What each part does, how their ratings interact, and the torque step that gets skipped when you buy them separately.
Reference
Receiver Sizes Chart
Tube sizes, pin hole diameters, what fits what, and the derating that comes with a reducer sleeve.
How to
How to Hook Up a Trailer
The full hitching sequence, why chains cross, where the breakaway cable goes, and what to check before you move.
Found something out of date, or a figure you can source better than we did? Corrections get read first. How we research explains how these pages are put together, and contact is one click away.