Category 3 hitch for 19'

[Videocrafters]

My new RAM 1500 has a category 3 hitch. That should work correct?

[sherminator]

Originally Posted by Videocrafters

My new RAM 1500 has a category 3 hitch. That should work correct?

Yes, that should work. Read this for more clarification:

https://www.drawtite-hitches.com/lea...20the%20hitch.

[jennykatz]

We have the 6000 lb hitch as standard on our 2018 Expedition no problem towing our 5500 lb c- dory venture boat or our Escape 21 4500lb RV . Unless your going to tow a much bigger trailer I wouldn’t worry about it . Jim W .

[Brian B-P]

Just for your information, the terminology for towing hitches is "class", rather than "category". A Class 3 hitch is rated for up to 5,000 pounds of trailer weight in the SAE J684 and VESC V-5 standards (so it is fine for an Escape 19'); a Category 3 hitch would usually mean a large 3-point hitch on the back of an agricultural tractor.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by sherminator

Read this for more clarification:

https://www.drawtite-hitches.com/lea...20the%20hitch.

That list isn't bad, but it has a lot of items which are actually not part of the hitch class definitions, a few things that are not really true, and some which are simply wrong. Despite the use of a brand name of hitches, this web site is not published by a hitch manufacturer.

[steve dunham]

My 2019 Ram 1500 has the factory receiver hitch which is a Class IV
The Ram website also states that the Ram 1500 factory hitch is a Class IV
The only time I am aware of that the hitch is rated Class 3 is when the hitch was an after market install

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

My 2019 Ram 1500 has the factory receiver hitch which is a Class IV
The Ram website also states that the Ram 1500 factory hitch is a Class IV
The only time I am aware of that the hitch is rated Class 3 is when the hitch was an after market install

The current online build tool for a 2020 Ram 1500 lists the Class IV hitch as an option on the base model, but standard on most trim levels. It is strange to sell a full-sized pickup with only a Class III hitch, but apparently Ram does it... even if you can't find one in a dealer's inventory.

The 2020 Ram 1500 owner's manual lists two hitches. The base hitch is described as "Class III Bumper Hitch", but with a 6,000 pound trailer weight limit it is actually a bit into Class IV (which is over 5,000 lb and up to 10,000 lb). According to the manual, it is indeed integrated with the bumper and only supports a towing ball - it is not a receiver, so it won't accomodate a weight-distribution system and cannot be adjusted in height.

A bumper-mounted ball like this is unlikely to be suitable for towing any specific trailer, because it is unlikely to coincidentally be at the right height to match the trailer... but if it happens to be at the right height and if WD is not needed, then it is fine for an Escape 19'.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Videocrafters

My new RAM 1500 has a category 3 hitch. That should work correct?

Yes, but...
if it is just a bumper hitch, without a 2" square socket called a receiver, then it can't be adjusted in height and will only work if it happens to be at the right height so that when a ball is installed the top of the ball matches the height of the top of the trailer coupler.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

The current online build tool for a 2020 Ram 1500 lists the Class IV hitch as an option on the base model, but standard on most trim levels. It is strange to sell a full-sized pickup with only a Class III hitch, but apparently Ram does it... even if you can't find one in a dealer's inventory.

The 2020 Ram 1500 owner's manual lists two hitches. The base hitch is described as "Class III Bumper Hitch", but with a 6,000 pound trailer weight limit it is actually a bit into Class IV (which is over 5,000 lb and up to 10,000 lb). According to the manual, it is indeed integrated with the bumper and only supports a towing ball - it is not a receiver, so it won't accomodate a weight-distribution system and cannot be adjusted in height.

A bumper-mounted ball like this is unlikely to be suitable for towing any specific trailer, because it is unlikely to coincidentally be at the right height to match the trailer... but if it happens to be at the right height and if WD is not needed, then it is fine for an Escape 19'.

Thanks Brian for the clarification . I was told , which maybe purely dealer BS , is that the factory receiver hitch is both welded and bolted to the truck frame and is a Class 4
The aftermarket receiver hitch is bolted to the frame ( not welded) and is only a Class 3
I also read something similar on the web but again who knows if that’s the truth or BS

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

I was told , which maybe purely dealer BS , is that the factory receiver hitch is both welded and bolted to the truck frame and is a Class 4
The aftermarket receiver hitch is bolted to the frame ( not welded) and is only a Class 3
I also read something similar on the web but again who knows if that’s the truth or BS

Well, that's kinda sorta close, but not very...
The optional (on base model) / standard (with many trims) factory receiver hitch is a Class 4, but there is no chance it is welded to the frame... and it shouldn't be. Here's a genuine OEM Class 4 receiver hitch for the 2019 Ram 1500:
Trailer Hitch - Mopar (55398274AD)
It bolts to the frame and to the bumper structure, like other high-capacity pickup truck hitches. The 2020 will be at least similar, and perhaps identical.

Aftermarket receiver hitches are available in various ratings (certainly including Class 4), and will be bolted on... as they should be. Here's an aftermarket example, with 17,000 pound trailer weight capacity (which is "beyond Class IV", because Class V doesn't really exist in the standards):
Draw-Tite Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class V - 2"
It is the same for 2019 and 2020 Ram 1500 of both the new style and the "classic". Like the factory hitch, it bolts to the frame and to the middle of the bumper structure.

The Ram dealer may also carry a cheap and easily installed Class 3 aftermarket receiver as an accessory for those without serious towing requirement, but that's not all that is available.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

...
if it is just a bumper hitch, without a 2" square socket called a receiver, then it can't be adjusted in height and will only work if it happens to be at the right height so that when a ball is installed the top of the ball matches the height of the top of the trailer coupler.

There is a fix for this, which is an adapter which adds a receiver to the bumper hitch:
Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"
It's cheap, it bolts easily onto the bumper (using the hole which is supposed to be for the towing ball), and gives you a standard two-inch receiver socket so you can use an appropriate height of ball mount to match the height of the trailer's coupler. It can't be used with a weight-distribution system, and it does not increase the weight capacity of the truck's hitch. I wouldn't bother with it (getting a proper receiver hitch instead), but if you only have the bumper hitch it would be the quickest solution to get towing.