Tag Archives: install Trailer Hitch Adapter

Trailer Hitch Adapter Installation Tips

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Recently, we published a blog discussing why you should not use a hitch-mounted wheelchair or scooter lift with a trailer hitch adapter. In today’s blog, we will further this discussion by giving you a guide to installing a trailer hitch adapter for all your other towing needs and applications. Continue reading to get started!

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24 Hour Towing and Roadside Assistance 317-247-8484

Why Use a Trailer Hitch Adapter?

Using a trailer hitch adapter comes with many benefits. Not only does it make it easier to use a 2 inch hitch accessory with a 1 ¼ inch receiver, it also provides a steady and reliable  option for hitch mounted bike racks and cargo carriers designed for 2” receiver hitches.

What You Need to Watch Out For

As mentioned above and in an earlier blog, never use a hitch-mounted carrier lift with a trailer hitch adapter. Furthermore, when using a trailer hitch adapter, be sure to use a cargo support system, such as straps, to prevent movement of your load, as well as, decrease extra stress on the adapter.

Additionally, you much check your receiver hitch tongue weight rating before setting up. You want your tongue weight rating to be greater than your combined cargo weight. See our blog, “A Review of Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings” to learn where to find your trailers GWR, and how to calculate your numbers.

Installing a Trailer Hitch Adapter

The most important aspect of installing a trailer hitch adapter is security. Not only do you want to ensure that your hitch is secure, you want to ensure that your cargo will be safe during transport. Fortunately, installation is relatively easy. Start by inserting the trailer hitch adapter into your towing vehicle’s receiver. Then secure the pins and clips. From there, install your 2” accessory, also securing it with pins and clips. Finish by fortifying your load with cargo support straps.

Where to Find Professional Towing Assistance

Call Zore’s Towing at 317-247-8484 for safe and affordable Indianapolis tow truck services you can trust. Our licensed and insured tow truck operators provide punctual and prompt tow truck services, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week! We also provide numerous community services, roadside assistance services, wrecker and recovery services, and much more. Call 317-247-8484 to request a free estimate, anytime!

Zore's Towing Indianapolis 317-247-8484
Zore’s Towing Indianapolis 317-247-8484

How to Install a Trailer Hitch Adapter

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Our February blogs, seen to the right, “How to Transport a Car Across the Country”, and, “How to Test Tire Tread Using a Penny”, have certainly turned this month into the month of “How To’s!” So we why not end the month with one more “How To” blog?

After some thought, we realized that many novice towers are always asking questions about setting up hitch receivers and adapters. If you have a trailer and towing vehicle, you might want to review the steps for doing both. Continue reading to learn a quick guide to installing a trailer hitch adapter, as well as, some helpful tips for hitch receivers.

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Indianapolis Towing & Recovery 317-247-8484

Trailer Hitch Adapters

Trailer hitch adapters are great because they do just that: adapt. You can use them with a 2 inch hitch accessory with a 1 ¼ inch receiver. Even better, trailer hitch adapters can also be used with hitch-mounted bike racks and cargo carriers that are designed for a 2 inch receiver hitch. Keep in mind, you still must use cargo support straps to prevent your cargo from moving around or creating strain on your trailer hitch.

Before getting started, it is critical to DOUBLE CHECK the receiver hitch tongue weight rating. The tongue weight needs to be higher than the combined weight of the cargo and the apparatuses used to secure everything. See our article, “The 5 Hitch Classes and Their Maximum Load Capacities” to learn more about tongue weight (TW) and gross trailer weight (GTW).

Trailer Hitch Adapter Installation Guide:

Step ❶ – Insert the adapter into your vehicle’s receiver hitch. Then secure it with the pin and clip.

Step ❷ – Install the 2” hitch accessory, then secure it using the pin and clip.

Step ❸ – Secure the hitch accessory with cargo support straps.

Step ❹ – Periodically inspect the hitch accessory as you use it to ensure the trailer hitch adapter and cargo straps are still secure and in place.

When You Need Professional Towing in Indianapolis

Zore's Towing Indianapolis 317-247-8484
Indianapolis Towing & Roadside Assistance 317-247-8484

Call Zore’s Towing at 317-247-8484 for prompt, 24 hour towing and roadside assistance in Indianapolis and its surrounding counties. Our licensed towing and recovery division retains an extensive fleet of over 35 tow trucks and wrecker equipment, allowing us to assist drivers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year, rain, snow, or ice. Request a free estimate, anytime.