What you need to tow a travel trailer
Travel trailers are tall, light for their size and act like a sail in crosswind — which is why sway control matters more here than on any other trailer type.
The core kit at 6,000 lb (a typical travel trailer)
- RequiredClass 3 hitch (2 in receiver)
A 6,000 lb trailer needs a hitch rated at or above 6,000 lb gross trailer weight. Class 3 hardware is rated to 8,000 lb (typically) with 1,000 lb tongue weight. Ratings are set per part number — check the sticker on the hitch itself, and remember your vehicle's own tow rating still governs if it is lower.
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - RequiredBall mount rated above 900 lb tongue weight
Your tongue weight lands in the 600–900 lb band (10–15% of 6,000 lb). Size the drop or rise so the trailer sits level when coupled — measure your receiver height and your coupler height first; a nose-high or nose-down trailer moves weight off the axles and starts sway.
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - RequiredHitch ball — 2 in or 2-5/16 in
The ball must match the size stamped on your coupler exactly. Ball diameter MUST match the coupler size stamped on your trailer coupler. An undersized ball lets the trailer bounce loose. Capacity varies by part number. At 6,000 lb the sizes rated to carry it are 2 in or 2-5/16 in, but the coupler decides, not the weight. Full ball and coupler size chart →
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - RequiredWeight-distributing hitch with sway control
Required here because you pass both limits — 6,000 lb is over the 5,000 lb weight-carrying ceiling, and your tongue weight can reach 900 lb, over the 600 lb tongue ceiling. Chevrolet and Ford both publish the same ceiling: above 5,000 lb, a weight-carrying hitch is no longer enough. A weight-distribution system spreads tongue load back onto the front axle and the trailer axles instead of squatting the rear.
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - RequiredBrake controller (and a 7-pin connection)
Trailer brakes are required above 2,000 lb of trailer weight on full-size trucks and SUVs, and electric trailer brakes need a controller in the cab to operate them. Brake requirements vary by state — check your state's law, some set the threshold lower. Many recent trucks have an integrated controller already; check before you buy one.
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - Required7-pin wiring harness / adapter
A 4-pin flat carries lights only. Electric trailer brakes and a charge line need the 7-pin round connector. Match the harness to your vehicle, not to the trailer.
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - RequiredSafety chains rated for the trailer
Chains must be rated at or above 6,000 lb and cross under the tongue in an X, so the tongue is caught rather than dropped if the coupler releases.
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - RecommendedHitch pin and lock
Keeps the ball mount in the receiver and makes it much harder to walk off with. Match the pin diameter to your receiver (2 in).
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - RecommendedTowing mirrors
If the trailer is wider than your vehicle you must be able to see down both sides of it. Many states require it; all of them make it safer.
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - RecommendedTongue weight scale
Tongue weight is the one number nobody publishes for you — it depends entirely on how you load the trailer. A scale is the only way to know you are inside 600–900 lb instead of guessing.
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
What is different about a travel trailer
- RequiredSway control (or a WD hitch that includes it)
A travel trailer's flat sides catch crosswind and truck bow-waves. Sway control is what stops a correction becoming a tank-slapper. Most weight-distributing hitches integrate it.
Find it on Amazon →Affiliate link — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. - RecommendedExtended towing mirrors
A travel trailer is almost always wider than your truck. If you cannot see down both sides of it, you cannot see what is passing you.
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"The most common trailer braking systems are electric brakes (often used on travel trailers, horse trailers and car haulers) and surge brakes (found primarily on boat trailers). An electric trailer brake system uses a brake control unit mounted inside the trailering vehicle; it operates by sensing the vehicle brakes and then applying the trailer brakes. Surge brakes are a self-contained hydraulic brake system on the trailer, activated during deceleration as the trailer coupler pushes on the hitch ball."
— 2025 Chevrolet Trailering Guide, p.6 (Trailer Brakes)
Common questions
Do I need a brake controller for a travel trailer?
Yes, if the trailer has electric brakes — which travel trailers normally do. The controller lives in the cab and applies the trailer brakes in step with yours. Many recent trucks have one built in; check before buying.
What tongue weight should a travel trailer have?
10–15% of the loaded trailer weight. At a 6,000 lb trailer that is 600–900 lb on the ball, and all of it counts against your payload, not your towing capacity.
What hitch do I need for a travel trailer?
Size it to the loaded weight, not to the type. At 6,000 lb that is Class 3 hardware in a 2 in receiver, plus a weight-distributing hitch with sway control. Weigh yours loaded — a travel trailer at its GVWR can need a different class entirely.
Your exact weight
Towing something else?
Source: 2025 Chevrolet Trailering Guide, p.8-9 (Tongue Weight / Loading Your Trailer) · last verified 2026-08-29