Towing hitch options

[TxTitan]

Please forgive my ignorance, but I rarely ever tow things and i haven't towed anything in my Titan yet.
This weekend i need to tow a real small flat bed trailer with a lawnmower in it about 10 miles(no, the mower won't fit in the bed, too wide).
My question is this, is it ok to just get the 'ball' that you just insert into the hole in the bumper or should i get the whole tow hitch kind of like this one? : http://www.courtesyparts.com/Merchan...de=999T5-A6000
I really don't want to spend $200 on that thing if i rarely tow stuff. Or are there cheaper hitches out there?
I appreciate any advice.

[Bayou Titan]

I would definitely get a receiver hitch even if you never pull anything heavy. The receiver hitch will keep you from denting your license plate and bumper and you will have a nice place for your safety chains to hang and a nice plug for the lights.

[bestatchess]

I think the receiver hitch is the way to go as BT mentioned. This gives you the trailer wiring socket also. Somebody help me out here as mine came with all this stuff, but don't you need a couple of relays for the under hood box if you add the receiver hitch or do those come with the Nissan receiver hitch? I think the trailer wiring is already underneath, right?

[pagerdaddy]

Originally Posted by Bayou Titan

I would definitely get a receiver hitch even if you never pull anything heavy. The receiver hitch will keep you from denting your license plate and bumper and you will have a nice place for your safety chains to hang and a nice plug for the lights.

I'll second the advice Bayou has given you. I have previously towed using
only the step bumper and a ball on the three Frontiers that I previously
owned, and you do risk damaging the plastic around the ball hole, and the
bumper if you jack-knife the trailer too sharply. The receiver hitch will give
you alot more room to swing the trailer. I bought mine from Jamie, one of
our sponsors. You can find an aftermarket one cheaper, but it will not
come with the 2 relays to make your lights work like the factory hitch.
These relays are $47 at the dealer, so there goes your cost savings with
the el cheapo hitch.

Steve

[Sammy Sandbag]

The relays aren't needed for the lights, they are just for the trailer electric brakes. The SE and LE are already wired for lights, you just need an adapter for the OEM 7 pin adapter, which someone said a Chevy adapter works. If not, it's only a $12 part from Nissan. I got a hidden hitch class IV/III for $138 and then the wiring adapter from my dealer. Grand total: $150.

[pagerdaddy]

Originally Posted by sammy sandbag

The relays aren't needed for the lights, they are just for the trailer electric brakes. The SE and LE are already wired for lights, you just need an adapter for the OEM 7 pin adapter, which someone said a Chevy adapter works. If not, it's only a $12 part from Nissan. I got a hidden hitch class IV/III for $138 and then the wiring adapter from my dealer. Grand total: $150.

So it takes two relays just for the trailer brakes?

Steve

[Sammy Sandbag]

So it takes two relays just for the trailer brakes?

Steve

Apparently.

[Bayou Titan]

Oh, I need to point out one more benefit of a receiver hitch. You can get ball mounts (the thingy that the hitch ball screws onto) in varying heights. This allows you to have the ball level with the trailer. If you put a ball on the bumper, the ball is usually way too high. This causes unsafe towing conditions and the floor of your utility trailer to be at a steep angle causing whatever you put on the trailer to slide to the end.

[ski_freak]

The hitch would be a good investment for all the reasons given here, but especially the last post. It is beneficial to have a level trailer for safe towing.

[pagerdaddy]

I did some shadetree measuring with a pull tape, and figured that I
needed about a 5" drop to make my 10' utility trailer level. I bought
a 5 1/2" drop from Walmart, and it did seem to accomplish the goal.

My driveway drops off a little where it meets the road, and when I
backed the trailer into it, I bent the jack that was mounted in the
A frame of the coupler. I never liked that jack anyway.

The Hustler Boat Trailer company is very close to where I live, so
I went there and purchased a jack that mounts to the channel.
When you pull a release pin, you can swing it up level with the
channel and the spring-loaded pin locks it in place. I got my neighbor
to weld the base for it where I wanted it. It also has a wheel on it
so I can now roll the trailer around when it's not hooked up. The
jack was $40. You can also get the bolt on kind, but the welded base
looks much cleaner.

Steve

[Flyin2low]

I'm trying to find a hitch to tow goosenecked trailers. So far nobody around me has been able to help. Most dealers are telling me that none are available for the Titan. Do any of you have any better info?

[greg w]

The gooseneck try here.
http://www.titanregistry.com/
http://www.mrtruck.net/turnoverball.htm