What Hitch Is Right For Me?

Every GMC vehicle features a variety of standard and available equipment for enhanced trailering performance. Aside from the equipment described below, features such as heavy-duty cooling and extendable trailering mirrors may be available.

This consists of a hitch ball mounted to a step bumper or draw bar, or a tow eye latched to a pintle hook. Hitch balls are available in a range of sizes. Make sure that the diameter of your hitch ball matches your trailer coupler. Also check that the ball meets or exceeds the gross trailer weight rating, which is available at Shortline Buick-GMC.

This is most often used for heavier trailering. This hitch type more evenly distributes the trailer load by using spring bars to shift some of the hitch weight forward onto the tow vehicle’s front axle, and rearward to the trailer’s axles.

These are designed for heavy trailering. Located in the bed of the truck, these hitches position the trailer’s kingpin weight over or slightly in front of the truck’s rear axle. Fifth-wheel and gooseneck hitches are most frequently used with travel trailers, horse trailers and other large trailers. The GMC Sierra HD truck line-up is ideal for the Denver | Aurora fifth-wheel owner.

An optional Trailering Equipment Package is available for a wide variety of GMC models (and is standard on some Canyon, Sierra and Yukon models). The package includes a trailer hitch platform and may include other trailering equipment.

This allows you to connect the electrical components of your trailer, such as signal and brake lights, to the trailering vehicle. All Yukon models feature a seven-pin wiring harness to streamline hookup of trailer lighting and brakes, and a bussed electrical center makes it easier to connect an electrical trailer brake controller if one was not factory installed. Sierra models can be equipped with a four-pin/seven-pin wiring harness.

This is standard on select Sierra and Yukon Denali models and 3500HD, and optional on other Sierra and Canyon pickups and Yukon models. Completely integrated within the electrical system and its antilock braking system, it allows your trailer’s brakes to operate simultaneously with the vehicle’s brakes.

The Owner’s Manual specifies the maximum trailer weight the vehicle can tow without trailer brakes. Trailer brake requirements differ from state to state. Please check your state requirements or see Shortline Buick-GMC for more information. Shortline is centrally located for trailer owners and helps people in Littleton, Golden, Lakewood, Arvada, Westminster and many other Denver metro neighborhoods. The most common trailer braking systems are surge brakes (found primarily on boat trailers) and electric brakes (often used on travel trailers, horse trailers and car haulers). Surge brakes are a self-contained hydraulic brake system on the trailer, activated during deceleration as the trailer coupler pushes on the hitch ball. 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.