How to Trailer a Car

If you haul heavy loads frequently, as is the case with someone who moves often, it may not be cost-effective to keep renting trucks. If your car is large enough, you may be able to equip it for use with a trailer. There are a wide variety of trailers available---you can use them to haul motorcycles, smaller vehicles and general merchandise.

Things You'll Need

  • Full-size or larger car
  • Trailer hitch kit
  • Trailer
  • Make sure that your car is appropriate for towing trailers. You should not attempt to trailer a compact or standard sized cars---they are not strong enough to handle that type of weight. Only trailer with a full-sized or larger car that can tow at least 2,000 pounds.

  • Install a trailer hitch kit to the back of the vehicle. This is a unit made of a base frame (bolted to the back underside of the vehicle), receiver (square hole), draw bar (connected to the frame through the receiver), and trailer ball that links to the actual trailer. You can find a hitch kit that fits your car's towing capacity at a car dealer, auto parts store, or online.

  • Find a trailer that weighs in well below your car's towing capacity and fits your trailer ball (usually varies in size from about 2 to 2.5 inches wide). Be sure to add in the average weight of items that you plan to haul inside of the trailer when considering the tow capacity and make sure that it is equipped with functional brake lights. You can rent trailers at most truck rental locations.

  • Connect the trailer to the hitch ball and lock the trailer's connection into place over the ball.