[masklinn]

> Not according to trailer rental companies. And since it's their trailer, not yours, they get to make the rules - yet another way it's more convenient to own a truck.

> I had to go buy one, and there were three different main sizes of ball hitch, so there doesn't appear to be a single "basic ball hitch."

Damn the US are silly as fuck. The wiki confirms that the US has 4 size of hitch balls (1 7/8, 2, 2 5/16, 3).

In europe there’s only the ISO (50mm) hitch ball. Above that you might get drawbars and pintles, but they tend to be more specialised and for heavier applications than a basic trailer or camper.

But surely you can get a class II or class III receiver tube, and then have a set of tow balls you can swap in based on trailer requirements?

[inferiorhuman]

In the US most places are less concerned about the hitch and more about the vehicle itself. Even if the identical car is sold in Europe and rated to tow something hefty, it's probably not rated as such in the US and you'll have a hard time getting someone to rent you a trailer.

Part of the problem is that there are generally more restrictive speed limits on RVs and cars with trailers in Europe (and those limits are generally more stringently enforced). e.g. Spain sets a limit of 90 kph for a car with a trailer while South Dakota sets the limit at 130 kph.

[uxp100]

Indeed you can even get a single, uh, shaft, that has a ball on each side and pull it out and rotate it to select which one to use. Maybe not for a 3” hitch.