The Honda Ridgeline has one advantage in towing that other trucks lack.

      Joel Feder

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      If you’ve ever used a pickup for towing, you might have felt the urge to inform the truck's design and engineering team, “You had one job.” This refers to the often frustrating setups for receiver hitches, including safety chain hooks and trailer plug connectors. Trucks are intended to be functional, and they are marketed as such (regardless of whether consumers actually use them that way). However, most contemporary pickups have surprisingly inadequate towing setups. This is not the case with Honda.

      The Honda Ridgeline exemplifies the humble truck that exceeds expectations. It is well-known for its rear seat layout, in-bed storage, and multi-function tailgate, but what really impressed me was its towing receiver and safety chain connections.

      Joel Feder

      Honda excelled in this aspect of design and engineering. The receiver is a straightforward single-wall design complemented by generously sized safety chain hookups that are neither overly thick nor complicated, ensuring they are compatible with nearly every kind of hookup and emergency brake hook I’ve encountered. The seven-pin light connector is positioned directly beside the receiver, which does require a bit of bending down compared to those mounted near the license plate, like in some trucks. However, this design means the plug cord doesn't need to extend as far as it would on those other models.

      While this may seem minor, let’s consider the full-size, light-duty competitors for comparison. I have receipts.

      The Ram’s setup is overly intricate. Joel Feder

      First up is the current Ram 1500. The receiver itself is sufficient, but the outlet for the plug is located by the license plate, making it a stretch for older trailers with shorter wiring harnesses (our old deck boat needed an extender). However, the most problematic feature is the safety chain hookup. At first glance, it appears clever, with a square hole punched in the rear-facing section and a circular one below it. In theory, you could clip your safety chains through the square hole and into the circular one. While this seems intelligent, there’s no practical way to secure the smaller emergency brake hook of a boat trailer, as it doesn't reach through both openings.

      Now let’s examine the Tundra’s configuration, which is unexpectedly tricky. Joel Feder

      The Toyota Tundra, along with everything else on the TNGA-F platform, presents perhaps the most confusing setup. The receiver is double-walled with an air gap, meaning that your standard 3.5-inch hitch pin won’t fit entirely, necessitating at least a 4-inch hitch pin. This isn’t a significant issue if you own a 4-inch pin, but if you’re using the 3.5-inch pin common to other applications, you will run into problems. Trust me, I now possess a 4-inch hitch pin.

      Toyota engineer Sheldon Brown explained that they designed this double-walled receiver for increased strength, durability, and safety. Visually, the safety chain hooks seem well-designed; however, they are too wide for some boats' emergency brake hooks to securely clip around, as shown in the right photo above.

      The Chevy is (mostly) acceptable. Joel Feder

      General Motors’ twins – the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 – rank somewhere in the middle. The receiver itself is adequate, with no standout features (except this particular truck had a cover on it at the time). The plug for trailer brakes and lights is positioned by the license plate, similar to other full-size trucks, which is fine but requires a longer cord than might be available with older trailers.

      The safety chain connections are circular and conveniently located next to the receiver. Most safety chains won’t face issues, but the holes are not particularly large, which can create tight situations for trailers with larger hooks involving both safety chains and emergency brake connections. Fortunately, I haven't encountered issues with a smaller S-hook for the emergency brake pull.

      Confusingly, there are additional holes drilled into the receiver’s bracket near the bumper. These are absolutely not meant for trailer safety chains, as a GM representative revealed to The Drive that they exist to “create room for the hitch pin.” In theory, that makes sense, but in practice, these extra holes lead to confusion about their purpose.

      Ford sells millions of these every year. This really should be better. Joel Feder

      Now, let’s turn to the segment leader: the Ford F-150. One might assume it would naturally feature the best towing setup, but that assumption would be incorrect. Like other full-size trucks, the light hookup is located near the license plate, necessitating a longer cord. That’s a common theme at this point. However, the safety chain hooks are set back under the bumper and angled. While this angling facilitates attachment, their inset positioning makes visibility challenging. This often results in you being on one knee or crouched down to secure the trailer’s chains. Ford may claim this design allows