Can I use the Curt D210 for Winch for pulling vehicles onto a trailer

Updated 04/03/2026 | Published 03/30/2026

Products Featured in This Question

Curt Multipurpose Ball Mount with 2" Receiver for Bike Racks and Cargo Carriers - 7,500 lbs

(234)

$71.82

Curt Trailer Hitch Electric Winch Mount Plate

(51)

$155.73

Question:

Hello, I am currently looking at your dual hitch Part Number: D210. I was wondering if it would be safe to attach a Winch Hitch Mount for a winch to pull non-running vehicles into a car trailer. Looking forward for your response. Thanks

asked by: Mauricio R

Expert Reply:

Hello, that’s a smart question to ask before putting a setup like that together, especially with the kind of load a winch can put on your hitch.

The Curt part # D210 can physically accept a hitch-mounted winch plate like the Curt part # C31010, and from a fit standpoint those parts will work together. That said, the D210 is rated for towing and vertical tongue weight, with a 7,500 lb gross trailer weight rating and 750 lb tongue weight rating shared across both attachment points, and it is not specifically rated for the forward pulling forces that come from winching a non-running vehicle.

Winching can put a different kind of stress on the setup, especially when the vehicle first starts moving or if it binds, so to be fully confident in safety we would want confirmation from Curt that the D210 is approved for that type of use. Without that, the safer approach is typically to mount the winch directly to a properly rated hitch receiver or the trailer.

If you’d like, I can help you put together a setup that is better suited for that application so everything is working within its intended limits. What exactly are you trying to do? Will you be using the ball mount portion of the ball mount?

expert reply by: Heather A

Mauricio R.

4/3/2026

Hello Heather, Thank you for getting back to me. Yes, the plan is to use the winch while the trailer is hooked up to my truck. I do not have space for a trailer so I typically rent a uhaul auto transport trailer. I have been lucky to have purchase the last couple of vehicles where the driveway is at a slanted position which gave me leverage to push the vehicle onto the trailer. As I continue to purchase project vehicles, I can't help wonder that there will be a time where pushing a non-running vehicle will be quite difficult so I am using this time to come up with a solution. So essentially, the proposed plan was to use the D210, when it is time, hook up the trailer, arrive to location, hook up the winch on the top receiver portion, hook up the vehicle and winch the vehicle onto the trailer, detach from vehicle and detach winch. If I unhook the trailer and put the winch in place, the trailer will go upwards as the vehicle is loaded onto the trailer which to me is unsafe but I have seen very few people do it.

Heather A.

4/3/2026

@MauricioR I can see why the rental trailer could pose an issue here.. I did some more digging on this to make sure we have exhausted all of our options. I even reached out to Gen-Y, and they confirmed that their multi-receiver hitches like part # 325-GH-623 are not rated for winching because of the leverage and the type of force a winch creates. The cleanest and safest way I can think of to do what you’re trying to accomplish is to use a front mount hitch on your truck with a hitch-mounted winch. That way you can keep the trailer hooked up in the rear like normal so it stays stable, and then use the winch from the front of the truck to pull the vehicle up onto the trailer. You would run the winch line from the front of the truck back along one side of the vehicle to the car on the trailer, keeping the line as straight as possible and off any sharp edges. If needed, you can use a snatch block at the trailer to help guide the line cleanly. Have you thought about this option? I know it seems a little clunky.