How Much Can You Tow?

How Much Can You Tow?

How much can you tow? Do you regularly hitch up a utility trailer full of tools? Are you hauling horses and other livestock? Or do you just need to pull your boat to the lake a few weekends of the year? Whatever you’re using your trailer hitch for, you need to make sure your towing needs and towing capacity match; your safety and the safety of others on the road around you depend on it.

Many factors contribute to a vehicle’s towing capacity: axle ratio, transmission configuration (whether it is rear or front wheel drive), tire and suspension load ratings, engine cooling equipment, type of brakes, etc. As you might expect, full size trucks, have, by class the highest towing capacity. Topping the list of heavy haulers is the 2008 Ford F450 with a whopping 24,000 lbs of towing capacity. That’s huge! In fact, it’s a full size back hoe (without a trailer). Also impressive is the the Nissan Armada (in the full size SUV class) with a 9,000 lb capacity. But the real shocker is the Hyundai Elantra, member of the compact sedan class, which checks in at 3,086 lbs towing capacity if the trailer is equipped with brakes, and 1,000 lbs for a trailer with no brakes. That’s the same or more towing power in a budget-priced compact that you will find in many more expensive full size sedans!

So, how much can you tow? Well, your vehicle’s towing capacity is listed with other manufacturer’s specs in your owner’s manual. There you will find at least two numbers relating to towing capacity; these are the gross trailer weight capacity (the weight of the trailer fully loaded) and ball weight capacity, (the amount of weight the trailer puts on your hitch ball). These numbers are pretty important as far as your safety and the safety of the drivers around you. A vehicle towing a trailer that is too heavy or improperly loaded will not have the steering or braking control necessary to operate safely. Please take the steps necessary to ensure you are towing safely.

You can (and should) measure your gross trailer weight on a commercial scale (check the yellow pages to find one locally). Make sure you have your trailer loaded as you normally would before weighing it. Drive the trailer completely on the scale, unhitch it and make sure the jockey wheel and all trailer wheels are on the scale. This gives you your gross trailer weight or GTW. Ball weight capacity, also known as tongue weight, or the amount of weight on your hitch ball can be measured by a special scale made for this purpose (Sherline is one manufacturer of a tongue weight scale (http://www.sherline.com/lm.htm)). It can also be measured on a commercial scale; to do this, drive the trailer to the scale so just the hitch part is over the scale. Unhitch the trailer, and check the weight with just the jockey wheel on the scale. Again, you want your trailer fully loaded when you weigh it.

Obviously, if your GTW is too high, your trailer is too heavy to be safely towed by your vehicle. You can imagine the potential problems of braking and/or pulling the load up hill. The problems with too much tongue weight are a little less obvious though. If your ball weight is too high, the trailer will weigh down the back end of your vehicle, raising the front end. This is particularly bad if your vehicle is front wheel drive, but steering and braking will suffer even on a rear wheel drive vehicle.

If your tongue weight is too high, but the total weight is okay, you may just need to reload your trailer. The weight that must be supported by the tongue is anything in front of the front axle of your trailer. Moving cargo back behind that front axle should lower your tongue weight. Remember, even if your GTW is well below your towing capacity, you only want 10-15% of your total weight to be on the tongue. If you cannot change your tongue weight, then you need to look into a weight distributing hitch which will distribute the weight of your trailer over both axles of your vehicle.

So, how much can you tow? Whether it’s horses or snowmobiles, find your gross towing capacity and your ball weight capacity in your vehicle’s owner’s manual, keep your tongue weight at 10-15% of your total weight, and be safe on the road.

The Next Generation of Trailer HItch Accessories: This is Not Your Daddy’s Hitch Ball

Picture this: you need to get a load of 14 ft lumber from the lumber yard to the job site. You’ve got your 8 foot enclosed trailer hitched to your short bed pickup. That’s a problem.

Picture this: you’ve hitched the camping trailer up and are ready to head to the high country for a nice long weekend. The kids are throwing a fit because they want to take their bikes. That’s a problem.

Finally, picture this: you’re trying to fit your three golf buddies, four sets of golf clubs and everybody’s luggage into the back of your SUV. You have 300 miles and five hours before your first tee time. That’s a problem. . . .or maybe not. If you’ve got a tow package on the back of your vehicle with a receiver hitch and the right hitch accessories, you’ve got your problems solved.

Trailer hitches, like the vehicles they are attached to have come a long way in the past few years, and manufacturers have awakened to all kinds of new uses for them. New trailer hitch accessories are easier to use, more widely available, safer, and provide conveniences you might not have even thought of. Read on and find out that your receiver hitch can do so much more than the ball your daddy had mounted on his bumper.

First of all, make sure you have a receiver hitch. Unfortunately, those of you with just a ball mounted to your bumper are out of luck for anything except towing. A receiver hitch is a square tube generally mounted below your rear bumper (although a hitch mounted up front is really handy too). You should have a ball mount—the metal tube that slides in to your hitch and has a hole for a hitch ball to use in towing. You should also have a trailer hitch cover—a short, square metal “tube” that fits into your receiver with a decorative emblem on one end (think professional and college sports logos, outdoor hobbies, boat propellers, etc.) that protects your hitch and keeps it clean all the while showing the world a little bit of who you are.

Now, when you’re not towing anything, your receiver hitch can be fitted with all kinds of goodies to make your truck or SUV more functional and more comfortable when you need to transport your toys, or even do a little work.

You’ve probably seen a hitch mounted bike rack before. These handy items can carry up to five bikes, and some will let you tow a trailer or attach another accessory besides. There are adaptors that will change your hitch mounted bike carrier to a hitch mounted ski carrier for 6 pairs of skis or two snowboards. Some hitch mounted bike racks will fold down or swing away from the back of your vehicle to allow easy access to other cargo you may have back there. You can also find vertical bike carriers that fold down and allow you to mount the bike on the carrier without you having to lift the bike off the ground.

Similar to the bike carrier is the hitch mounted spare tire carrier, which I figure is pretty self explanatory. You can also get a receiver step which is basically a hitch mounted step that allows easier access to anything stored on the roof of your SUV or in the bed of your truck. I’m a big fan of trailer hitch winch mounts (handy on both the front and the back of your vehicle) and hitch mounted tow hooks.

If you need to transport something really long (think lumber, ladders, and canoes), you can purchase hitch mounted bed and roof extenders which are vertical metal supports with a crosspiece at the top which will support any cargo longer than the bed of your truck or the roof of your vehicle. I’ve even seen trucks with these roof extenders mounted on both front and back hitches for carrying extra long canoes.

One of the most over-the-top trailer hitch accessories is a hitch mounted grill. These grills are great for tailgate parties, camping, boating, or almost any outdoor activity where you want to cook. The grill mounts to your receiver hitch when you’re ready to go, but swings away from your vehicle for grilling. It even comes with a back yard stand if you want to use it at home or take it off your vehicle once you get to your destination.

Speaking of destinations, I often see trucks with ATVs in the back. And I often wonder how the ATVs got in there. If you are one of those people who drives your ATV into the bed of your truck, you might want to check out hitch mounted ramp supports which protect your tailgate when you want to drive an ATV or other heavy equipment into the bed of your truck. Pretty handy, I say.

If you’d rather tow your ATV, but don’t want to bother with the expense or trouble of a trailer, you can get a special bar which allows you to tow your ATV behind your vehicle. And if you’ve got two ATVs, you’ll need a twin ball hitch, which is basically an 8 foot bar that hitches to your receiver and has a hitch ball attached at each end. With an ATV hitch bar, you can tow two ATVs side by side, eliminating the need and cost of a trailer!

Finally we come to the cargo carrier which is one of my favorite trailer hitch accessories. Hitch mounted cargo carriers can basically be described as metal platforms that are 48 to 60 inches wide and 20 to 24 inches deep (that’s how far they stick out from behind the vehicle) with a shank that mounts into your receiver hitch. That sounds simple enough, but there are many features to consider for your cargo carrier. Many of the platforms fold for storage when not in use. Some fold up from the shank toward the back of your vehicle, so they don’t stick out behind you. Some have hinges in the platform so it can fold in half. When these are mounted and folded, they stick out behind you, but not to the sides. Some even fold twice this way, making them smaller to store when not in use. Most cargo carriers have a metal mesh platform that is lightweight and easy to clean, making them the ideal place to carry messy or dirty items that you don’t want in your car. The height of the side rails on the platform varies, but all can be used with a cargo net or straps to hold your cargo securely. You can also purchase weather proof cargo bags to fit your carrier and keep your items clean and dry as you travel. Some cargo carriers include a cargo box which is generally made of heavy duty molded plastic and locks for security; these are often big enough to hold four sets of golf clubs. Look for hitch mounted cargo carriers that have tail lights for safety.

Now, if all you’ve been doing with your trailer hitch is towing a trailer, that’s okay, you obviously didn’t know any better. But, now that you’ve been educated and exposed to the wide world of trailer hitch accessories, there’s no reason to be left out any more. Get out there and have some fun with your trailer hitch!

Article - Installing a Trailer Hitch

So, you’re standing there, in your garage, wanting to tow that new trailer loaded with two beautiful 700 cc sleds, but your hitch is laying there on the concrete, still in the packaging it came in, and you’re scratching your head, wondering what in the world you were thinking when you were so sure you could install it yourself. Well, cowboy, the good news is, you can in fact, install your own trailer hitch, and the better news is, I’m going let you in on the good advice my uncle Dave gave me when I was in your same, sorry position this time last year. And, I’ll let you in on one more secret: Uncle Dave isn’t so much entertaining as he is thorough and detail oriented, so knuckle down, read this whole article, and do things right, so you, and then your trailer make it to your destination at about the same time, and in that order.

Before you start to install your trailer hitch, Uncle Dave likes to check a few things off his list. One, make sure you have the correct hitch for your vehicle and the trailer being towed. Two, review the instruction sheet provided with the hitch. Three, check the hitch attachment area of the vehicle. Do not attach a hitch to a vehicle which shows excessive corrosion or damage in the hitch attachment areas. Four, take the appropriate safety precautions. When elevating the vehicle on a hoist or ramp, ensure that the vehicle is properly secured and blocked such that it will not fall or roll off its supports. Five, use the appropriate tools and wear your safety glasses when drilling holes.

Prior to the installation, it is good practice to loosely assemble the hitch, install the drawbar, pin and clip and hold the hitch up into position. This lets you identify any obstructions to the installation, verify the drawbar position on the vehicle and will give you an idea of how the hitch is to be installed. A scissors jack or floor jack can be very useful in holding the hitch up in place. In many cases C-clamps can be used to clamp the hitch to the frame during the installation procedure. In some cases, you might find it necessary to temporarily loosen the exhaust system and/or slightly reposition it to clear the hitch during installation. This is particularly true where an exhaust system has been replaced prior to installing the hitch, as all hitches are designed using vehicle original equipment. Do not forget to reattach any exhaust clamps, hangers, etc. after hitch installation. In a few cases, it may be necessary to adjust the bumper on a vehicle, or the brackets which mount to the bumper, in order to properly install the hitch. Most bumpers are mounted to the bumper brackets using bolts in slots. Find the appropriate bolts and adjust the bumper accordingly.

Wherever possible, hitches are designed to use existing holes. In cases where appropriate holes are not available, holes must be drilled in the frame. Once the hitch is accurately positioned and clamped in place on the vehicle, holes can be drilled in the appropriate places using the holes in the hitch as a guide. In cases where the holes must be drilled without using the hitch as a guide, hole locations can be permanently identified by spraying black paint through the hole locations. Remove the hitch, center punch the hole positions and drill a pilot hole. Follow with the appropriate drill size for the hole required. Drill holes that are either the same size as the bolt or at the most 1/16″ larger. Clearance holes or slots are provided in the hitch for adjustment. When drilling, be extremely careful to avoid drilling into vehicle components which are located behind where the hole is being drilled. Slacken off pressure on the drill just prior to breaking through.

When installing the hitch, be sure to use the reinforcing plates supplied with the hitch where appropriate. These plates reinforce the frame and spread the load to the frame edges. The hitch must have solid metal to metal contact with the vehicle attachment points. Excessive undercoating or weld on the vehicle should be removed. All hardware, with the exception of handle or tab nuts and U-bolts are grade 5 or 8.8 (metric). Tighten all bolts to the torque levels specified in the instructions. When hitch bracket plates are supplied … use them. These plates are designed to spread the load.

Caution: Never modify the hitch in any way. Do not drill holes into the hitch to mount accessories etc. Never cut holes or modify the assembly using a torch. This weakens the metal, produces a ragged hole, and presents an unnecessary fire hazard. Never weld a hitch to the vehicle frame.

Article - Installing a Trailer Hitch Cover

Installing a Trailer Hitch cover

As a trailer hitch cover distributor, the most common concern I hear from potential customers is the fear that the trailer hitch cover they purchase won’t fit into their receiver. In reality, this is something you rarely need to worry about. Trailer hitch cover manufacturers know this, and have, of course, taken it into consideration in the hitch covers they create and distribute.

To understand why trailer hitch covers fit in nearly any hitch, a brief explanation of the trailer hitch classification system is necessary. Trailer hitches come in five main classes, based on towing capacity. Although there is some variance between manufacturers, most class I and class II trailer hitches have a receiver size of 1 1/4 inches, class III (which is the most common type) trailer hitches have a receiver opening of 2 inches, and class IV and V can have openings up to 2.5 inches.

Trailer hitch cover manufacturers assemble trailer hitch covers with these size variances in mind, and as such, most hitch covers come with multiple mounting pieces to fit different size receivers. As such, consumers need not worry about a trailer hitch cover simply not fitting on their vehicle’s hitch receiver.

Choosing the right attachment to use for your car or truck is easy. Simply measure the receiver hitch opening (inside edge to inside edge). Once this measurement is made, have a look at the mounting pieces that your hitch cover came with. Measure these pieces, and use whichever one is closest, but smaller in size.

Attaching the mounting pieces to the hitch cover is generally simple, and requires only a Phillips head screwdriver. Once the hitch cover is assembled, you’re ready to attach the hitch cover to the hitch. It’s as easy as it looks - simply slide the hitch cover into the receiver, making sure that the hitch pin hole on the receiver is lined up with one of the holes on the trailer hitch cover, then slide your hitch pin through the side to secure the cover. In some cases, your trailer hitch cover may stick out a bit from the hitch, but don’t worry, your hitch cover is still perfectly secure and the slight difference is virtually unnoticeable from behind.

Finally, you might want to consider purchasing a hitch pin lock to better secure your hitch cover or anything else you’ve attached to your trailer hitch. Please consider checking my store, trailerhitchuniverse.com for trailer hitch covers, hitch pin locks, and other quality trailer hitch accessories.

New Category - Trailer Hitch Articles

In addition to our blog, we write several articles each month on trailer hitch, trailer hitch accessories, and towing related topics that we publish on a number of websites. Up until now, we haven’t had a place to post them all in one site on our website. We may have put abbreviated versions or parts of articles here on the blog, but we haven’t made a habit of posting the entire article. Well, that’s about to change. We have created a new Blog Category for our full-length articles, and will be posting all future (and some of the previous) articles there. Feel free to take a look at what is there; if you would like to use any of our articles–trailer hitch, towing, trailer hitch accessories, etc. for your site, we are more than happy to accommodate you! Just contact us and we will get the details worked out pronto. Enjoy!