Things To Know About Towing & Similar Quantities Related To Trailering

Posted by Luis Jimenez
7
Feb 1, 2017
414 Views
Image
If you have been making plans to incept an auto trailering business of your own lately, bear in mind that it would involve more than just buying car hauling trailers from a good company and hooking them up to tow vehicles. There are several other essentials that you will have to factor in, and the most vital of them all is perhaps the one associated with weight. You ought to be absolutely sure that your tow truck or van can suitably haul the trailer you wish to buy, even when fully loaded. And for that, you must know about tow ratings and capacities, which play a very important role in trailering, be it a 5 car or a 6 car hauler that you are using.

The maximum amount of weight that a tow vehicle can haul conveniently is what we know as tow rating or capacity. This information can be easily found within the manufacturer’s instruction manual that comes with a truck or van. The measure normally represents a couple of things - the expected weight of the trailer which would be used with the vehicle, and the load the hauler can effectively carry.

Any truck or van’s tow rating accounts for several factors, and they include the following -

  • Design and class of hitch
  • Tire ratings and load capacities
  • Structure of the vehicle
  • Design of the chassis and suspension
  • Engine type, axle ratios and other drive train variables

Not even a single one of these are taken randomly, rather they are obtained from real-world tests conducted by engineers to understand the limits of vehicles as well as determine the capacities of the vans and trucks precisely.

However, there are many other restrictions besides maximum tow rating that should not be crossed. They have been described below in detail:

  • HWR or Hitch Weight Rating - it asserts the load that a hitch can safely haul
  • GVWR or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating - this quantity is the load that a vehicle, either truck or van, can carry without any hassle (passengers, cargo, fuel and the weight of the vehicle itself)
  • Tongue Weight - this measure has to stay between 15 and 30 percent for gooseneck or 5th wheel trailers, or 10 and 15 percent for the traditional ones
  • GAWR or Gross Axle Weight Rating - it indicates the maximum load that a specific axle can carry, with the wheel and tire taken into account

Crossing any of these can create a dangerous, or even fatal situation on the road. Therefore, make sure you know how to take care of these things before starting a trailering business.
Comments
avatar
Please sign in to add comment.