If you love to camp, hike, fish, water ski and enjoy the great outdoors; chances are there will come a time when you want to tow a boat or camping trailer. Know before you tow with this guide to towing.
Here are some terms you should be familiar with and what you need to check. The Base Curb Weight + Cargo Weight + Passenger Weight = GVW or Gross Vehicle Weight. The GVW + Loaded Trailer Weight = GCW or Gross Combination Weight.
The GVW must not exceed the GVWR which can be found on the safety Compliance Certification label. The GVWR is the maximum weight allowed on a fully loaded vehicle. This includes passengers and cargo. Once you have this information, you will be able to figure out what size trailer a vehicle can tow.
There are two different types of hitches on the market. A weight carrying hitch is common for small to medium size trailers. Use a good weight carrying hitch that properly distributes the weight. Youll find a label on the hitch that provides the weight carrying and weight distributing capacity of the hitch. Dont exceed the rating.
The weight distributing hitch uses a hitch platform to distribute the tongue load to all the wheels...