Towing 101

Towing opens a wide range of possibilities to enhance your lifestyle. It could mean enjoyable camping, fishing, or leisure boating on your favorite lake. It could mean taking your recreational vehicles like dirt bikes, ATVs, snowmobiles, or other crafts out for a day or weekend of fun. The possibilities are almost endless. But first, you have to get there. Towing isn’t terribly hard, but it is a learned skill that benefits significantly from knowledge, proper planning, safety precautions, and experience. Whether towing is new or you just feel you could benefit from a refresher course, Alderman Automotive offers this post on the basics of towing. This post will assume conventional hitch towing as opposed to fifth wheel or gooseneck towing.

Your Tow Rig 

The first thing to consider is which vehicle will do the towing. A few generations ago, when nearly all cars had rear-wheel drive, body-on-frame construction, and large, under-stressed six- and eight-cylinder engines, almost any car could tow at least a moderate-sizes trailer. Today, body-on-frame construction is mostly limited to pickup trucks and truck-based SUVs. This gives them an advantage in towing since all the stress of pulling a trailer is on the chassis. Nowadays, most sedans and crossover SUVs have unibody construction, where the body—including the pillars, roof, and both the upper and lower body—constitutes the chassis. This design is great for weight reduction, efficiency, space allocation, and a comfortable ride, but it limits towing capacity as the entire body must bear the stress of pulling a trailer. This is not to say such vehicles can’t tow, but their capacities will be lower.  

It is easy to find a vehicle’s tow rating in its basic specification list, but if your vehicle’s maximum towing capacity is 3,500 pounds and your trailer is 3,500 pounds, you are not in the clear. That assumes you are loading nothing else on that trailer, which is usually not the case. Thus, there are a few other weight terms you need to know.

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)—The GVWR indicates the maximum allowable weight of a fully loaded vehicle, which includes liquids, passengers, cargo, and the kingpin or tongue weight of any attached trailer. This rating is displayed on the certification label, usually located near the driver’s side door. For some late-model vehicles, this information may also be found on the Trailering Information label. The GVWR primarily accounts for the weakest elements among the load-bearing components, such as the frame, axles, springs, brakes, wheels, and tires. Manufacturers establish the GVWR.  

Trailer Weight Rating (TWR)—This is the maximum allowable weight of a loaded trailer for a specific tow vehicle model and hitch type, as established by the tow vehicle manufacturer.  

Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR)—This refers to the maximum weight that both the tow vehicle and trailer can safely weigh together. You can find the GCWR in the Owner’s Manual or the tow vehicle brochure for your model year, which is typically available from the dealership. Some newer vehicles may feature a Trailering Information label that indicates the GCWR. It’s essential to note that the GCWR assumes that both the tow vehicle and trailer have functioning brakes, except for very light trailers (usually those weighing less than 1,500 pounds).  

Tongue Weight (TW)—The vertical load placed on a hitch. It should typically range from 10% to 15% of the trailer’s TWR.  

If you are planning to tow a camping trailer loaded with supplies or a boat with cargo in the cabin, you need to consider the weight of the fully loaded trailer. Additionally, if you are bringing a significant amount of supplies in your tow vehicle, that must be factored in as well. If you are still in the decision-making stage, it’s wise to overestimate all weights. If your tow vehicle and trailer have already been chosen and estimating the cargo weight is proving difficult, take your fully loaded vehicle and trailer to a vehicle scale to determine the overall weight. In the Fishers area, you can find one at the Cabela’s sporting goods store in Saxony Village or at the Pilot Travel Center on Interstate 70, just south of Indianapolis Regional Airport.  

Weight Distribution 

It isn’t just the amount of weight added to your trailer that matters, but also the placement of that weight. The worst mistake you can make is overloading the trailer at the rear. Making the trailer tail-heavy will encourage swaying, leading to potential instability with disastrous results. Remember the 60/40 rule, which states that 60% of the weight should be in front of the trailer axle, and 40% should be at the rear. However, placing too much weight at the very front of the trailer may excessively increase your tongue weight, which, as mentioned, should be 10% to 15% of the trailer’s total weight. For a smaller trailer, you can measure tongue weight by resting the trailer tongue on a bathroom scale. For larger trailers, a vehicle scale is necessary. For heavier trailers, a weight-distributing hitch can assist in evenly distributing weight between the tow vehicle and the trailer, thereby reducing strain on the tow vehicle’s suspension and enhancing stability.  

Trailer Tow Level 

Your trailer should ride level from front to rear. The trailer’s rear bumper shouldn’t be pointed downward and conversely, there should be no sagging where the trailer and vehicle meet at the hitch. To relieve the sag, start by shifting cargo away from the front of the trailer. If that doesn’t help, your tow vehicle may be inappropriate for the task or at least need adjustments to the rear suspension. 

Most trailer hitches are designed to mount at a level angle to the trailer tongue. However, if your vehicle is lifted, or if there is any other reason the hitch is not at the appropriate height to keep the trailer level, you will need a hitch with height-adjustment capabilities. 

Trailer Brakes 

If a loaded trailer exceeds 1,500 pounds, it must have its own braking system. There are electric and surge brake systems available. Electric brakes are connected to the tow vehicle, allowing the brakes of the tow vehicle to signal the trailer to activate its brakes. Typically, they include a panel in the cabin that enables the driver to adjust the level of trailer braking. Surge brake systems utilize sensors at the hitch and depend on the forward inertia of the trailer to engage the brakes. Surge brakes are simpler, require no wiring or controller, and are ideal for marine trailers, whereas electric brakes provide more control and are commonly used on RVs and utility trailers. 

Preparation Before Your Trip 

Check your lights’ connections each time you hook up your trailer. This will require an assistant to verify that your brake lights, tail lights, turn signals, and backup lights are all functioning correctly. Additionally, before each trip:  

• Make sure your safety chains are crossed and connected. 

• Check to make sure all trailer jacks have been pulled up. 

• Remove any chocks you may have had to keep the trailer in place. 

While Driving 

It is a good rule for any driving, but when towing a trailer, everything should be smooth and steady. Any quick actions reverberate between the two vehicles and decrease stability. Braking distances will be longer, so look farther down the road and start braking sooner. Before passing on the highway, keep in mind: 

• Your vehicle’s acceleration will be slower. 

• Your passing distance is at least twice as long. 

• Your vision of the distance between you and the passed vehicle is difficult to gauge. 

Understand from the outset that driving will be slower. Regardless of the general speed limit, towing speed limits on highways and freeways typically range from 55 to 65 mph. What matters most is what is safe for you. If your trailer’s weight is significantly higher than that of your tow vehicle, speed can indeed increase instability. If you notice trailer sway at 55-65 mph, don’t brake; instead, decelerate calmly until the sway stops, and consider adding an anti-sway bar to your hitch. If you have a heavy vehicle (like a full-size SUV or HD pickup) towing a lightweight trailer, you can generally drive more confidently and more safely, all other things being equal. 

When heading up inclines, just assume you will be doing it slowly and aim for the right lane. When heading downhill, don’t rely on your brakes to modulate speed, as this will heat them up and reduce their effectiveness. Instead, use engine braking by shifting to lower gears.  

Backing Up 

It is a challenge, and don’t let anyone convince you it isn’t, particularly when you must turn while backing up. Generally, start by steering your tow vehicle in the opposite direction of where you want the trailer to go. This will pivot the trailer toward your destination. At a certain point, you reverse your steering direction to guide your trailer to its final position, making minor corrections along the way, remembering that whichever way you turn the tow vehicle, the trailer will turn in the opposite direction. The shorter the trailer, the more sensitive it is to steering changes; the longer the trailer, the harder it is to gauge its position.  

It would all be much easier if you had a view from above, but instead, you are in the driver’s seat, either twisted around or using your mirrors to gauge the trailer’s angle. 

The following are some useful tips. We use the scenario of backing a travel trailer into a campsite. This is because travel trailers are difficult to see around, and campsites are often narrow, unfamiliar spaces surrounded by obstructions such as trees, picnic tables, and fire pits. 

1. If possible, always try to approach the location so the site is on the driver’s side. This allows you to quickly survey the site to see if there are any obstructions. You will have an unobstructed view of the trailer as it turns into the site through your driver’s side window. 
2. With the destination on the driver’s side, position the vehicle on the left side of the road, opposite where you would normally drive. This is to leave plenty of room on the passenger side, as both the back of your tow vehicle and the front of the trailer will initially swing out in that direction. A moment later, the front of your tow vehicle will also swing in that direction, so you want to ensure there is enough space.  
3. Pull forward until the back of your trailer is just past the entrance of the site. This will help you start your turn with a reduced risk of the trailer extending too far past the edge of the site on the opposite side, which remains out of your view. 
4. If you have passengers, have one, and only one. help guide you. Figure out your commands and gestures in advance. Walkie-talkies or cell phones can also facilitate communication. Have them position themselves on the passenger side, at the far side of the site entrance, to assist you with the area you cannot see. After the trailer is about halfway into the site, stop and have them move to the far end of the rear of the site on the passenger side that you can’t see to help guide you the rest of the way and inform you when to stop. 
5. Some drivers hold the bottom of the steering wheel when reversing with a trailer. That way if you want the trailer to go left, you rotate the bottom of the steering wheel to the left and vice-versa.  

If the tow vehicle or trailer is new to you, practicing this in an empty parking lot is often worth your time. Just know that once you have this down, parallel parking will be a breeze in comparison. 

Conclusion 

Safety and preparation are constant themes for successful towing. Take it seriously and become an expert on all the details. With some experience, you will find yourself towing safely and confidently. If you visit Alderman Automotive looking for a tow vehicle, be sure to discuss your towing intentions with your sales professional to help guide you toward the most appropriate vehicle for your needs. And when purchasing a trailer, be sure to ask as many questions as possible from the seller. We wish you safe and successful towing.