4 Tow Guide 2006

Vehicles

Whether you’re an old pro or anovice, towing can be tricky. The first step in anycase is to have the right equipment, and that beginswith having the appropriate tow vehicle. However,there’s one thing to keep in mind when choosing atow vehicle: You first need to know how much yourtowed load (boat or travel trailer) really weighs.

In the case of a boat, that towed weight includesthe trailer. It comes as a surprise to many would-bebuyers that manufacturers generally furnish “dry” orempty weights (without options) for boats or campingtrailers. Camping trailers with the Recreational VehicleIndustry Association (RVIA) seal should have a labelthat provides unloaded vehicle weight (UVW) withfactory-installed options. Boat catalogs often list thedry weight of the hull, but not the weight of the en-gine or the weight of the boat’s trailer. And althoughsome furnished weights are quite accurate, these fig-ures should only be used as guidelines.

For example, a boat weight may only include thehull. To that, you may have to add engine weight, ac-cessories, all the extra equipment stored in the boatand, if towing with a full load of fuel or water, figureabout 6.1 pounds per gallon of gasoline and about8.3 pounds per gallon of water. Diesel weighs about7.1 pounds per gallon, and LPG (propane) weighsabout 4.2 pounds per gallon. Depending on boat sizeand the type of trailer, trailers can weigh anywherefrom a few hundred pounds to more than 1000pounds. So it’s not unusual for that 6000-pound boatto grow by 1500 pounds when it’s ready to tow.

The most accurate way to determine your towedload is to weigh the boat/trailer or camping trailer asit is outfitted and loaded when it’s ready to tow. It onlycosts a few dollars at a public scale, and it can savethousands of dollars in unexpected repairs to an ill-equipped tow vehicle.

BUYING A TOW VEHICLEAs a rule, if you want to tow a heavy load, you need

a full-size pickup or sport-utility vehicle (SUV). If youhave or plan to buy a small tow vehicle, such as acompact pickup or SUV, you will have to stick with asmaller, lighter boat or camping trailer.

Every vehicle has a tow rating. A full-size truck’stow rating can be as high as 10,000 pounds ormore. A few tow vehicle manufacturers provide thisinformation in the vehicle owner’s manual. Someautomotive manufacturers offer towing guides thatinclude tow ratings and detailed information on extraequipment needed to tow heavier loads. They areavailable from dealers, manufacturers’ informationoffices and also can be called up on the Internet.

Most cars today have negligible tow ratings. Mod-ern automobiles have severe limitations, and fewerthan a handful are rated to tow more than 2000pounds. Those limitations exist because of car-bodystructures and powertrain (engine, transmission, axle)components. If you overextend a modern car not rat-ed to tow a heavy load, the consequences can becostly repairs and diminished highway safety. Fortowing loads over 2000 pounds, the only real optionfor those who want to tow with a car are older auto-mobiles properly equipped for towing (see Chapter2/Towing Equipment).

In recent years, trucks (pickups, SUVs and vans)have become very popular. With the demise of auto-mobiles as tow vehicles, trucks have more than takenup the slack with roomy, comfortable, four-door mod-els. Most modern trucks have the structural integritynecessary to easily handle heavy loads — as long asthat load is within the manufacturer’s towing recom-mendations.

The larger the truck, the sturdier the construction,

Tow

how to choose your towvehicle

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Tow ratings of 4WD truck modelsare often lower than those of 2WD models. However, the advantage of purchasing a tow vehicle with 4WDcapability, despite the slightly lower tow rating, is the ability to easily pull the trailer boat up a steep or slipperyboat ramp.

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6 Tow Guide 2006

ON THE ROAD OR ON THE RAMP,

you need a sturdy and powerful vehicle with a tow rating high enough to safely handle the load.

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the stronger thesuspension, andthe larger theengine will be.This makes themsuperior to mod-ern automobiles

for towing. In addition, most have a separate, fullframe that provides a secure mounting location forthe hitch.

TOW RATINGSDeciphering tow ratings can be confusing, unlessyou read the fine print. For example, a maximum towor “trailer weight” rating may be for an unloaded ve-hicle with only the driver aboard, a full fuel tank, oiland water, but not with passengers or optional equip-ment, such as air conditioning. It’s not unusual to add500 pounds of options to some vehicles, another 500pounds for passengers and still another 500 poundsfor luggage and other boating/camping gear. Thatcan effectively lower the actual tow rating by 1500pounds — and you must take this into account whenchoosing a tow vehicle.

Vehicle manufacturers’ tow rating charts often in-clude three “categories” that deal with weight. Theseare Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), TrailerWeight Allowance (TWA), commonly stated as “maxi-mum trailer rating,” and Gross Combined WeightRating (GCWR).

The GVWR is the maxi-mum permissible weight afully loaded vehicle mayweigh. That number canbe found on a label insidethe driver’s-side door.

TWA is the maxi-mum weight a vehiclecan tow. Be aware

that this figure can vary depending on whether thevehicle is equipped with a manual or automatictransmission and if it is equipped with four-wheeldrive (4WD).

The GCWR is a type of tow rating, and perhapsthe most important of all. The GCWR is the totalweight specified by the tow vehicle (pickup truck,SUV or motorhome) manufacturer as the maximumallowable loaded weight of the tow vehicle and itstowed trailer or towed vehicle. This means all theweight of the vehicle, and trailer or towed vehicle,and all passengers, equipment and fuel carried inboth. The best way to make sure your rig does notexceed these ratings is to take the vehicle and trailer

to a public scale, fully equipped (or add theweight of extras later), and get themweighed accurately.

In addition, almost all vehicleand chassis manufacturers rec-ommend that a supplemental

brake control system be in-stalled to activate the brakes onthe trailer being towed. Vehicleowners should also consult indi-vidual state laws concerning thissubject, as well as other trailering

requirements. There is also a host of accessories

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DIESEL ENGINES, SUCH AS THE Ford 6.0L Power Stroke pictured, are excellentpowerplants for towing heavy loads.

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that automakers may require for tow vehicles. Theseoften include a heavy-duty radiator, engine-oil cooler,transmission-oil cooler, wiring harness, specific axleratio, heavy-duty suspension, and special wheels andtires. These accessories would be expensive ifbought separately. However, most manufacturers offer“trailering packages” that include these items. Pack-ages often include a hitch (drawbar and hitchball notincluded). It’s less expensive to purchase the factorytow package than to add these items later.

Don’t shortchange yourself by skimping onrequired items. Each required accessory adds to thevehicle’s towing capability and durability.

KNOW BEFORE YOU BUYOne of the most frequent comments from newvehicle owners is: “I was told by the dealer that myvehicle could tow 5000 pounds, but it does thatpoorly and sometimes even overheats.” They go onto say that various expensive items were added, butperformance is still unsatisfactory.

A prospective buyer may have been given themaximum tow rating for a vehicle with the towingpackage, but was sold one without that package.Without a towing package, that same vehicle may berated to tow only 2000 pounds.

Carefully read the window sticker that is postedon the vehicle at the dealership. It will tell youprecisely what equipment is on that vehicle. Beaware, too, that there may be more than one towingpackage offered by a manufacturer. One may be forlight-duty towing (often 3500 pounds maximum),while the other is for heavy-duty towing.

2WD OR 4WD?Two-wheel drive (2WD) means that either the front orrear wheels are the driving wheels. When on a steeplaunch ramp or very steep incline, the front of thevehicle usually lifts, causing the front tires to haveless traction than the rear. When this happens with afront-drive vehicle, it will facilitate wheel spin and canlimit the driver’s ability to retrieve the boat.

Vehicles with a 4WD system can be especiallyuseful on a steep or slippery launch ramp, becausethe front wheels can help pull it and the boat up. Aspecial benefit of 4WD is that it has a “low range” —

a lower gear range that increases the torquedelivered to the wheels for more power to pull aheavy boat up a steep, wet ramp.

Tow ratings for 4WD systems are usually lower thanthey are for 2WDs, because they add weight to thevehicle, and the extra weight detracts from the GCWR.

All-wheel drive (AWD) systems also make all fourwheels turn at the same time, but through a differentsystem than 4WD — usually a computer-controlledviscous coupling. This is a tremendous safetyadvantage for all kinds of driving, especially on wetor slick surfaces. With all wheels driving, the vehicleis also more stable and controlled on winding,curving roads. However, AWD also adds weight tothe vehicle and can reduce the trailer tow rating.

On the plus side, modern AWD systems go intoaction in a matter of milliseconds with computercontrol. Loss of traction at any wheel is quicklycontrolled. This is an excellent feature on slicklaunch ramps.

Understanding exactly what your tow vehicle isequipped with and how much weight it can actually towis the key to being happy with your tow vehicle choice.

IF YOU TOW A HEAVY LOAD,you will need a full-size pickup or sport-utility vehi-cle. A full-size pickup’s conventional tow rating canbe as high as 12,000 pounds.

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