How To Determine Towing Capacity On Your Car
How is the towing capacity measured? The answer will help car owners make decisions when purchasing a tow vehicle or determining the weight of a boat or trailer. Here is how vehicle owners can ensure they stay within the towing capacity limits of their vehicle, ensuring no damage to their engine and safe travel on the roadways.
Find Out the Tow Rating
Before purchasing a new tow vehicle, talk to the dealership about the towing capacity. If you already own a vehicle you want to use for towing, consult the vehicle’s owner’s manual for the most reliable source of information on the tow rating. If you have misplaced the manual, contact the manufacturer for a replacement or download a free copy from their website, if possible. If the car is not fit to tow any load, the owner’s manual will clearly state that fact. When reviewing towing capacity, one of the most important acronyms to understand is GCWR, a gross combination weight rating.
GCWR is the maximum number of pounds both the fully loaded truck and trailer should weigh together, including passengers, fuel, water and other cargo. Individually, the motorist can also check the gross vehicle weight of the tow vehicle itself, but then the trailer weight must be added to the total.
Measure Trailer Weight
After 1996, the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association mandated that all trailers display a weight label that lists the unloaded vehicle weight (UVW) for the trailer. This information is also found in the trailer’s owner’s manual or on the VIN plate.
Knowing the UVW for the trailer is important for initial weight calculations. To fully ensure the trailer and tow vehicle’s GCWR, fall in line with the manufacturer’s specifications and tally up the additional baggage you plan on packing inside both the trailer and the tow vehicle. And remember:
One gallon of water weighs eight pounds
One gallon of gasoline weighs about six pounds
Luggage, camping gear, firewood, bedding and actual passenger weight must all be taken into consideration as well. To get the most accurate read on the total GCWR, fill up the tires of both the tow vehicle and the fully loaded trailer and head to the nearest weigh station. This approach can also help make sure that the load is distributed evenly among all the axles of both the tow vehicle and trailer, which each have their own individual gross axle weight rating.
Once the full combined weight of both is measured, make sure it falls below the recommended GCWR. Most experts agree that deducting 10 percent of the recommended GCWR as a safety precaution is a wise choice. Exceeding the GCWR can have devastating consequences to the brakes, the engine and may cause the vehicle to spiral out of control, resulting in loss of life.
Strictly follow towing capacity guidelines to ensure the safety of your vehicle, trailer, boat and all passengers and other motorists. Contact Stauffer’s Towing today for more information on towing capacity regulations and how to tow securely.
