Trailer Towing 101

New to towing? Let’s go over how to pick a towing vehicle, some essential towing accessories, and how to maintain your trailer.

Picking a Towing Vehicle

To pick the right vehicle and hitch to tow with, you’ll need to do some calculations. Refer to your owner’s manual for the needed numbers.

Towing Capacity

The maximum weight your vehicle can pull is its towing capacity. You can calculate this number yourself, but it should be in the owner’s manual:

Gross Vehicle Combined Weight Rating (GVCWR) – Curb Weight = Towing Capacity

Never push your vehicle past its towing capacity. Doing so is very dangerous and puts you and others on the road at risk of harm.

Hitch Weight Range

Hitch weight is how much trailer weight the hitch will carry. The hitch weight range should be 10% to 15% of your loaded trailer’s weight. If you can’t find this figure in your owner’s manual, follow these steps:

• Multiply the trailer weight by 0.1 to find the low end of your range.
• Multiply the trailer weight by 0.15 to find the maximum end of your hitch weight range.

Make sure your hitch weight falls somewhere between this range. Outside of this range can cause safety issues.

Payload Capacity

Payload capacity is how much your vehicle can carry on its axles. Surpassing your payload capacity by overloading your trailer is very dangerous and sometimes illegal.

Use this formula to calculate your payload capacity if you can’t find it in your owner’s manual:

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) – Curb Weight = Payload Capacity

Towing Supplies

Once you know what vehicle you’re towing with, start gathering your towing supplies.

The most important item you’ll need is a hitch. Hitches are categorized by weight class. The weight capacity of a hitch will determine its design.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the most common types of hitches:

• Class 1: light-duty receiver frame, up to 2,000 lbs.
• Class 2: regular-duty receiver frame, up to 3,500 lbs.
• Class 3: heavy-duty receiver frame, up to 10,000 lbs.
• Class 4: super-duty receiver frame, up to 10,000 lbs.
• Class 5: weight-distribution frame, up to 20,000 lbs.
• Class 5 (pickup trucks only): 5th wheel or gooseneck frame, up to 30,000 lbs.

After picking your hitch, some other towing supplies you’ll need include:

• ball mount/drawbar
• trailer hitch ball
• wiring harness
• tow straps and recovery ropes
• trailer lock
• towing mirrors

An expert at a NAPA AUTOPRO service centre can advise you on useful towing accessories, including what hitch to use.

Trailer Maintenance

If you’re bringing your trailer out of storage, give it a thorough maintenance service. During the season, repeat these tasks every few weeks.

Surfaces

Clean exterior surfaces of your trailer with soap and water. Use products designed for the materials inside your trailer, such as window cleaner and leather protectant.

Assess any dried or cracked seals on the exterior. You can reseal minor cracks on your own but leave large ones to a NAPA AUTOPRO expert.

Tires and Wheels

After refilling your trailer’s tires with air, look for any cracks, balding, or flat-spotting on the tread and sidewalls. A NAPA AUTOPRO technician can assess whether you need new tires.

Moving Parts

Pack the wheel bearings with grease and apply a generous layer to these parts of your trailer: couple and hitch ball, ring and pintle, axles, landing leg, and levelling jack.

To avoid getting yourself and your trailer storage location dirty, get your trailer lubricated at a NAPA AUTOPRO service centre.

Lights

Have someone stand behind your stationary trailer to confirm the brake lights, turn signals, and running lights work.

For any questions about servicing your towing vehicle or trailer, visit a NAPA AUTOPRO service centre to chat with an expert.

Picture: Shutterstock2084183035