Know Your Tow Weights For Safe Hauling

If you are planning to tow heavy loads with your vehicle, it's important that you take the time to become familiar with some towing guidelines in order to complete your trip safely. There are many different weight limits that are talked about in reference to towing, and the average driver may not understand the important role these weight limits play in safely transporting heavy loads from one place to another.

Here are three tow weights that you should be familiar with if you plan to haul heavy loads with your vehicle in the future.

1. Gross Combined Weight Rating

One of the most important weights that apply to towing is a vehicle's gross combined weight rating (GCWR). The GCWR is the sum total of the weights of each of the units in a towing configuration. This means that the weight of your vehicle, the weight of your trailer, and the weight of the load being placed on your trailer factor into the GCWR.

Each vehicle manufacturer provides a maximum GCWR rating for the cars and trucks they produce, and you should never exceed this recommendation if you want to avoid doing damage to your vehicle's engine while towing.

2. Tongue Weight

Another important weight limit that you need to know when you are towing is the tongue weight of your trailer. This figure is especially important if you are using a bumper hitch to pull your trailer.

The tongue weight is the amount of weight that is actually resting on the tongue of the trailer, and subsequently on the bumper hitch of your vehicle. You should always strive to have between 9% and 15% of the total weight of your load rest on the tongue. This is enough weight to prevent the trailer from swaying in transit, but not enough weight to affect steering and suspension.

3. Towing Capacity

Hauling heavy loads can take a toll on the engine and transmission of your vehicle. To ensure that you don't cause serious mechanical damage, you should avoid towing loads that exceed your vehicle's recommended towing capacity.

The towing capacity is the total amount of weight that the vehicle's manufacturer has determining can be hauled regularly without damaging the engine or transmission. If the loads you need to haul on a regular basis are heavier than your vehicle's towing capacity, you need to upgrade to a more powerful car or truck.

Learning about some of the weights associated with towing will help you stay within recommended weight limits to avoid problems as you haul heavy loads in the future. For more information on hauling services in general, consider contacting companies like TNT Towing & Equipment Hauling.