If you are searching for “How To Tow Your Trailer” this guide is for you.  Everyone wants to be able to be safe when towing, and with a little knowledge and preparation, you can be. While it towing a trailer and driving a car might look the same, in practice they are quite different.

While a little movement on a dance floor is a good thing, it isn’t fun and exciting when your trailer is doing it while you are towing. It can get bad enough where it is swaying into the other lanes and even tugging at your vehicle.  When your trailer has this much instability it is very unsafe for you, and other drivers. Even when we do pre-checks before setting off simply driving the first 10 or 20 miles can shake the hitch loose.  Even added weight from filling up the trailer with luggage, camping gear, or topping off the water tank adds weight and tests the connection.

Setting out with your trailer can be a lot of fun, or it can be a serious trial when what might seem like minor details can significantly change the stability of your rig. Last minute equipment, food and drink, or other additions can exceed the weight limit of your hitch, or even the tow capacity of your vehicle.

Use The Right Hitch

Not all vehicles or hitches are created equal. Each truck and SUV has an owner’s manual that will list the range you can tow for your package, axle ratio, engine size, and drivetrain. There are two main numbers you need to find in your owner’s manual, the maximum tongue weight and the gross trailer weight (GTW). When you know what your truck can do you can choose the right hitch.

Class 1: Up to 2,000 lbs GTW/ 200 lbs tongue weight

Class 2: Up to 3,500 lbs GTW/ 350 lbs tongue weight

Class 3: Up to 5,000 lbs GTW/ 500 lbs tongue weight

Class 4: Up to 7,500 lbs GTW/ 750 lbs tongue weight

Class 5: Up to 10,000 lbs GTW/ 1,000 lbs tongue weight

Match Your Vehicle’s Abilities

While it might be tempting to save a couple bucks buying a trailer hitch that will tow the trailer you have now, it is a good practice to buy the heaviest duty that matches your vehicle’s capabilities. This will help if you end up upgrading your trailer, or even decide to help a friend tow something.

Generally hitches feature a ball and the end of a bar of metal that slides into the hitch at the back of the vehicle. Hitch bars come in two sizes, a 2 inch bar for heavy loads, and a 1.25 inch for bike racks and lightweight pop-up trailers.

Accurately Calculate Trailer Weight

When calculating your trailers weight you need to find the label on the trailer and add to that everything you are putting in. That means adding for the all of the fresh water, grey water, and black water, and all of the luggage and recreational equipment you are taking with you. In fact you should also include the gear you put in the bed of the truck and the weight of your passenger to ensure that you do no exceed the capacity of your vehicle.

Hitch Ball Sizes

Each trailer hitch is designed with a specific size ball in mind, and you need to use the right trailer hitch that fits with it. If you have more than one trailer that use different sizes it’s best to have a hitch bar for each. There are 3 ball sizes which are 17/8 inches, 2 inches, and 25/16 inches.  For the most part the larger the ball the more weight the ball can handle.