Three (or Four) Things About Tow Ratings

I've been trying to convince my city-born wife to let me get an RV for years, and she's finally succumb. Little did I know how much work that meant for me. And that started with tow vehicles.What I found was that any online discussion of towing vehicles eventually descends into the realm of religious debate. Devotees of the Ram, Tundra Tautologies, F-Series Fanatics... and even the titanic thoughts of Nissan "heavy halfers" weigh in the debate eventually.Here's the thing: psychology tells us that people want to think they've made good decisions—and they tend to only remember the positive in even bad relationships. (See the endowment effect and the positivity effect if you're trying to understand why you stayed with that last steady well past his/her expiration date. The opposite of these things is something called buyer's remorse.)Most online discussions compare the merits of specific vehicle models, brands, and years—and that isn't very helpful since you're stuck looking at a zillion options and a zillion biases. After MANY hours of comparing vehicles, options, weights, and measures, my analysis crystalized into three—and only three—critical questions that you need to ask yourself (and your auto dealer):

1. Will it pull it?

2. Will it stop it?

3. Can it carry the load?

If the answer is yes to all three, then you've got a suitable tow vehicle.Seem too simple?  Hear me out.Will it pull it? This is a question of horsepower and torque, and it's summarized nicely in the "tow ratings" of various vehicles. Tow ratings have more art (marketing) than science (engineering) until very recently (about 2013). If you are looking at late-model vehicles that have been rated based on J2807, you've got your answer.  If not, you should lean heavily on online discussion boards and reviews, keeping in mind that big boys (Americans especially) like power in excess and you may not need such a haughty vehicle. Remember that there are online forums and discussions for every little thing in the world, I strongly recommend that you find a group associated with the vehicle you are considering and identify someone who is towing EXACTLY the trailer you'll be towing: trust me, they are out there if you just ask around.Will it stop it? This is also an oddly simple question to answer.  Tow ratings are based pull, but stopping needs are also considered in that rating. (Do remember to follow recommendations for when trailers need their own brakes.)  The trick is this: if you are buying a vehicle that comes with different engines, the pulling power will vary, but generally speaking the brake systems don't change across trim levels.  A particular Tundra, say, with a big engine, is rated to tow 10,00o pounds, and my smaller-engined version of the same truck can stop that same 10,000 pound weight even though it's not rated to pull it. (Do take note that there are exceptions.) LAWYERS PLEASE NOTE: I AM NOT AN AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEER SO THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED AT YOUR OWN RISK.Can it carry the load?  This is the one everyone forgets.  A trailer weighs down the back of your vehicle. (This is variously called hitch weight, pin weight, or tongue weight.)  No matter what it's called, your vehicle considers it "cargo" and you need to be able to carry it. So here you have to do some math, and the source for that math (addition, subtraction... no logarithms!) is generally found on a sticker insider the drivers doorframe of your vehicle. Look up the terms and run the numbers (really, do it!). BUT... keep in mind a couple things:

1. things you add or subtract from a vehicle add or subtract from its cargo capacity and

2. a weight distributing hitch (which is a requirement with sizable trailers) will lighten the load on your hitch by approximately 1/3 of the tongue weight of whatever you were planning to tow.  For example, a trailer with a 900 lb tongue weight will only have a hitch weight of 600 pounds or so if you use a weight distributing hitch.  (Yes, it's magic.  Don't question it.)

One last thing: YOU NEED A BRAKE CONTROLLER if you are towing something that has it's own brakes! If you don't know what that is, you don't have one!  And if you don't have one, then any trailer brakes you might be counting on WILL NOT WORK.Tow safe. Keep it below the speed limit. Take frequent stops to rest and see ridiculous roadside attractions that your kids will complain about—until they are forty or so and then they will remember with tears in their eyes.P.S.  If all of the above seems too much to bear, or if you want to tow with a vehicle that simply doesn't make the cut when you run the numbers, you may make the softly-controversial decision to call Can-Am RV for a consult, because apparently those guys are like towing Jedi. (The legends say they can rig an Airstream for towing with a late model skateboard--or other equally unlikely combinations. And they are Canadian, so you know they'll be nice to you.)