But even though towing a trailer is merely a means to an end, its far less likely to become a hassleor worse, a nightmarewhen youre well prepared. To help make it easier, as well as safer, try following these trailering basic rules of thumb. The starting point for all towing enterprises is weight-the weight of the trailer, the weight of whatever goes on top of the trailer, and the weight of your vehicle, plus its cargo, including you and any passengers. Theyre listed in your vehicles owners manual. This stands for Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, and specifies your vehicles maximum weight, including cargo and passengers.
Trailers also have GVWRs.
This defines your vehicles Gross Combined Weight Rating, including the tow vehicle, its contents, the trailer, and the trailers load. Exceeding any of these ratings is asking for trouble. The hitch is obviously the critical link between your vehicle and the trailer. The key thing to remember is that the hitch and the hitch ball should be strong enough to handle the load. Similarly, the hitch plate on the rear bumpers of many SUVs is adequate for light loads only.