Essentials guide to towing

CONNECTING a trailer to a vehicle often evokes feelings of panic to the inexperienced – don’t even mention backing one in.

So to help ease the stress associated with connecting and towing a trailer/caravan, we’ve deciphered a few hauling essentials.

UNDERSTAND THE BASICS

Before you load up your rig and caravan/trailer and chase sunsets into the great unknown, it’s best to understand the towing basics – in particular, GVM, GCM and payload.

GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) is how much a vehicle can weigh when it’s fully loaded; GCM (Gross Combination Mass) is the towed weight added to the weight of the vehicle, plus any payload; a payload includes the driver, passengers, equipment and any gear fitted to the vehicle.

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Most popular dual cab 4x4s – Ranger, D-MAX, BT-50 – feature a towing capacity of 3500kg, but, more often than not, that doesn’t always mean you should tow to that limit – once you take into account occupants, luggage and aftermarket accessories fitted to the tow rig, you’re often left with only a portion of the total amount.

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It’s a different matter if you forgo the kids and family pet, but, that’s not always a good idea, however tempting it may sound.

WEIGHT DIFFERENCE

Choosing the correct set-up depends entirely on what you’re towing. For example, if you’re towing a trailer-full of garbage to the tip in your family sedan, then you’ll need a different hitch to, say, towing a caravan across the great red.

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This is where hitch classes come into play. Hitch classes are broken up into five categories, and are distinguished by the total weight they are capable of towing. A hitch class 1, for example, would be for your local tip run with a gross trailer limit of 2000lbs (900kg). While a hitch 4/5 is the heaviest class and can theoretically tow up to 18,000lbs (8160kg) – but you’d obviously need a suitable, extreme-powered tow rig (think industrial equipment).

TOW BALL v PINTLE HITCH

Towing a heavy load doesn’t just involve a proper hauler and a heavy duty trailer, you also need something strong connecting the two. So, if you’re towing something with a bit of weight behind it, you’ll need to upgrade your hitch to something slightly more hardcore.

Most standard vehicles come equipped with a 50mm tow ball, which are lightweight and easy to use for day-to-day activities, making them ideal for recreational use.

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A Pintle hitch is stronger by nature and is better suited to heavy duty towing, namely for lugging industrial equipment. With a basic hook-and-loop Pintle hitch, the hook mounts to a lunette ring, while the loop is attached to the trailer. They’re simple in construction and work best on rougher terrain.

WEIGHT-DISTRIBUTION HITCH

A weight-distribution hitch can be a handy piece of kit to prevent the rear of the tow vehicle from sagging when it’s lugging a heavy load. The hitch can alter tow ball heights and evenly distribute weight across all the trailer and tow rig wheels. Ideally, these are recommended when towing heavier loads.

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Get the set-up right for the weight your carrying and you’ll be secure in the knowledge that you’ll reach your destination safely, intact and on time – then it’s just a matter of securing a campsite for the night!