For millions of families, trucks and SUVs are the vehicles of choice, but unfortunately many owners fail to take advantage of the towing capability these vehicles offer. All too often the opportunities and rewards of the RV lifestyle are missed simply because potential enthusiasts are not sure where to begin their search for information. If the idea of enjoying a fifth wheel, toy hauler or travel trailer has crossed your mind but you’re not sure where to start, the following may help to head you in the right direction.

This article offers a wealth of towing terms and definitions, along with descriptions of hitch types (and classifications), load leveling devices, sway control devices and brake controllers, as well as some explanation of what each is designed to do. Guidelines for choosing the equipment that will fit your needs, along with several helpful checklists, are included. Knowing how much your truck/SUV can tow is important. And if you’re buying a new or different tow vehicle, we’ll discuss ways in which to determine how much your travel trailer, fifth wheel or toy hauler weighs and should weigh. Because towing laws and regulations differ from state to state, this article will offer a little advice for that as well.

Taking full advantage of the synergy that exists between an SUV or pickup truck and a travel trailer, fifth wheel or toy-hauler is not rocket science. In fact, it’s fairly simple!

HOW MUCH CAN YOUR TRUCK OR SUV TOW?

Note: For purposes of discussion, pickup trucks and SUVs will be referred to collectively as tow vehicles. Travel trailers, fifth wheels and toy haulers will be referred to collectively as towables.

All tow vehicles have a limit on how much weight they can tow and it is the tow vehicle manufacturer that determines what the limit is. However, that limit can be figured in a couple of different ways, so ask the truck/SUV manufacturer how they make their calculations.

Towing capacity may be calculated on the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of the truck or SUV. The GVWR includes the weight of passengers, optional equipment, cargo/gear being carried in the SUV/truck and the fuel. Or, it may be based on the “dry weight” of the tow vehicle (dry weight includes a driver [150 pounds], a full tank of fuel, no passengers and no cargo). If dry weight is used, remember that as passengers and cargo are added to your truck or SUV, the amount the vehicle can tow is reduced by that same amount.

Another important tow vehicle weight rating is the “Gross Combined Weight Rating” (GCWR). This is the GVWR of the tow vehicle and the GVWR of the towable (sometimes referred to as Gross Trailer Weight Rating –GTWR), added together. The tow vehicle manufacturer determines the GCWR.

A foolproof way to ensure that your tow vehicle and towable do not exceed design limits is to take your rig to a truck scale and weigh the units, separately and together. Also, weigh the tongue to determine the actual tongue weight (more on tongue weight in a minute).

THINGS THAT IMPROVE A VEHICLE’S TOWING CAPABILITY

Equipment like four-wheel drive will reduce the amount an SUV or truck can tow, simply because the hardware associated with four-wheel drive adds several hundred pounds to a tow vehicle. So consider if four-wheel drive really fits your driving needs.

OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and after-market installed equipment can increase the towing capacity of an SUV or truck. These aftermarket products include: transmission and oil coolers, large fans, heavy duty suspension, high axle ratios, heftier spring rates, heavy duty shock absorbers, beefier sway bars, air springs and a larger alternator to handle the electrical loads of the unit being towed.

When buying a new tow vehicle, determine if your towing requirements will be heavy-duty and check out the towing or trailering packages the tow vehicle manufacturer offers. They can include some, if not all, of the optional equipment noted above. However, both “light” and “heavy-duty” towing packages may be offered, so just because it’s called a towing package doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right package for you.

TOWABLE WEIGHTS

For travel trailers, fifth wheels and toy haulers the RVIA (Recreation Vehicle Industry Association) makes sure that member RV manufacturers list the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of each towable. The GVWR (sometimes referred to as GTWR or Gross Trailer Weight Rating) of a towable RV includes the dry weight of the unit, the weight of the fluids in the holding tanks (fresh, gray and waste water, LP gas), plus cargo and gear. The total weight of all these must not exceed the GVWR as identified by the RV manufacturer.

Towables also have a tongue or hitch weight. For a travel trailer this is the force applied by the weight of the travel trailer tongue to the hitch ball at the rear of the tow vehicle. On a fifth wheel, hitch weight is the weight the king pin applies to the fifth wheel hitch in the bed of a truck. The hitch weight needs to fall between 15% and 25% of the GVWR of the fifth wheel. For a travel trailer the rule of thumb is that the tongue or hitch weight needs to fall between 10 percent and 15 percent of the travel trailer’s GVWR.

Pickup trucks and SUVs also have a maximum allowable hitch weight they are designed to handle (also determined by the tow vehicle manufacturer.) The actual tongue weight on a travel trailer and the hitch pin weight on a fifth wheel must not exceed the hitch weight rating of the tow vehicle.

TRAVEL TRAILER HITCHES

For our purposes, bumper hitches will not be discussed. There are four classes of receiver hitches (receiver hitches are bolted to the frame of the tow vehicle). Class I (light-duty) and Class II (medium-duty) receiver hitches feature a 1-1/4-inch receiver. The Class III hitch (heavy-duty) and Class IV hitch (extra heavy-duty) feature 2-inch receivers. The receiver is where the hitch bar (also called a shank or removable draw bar that the hitch ball is attached to) is inserted and pinned. The hitch ball fits up inside the coupler (the coupler is a hollow metal stamping attached to the travel trailer tongue that covers and locks around the hitch ball).

Hitch balls come in three different sizes, 1-7/8 inches, 2 inches and 2-5/16 inches. Each size is rated to tow a maximum travel trailer weight. It’s important to use the correct hitch ball size and one that fits properly into the coupler on the travel trailer.

OTHER IMPORTANT STUFF

In addition to the hitch ball and coupler, the electrical wiring harness/connectors (male and female fittings) must be connected. A connector can have between four and seven pins. Most towable RVs feature a six or seven-pin connector (a pin for each wire in the harness-brake lights, turn signals, taillights, clearance lights, etc.). However, if a travel trailer is equipped with a four-pin system it means the brake lights and turn signals operate using a single wire (one for each side of the travel trailer). If the tow vehicle has a seven-pin connector and the travel trailer has a four-pin connector, a device called a taillight converter will be needed.

Safety chains are also required. Safety chains are designed to keep the travel trailer and the tow vehicle together should the travel trailer become separated from the tow vehicle. The proper method for installing safety chains (safety chains are permanently attached to the travel trailer tongue) is to criss-cross the chains below the travel trailer tongue and the hitch ball before attaching the chains to the tow vehicle. This criss-cross pattern prevents the tongue of the travel trailer from dropping to the road should the travel trailer and the tow vehicle separate. A schedule of safety chain ratings has been developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers. (Get the ones that meet your towing requirements.)

Another item to connect when hitching (both receiver hitch travel trailers and fifth wheels) is the breakaway cable. This actuates the electric brakes on the towable should it become separated from the tow vehicle. Remember, in order for the electric brakes to be activated by the breakaway cable, the towable must be equipped with an adequately charged house battery.

FIFTH WHEEL HITCHES

Some tow vehicle manufacturers may require that towables with a GVWR above 10,000 lbs. need to be fifth wheels, which brings us to fifth wheel hitches. Fifth wheel hitches come with different tow ratings because fifth wheels vary in size and weight. Fifth wheels can range from 10,000 lbs. GVWR, up to 30,000 lbs. GVWR.

Unlike the hitch weight on a travel trailer that is loaded aft of the tow vehicle’s bumper, the hitch weight on a fifth wheel is loaded in the bed of the truck, directly above or slightly forward of the rear axle center line. This means the hitch weight is loaded down onto the frame of the truck, which is why fifth wheel hitches can accommodate a greater hitch weight. When hitching a fifth wheel, the kingpin on the fifth wheel slips into the jaws of the hitch, which are then closed, locked and pinned.

Fifth wheel hitches are attached through the bed of the truck to the truck frame. Some are designed so they can be quickly removed, making the truck bed flat and available for hauling. There are combination hitches that permit the towing of both fifth wheel and gooseneck travel trailers. Some fifth wheel hitches are designed specifically for short bed trucks, to permit tight turns at slow speeds. These hitches articulate or slide aft several inches on hitch rails in the bed of the truck, preventing the leading edge of the fifth wheel from hitting the back of the truck cab as the units turn. Some fifth wheel hitches are designed to facilitate hitching on uneven ground. Some are self-aligning and allow the king pin and the jaws of the hitch to be coupled even if they are not lined up exactly.

BRAKES

Travel trailers and fifth wheels come equipped with electric brakes that require a brake controller in the cab of the tow vehicle. There are two types of controllers, electronic and pendulum. An adjustment on the controller permits the driver to adjust for more or less towable braking pressure when the tow vehicle foot brake is applied. Brake controllers can also be manually toggled. When toggled, only the brakes on the towable are applied, a feature that can be helpful in stopping travel trailer sway or slowing downhill speed.

LOAD LEVELING DEVICES

Typically, if a Class III or IV receiver hitch is required, then a load-leveling or load-distributing hitch will be needed. These spring bar devices distribute the hitch or tongue weight from the hitch ball forward to the front axle of the tow vehicle and aft to the travel trailer axles. This helps prevent the front axle of the SUV or truck from being raised when weight is placed on the hitch by the travel trailer tongue (a condition that can create braking and steering problems and adds stress to the rear axle and tires of the tow vehicle).

SWAY CONTROL DEVICES FOR RVs

Sway control devices employ either a friction or a hydraulic shock absorber mechanism. Attached to the travel trailer tongue frame and then to either the spring bars or the hitch bar on the tow vehicle, these devices react to travel trailer sway (fish tail motions) caused by side winds, air turbulence from big-rigs and rapid stopping (all of which can lead potentially to a loss of control). Sway control manufacturers may recommend that when driving on slick surfaces, the sway control be released.