There’s Always a Hitch

Give me seven or eight minutes here because I’d like to remind you of some important details you may have forgotten, or never learned, about towing a trailer. Improperly done, towing a trailer can cost you and your shop money or, worse, cause accidents, injury and even death. See it like opening a can of tuna in a lion’s cage, meaning you’ll want everything in place before you begin. The hitch For the most part, “factory-installed” truck and van hitches are glorified bumper hitches. If you buy a new rig that includes a hitch, get the hitch manufacturer’s specification sheet to check its true capacities. If you buy a used truck that has a hitch, take it to a professional hitch installer for evaluation. Tongue weight is the number of pounds your trailer applies to the hitch. Maximum tongue weight is stamped on the hitch, near the coupling area. Exceeding the hitch’s tongue weight can cause hazardous steering, trailer fishtailing or, worse, failure of the hitch or its supporting struts. To measure a loaded trailer’s tongue weight, stack blocks to a height of, say, three inches below the hitch, then place a bathroom scale atop the blocks. With the scale’s step at hitch height, rest the trailer tongue on the scale and read the tongue weight. There are hundreds to choose from, but your two basic hitch choices are: * Weight carrying. The lighter-capacity hitch that bolts to the tow vehicle’s frame where, generally, the maximum weight of the trailer tongue (as it rests on the hitch) is 150 lbs. or less, and the overall trailer gross vehicle weight (GVR) is 2,000 lbs. * Weight distributing. These reach further under the towing vehicle to distribute the trailer’s tongue weight and GVWR to all four wheels. Usually, crane or bucket trucks will come with heavy-duty hitches installed. Still, the standard towing principles apply, and you’ll want the full specifications on the hitch before coupling it to a trailer. And finally, if you own a heavy-duty pickup, consider a goose-neck system that could give you up to a 30,000-lb. gross towing weight capacity. Few shops, however, manufacture and haul signs of this scale. Axle ratings, capacities In everyday practice, safety should take priority over everything else. Knowing the following terms and working with the resulting figures — and not exceeding them — is your first step toward safe towing. * Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) is the maximum possible weight of the tow vehicle and trailer combination. The GCWR includes passengers, fuel, cargo, toolboxes, etc., in and on the tow vehicle and trailer. In essence, this is the total tonnage you’re steering down the highway. * Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is the maximum amount a tow vehicle or trailer may weigh. This is the individual weight rate of each. The GVWR includes passengers, fuel, cargo, toolboxes, etc., in and on the tow vehicle and trailer. Add the tongue weight of the trailer to the GVWR of the tow vehicle. * Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) is the weight each axle — on both the trailer and tow vehicle — can support. The total GVWR must never exceed the total GAWR. Multiply the number of axles times the GAWR to determine a trailer’s total. For example, two axles rated at 3,000 lbs. each equal 6,000 lbs. GVWR. Find your trailer’s GAWR on the manufacturer’s information plate; the tow vehicle’s GAWR should be on the inside of the driver’s door. Again, you must consider fuel, cargo, toolboxes, etc., in and on the tow vehicle and trailer. Be sure to add passenger weight to the tow vehicle. The axle rating of your trailer determines its total load-carrying capability. The load-carrying capacity dictates (depending upon both state and national department of transportation [DOT] rulings) if your trailer requires its own auxiliary braking system. Brakes Legal requirements for trailer brakes vary from state to state, so research requirements with your local and state authorities, as well as those from other states in which you may travel. For the record, once you tow a trailer equipped with brakes, you’ll hate towing trailers that don’t have them. The three basic brakes types are: electric, hydraulic (surge) and air. These brakes operate automatically when you apply the tow vehicle’s brakes, and they should immediately engage if the trailer separates from the tow vehicle. I think, until you get into the really big (air-brake) rigs, that electric brakes work best. Lights, wiring Legal requirements for trailer lights vary from state to state, so research this as well. I advocate sidelights, placed at 5-ft. intervals, and a generous sprinkling of reflectors. Always double-check the electrical connecting system — the trailer plug and tow-vehicle socket — because it’s the second source of lighting failures. The first is poor grounding caused by dirty connections. Have the right connectors for the job and see that they are weatherproof, strong and secure. The wires reaching between the tow vehicle and trailer must span the full gap when the unit turns, but they shouldn’t sag close to the road. Always carry spare electrical parts: lamps, wire, connectors and fuses. Generally, a short circuit in the system will blow the fuse, so, if the fuse goes, trace the wiring for crimps or compression points. Safety chains Always attach safety chains when hitching up. And, an absolute rule: Cross the safety chains under the hitch. Should the coupler fail, this crossing forms a cradle that catches the loosened trailer’s tongue and prevents it from biting into the pavement and pitch-poling the trailer. Also, replace the chain “S” hooks with heavy-duty steel shackles or locking carabiners made for trailering. A well-stocked truck stop, trailer- or farm-supply store will have them. If you must use “S” hooks, secure them to the hitch platform with wire. Bearings, wheels, tires Trailer bearings suffer from heat more than you might expect; wet weather intensifies the problem. Make a habit to touch the trailer’s wheels every time you stop, because this action may alert you to excess heat and upcoming bearing problems. The wheel should be hot, but not scorching. You should also service the bearings routinely — meaning inspect, clean and lube — don’t just pump grease into the axle zerks. Also, carry spare grease, bearings and the tools to change them. Oh yes, carry a jack and lug wrench for the trailer because the ones in the tow vehicle may not fit. Check the air pressure with a high-quality, accurate gauge when the tires are cold. Don’t bleed air from hot tires. If you tow often, buy a tire thumper at a highway truck stop (I prefer a rubber mallet). To check the tires, whap each one in the same location and listen to see that each has a ripe-watermelon “thump.” Other stuff * A gallon of gasoline weighs 5.6 lbs.; ten gallons weigh 56 lbs. * Carry a first-aid kit, and teach everyone how to use it. * Don’t alter the trailer or vary the tire size from the manufacturer’s recommendations, but do buy a trailer with large tires. Small tires overheat quickly and wear out sooner. * If you tow often, install a front bumper hitch and, should you need to maneuver the trailer into tight spaces (off street, at your shop or on the job site), switch ends and hitch to the front ball. Once it’s hooked to a front-mounted hitch, you can parallel park a trailer. * Lock the trailer to the tow vehicle. * Match the trailer ball to the coup-ler; match both to the trailer’s GVRW. You’ll find the coupler’s GVWR rating stamped on the ball. Grease the ball occasionally; also carry an extra ball. * Most cities have commercial weighing stations with scales for weighing trucks and trailers. Call your local moving company if you can’t find one. They know where the scales are located. * On the road, the state patrol will study your vehicle longer than most (you’re not a recreational boater or a long-haul trucker, thus, you’re a new fascination), especially if he or she sees something out of the ordinary about your rig. Also, comply with all DOT rules and be prepared for either a DOT or state-patrol roadside inspection. * Shorter trailers are more difficult to back. * Stop after a mile and check the load, hitch, lights, tires and bearings. Finally, it’s the driver’s job to see that all equipment conforms to state or DOT requirements. A safe system includes proper vehicles (trailer and tow vehicle, both capable of handling the gross weight), axles, tires, brakes, cargo distribution (balance), secure tie downs, crossed safety chains, lighting and driver skills. Remember that the driver gets the ticket, points and lawsuit. The other guys, the ones who said, “Do it this way,” even if he or she is the boss, are the ones who walk away. See it like dancing polka at a disco, meaning, if you’re going to do it, you want to be very, very good.