Going somewhere exciting with your camper or working on a project at your house that involves transport of heavy machinery? If you’re taking on the adventure of hauling heavier items, knowing your vehicle’s towing capacity is essential. Being within the towing capacity for a vehicle ensures that you, your car, and the items you are hauling stay safe and are moved efficiently. Whether you’re towing your boat to the ocean or filling your car with new construction materials, this towing capacity guide will help you understand the towing capacity of your vehicle and offer solutions if your car cannot handle the load. Sports Towing in the Richmond, VA area is here to offer you tips to make sure your tow is safe and easy, or we can take over the challenge for you with our various towing services.
What is Towing Capacity?
If you’re getting ready to tow a heavy item and are curious about what that entails, you’ve come to the right place. Towing capacity means the maximum amount of weight that a vehicle can tow or handle and it is determined by the car manufacturer. Putting regular items in your trunk doesn’t require towing capacity knowledge, but if you begin towing or hauling something heavy it’s important to be aware of the specific towing capacity so you can make sure your vehicle does not experience any damage. If you haul things that exceed your towing capacity, you risk damage to your vehicle, the item you are towing and even driver safety.
There are a few key terms to know when calculating your towing capacity. The first is the GVWR or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, and it is the total amount of weight that your vehicle can handle at a time. The GCWR, which stands for Gross Combined Weight Rating, is the weight of the vehicle, but includes the mass of the passengers, towing amount, and any other cargo in the vehicle. The Tongue Weight is important to know if you’re hauling a trailer or camper, as it describes the downward force on the hitch by the trailer, and to ensure safe balance and vehicle control, your tongue weight should not be more than 15% of the trailer weight. The last term of note is a car’s payload capacity, which is the amount of mass for passengers and cargo that a vehicle can handle before towing anything. Being knowledgeable about these aspects of towing capacity will ensure you transport your items safely and keep your vehicle from experiencing mechanical issues. At Sports Towing & Recovery, we have the capacity to handle any of your towing needs, no matter the weight. We also offer repair services if you’re experiencing issues from overloading your towing capacity and need quick, 24/7 service.
How to Calculate Towing Capacity
Now that you are familiar with what towing capacity actually is and why it’s so important, it’s time to use the towing capacity guide to figure out your vehicle’s specific towing capacity! There are several ways to calculate your towing capacity on your own.
- Checking Manufacturer’s Specifications: You can find your towing capacity directly from the manufacturer by looking at their website or the vehicle’s brochure. To find this information, search the vehicle’s make, model and year on their website and reference any sections titled “towing” or “performance”, and you should be able to quickly locate the information.
- Using the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Lookup: Nothing is more valuable when dealing with your vehicle than the unique VIN provided. Once you have that number, you can search your VIN on third party sites designed for identifying the towing capacity for vehicles.
- Referencing Towing Capacity Charts: Many companies produce easy to read charts that reference the towing capacity based on make and model. These charts are usually found in the owner’s manual or on the company’s website.
- Consult the Owner’s Manual: If you’re looking for an exact and trusted towing capacity for your vehicle, your owner’s manual is your best bet. You should consult the sections listed “towing” or “performance” and you will find the towing capacity that is the most accurate, as the manual is made for your vehicle’s specific make and model.
Still unsure on how to figure out the towing capacity? We can show you how it works! If you’ve found your towing capacity and you’re still feeling uneasy about hauling your items, don’t fret! Sport’s Towing and Recovery can help. We offer services in any area within 60 miles of Richmond, VA and can make sure your heavy load makes it to its destination without issue. Give us a call today.
How to Maximize Towing Capacity
Once you’ve calculated your towing capacity, you’re not quite done with the towing capacity guide! If you want to make sure you are getting the most out of your vehicle’s towing capabilities, there are steps you can take to maximize the experience. You should make sure that your vehicle’s components are in tip-top shape. When towing heavy items, you should ensure you have enhanced suspension systems for easy movement, as well as updated brakes that will make sure you can quickly stop even with a large load. Tires are important at all times, but especially when you’re towing heavy items. You want your tires to have proper traction when traveling on any terrain. If you’re feeling like your car could use a tune up, Sports Towing and Recovery offers repair services 24/7 to make sure you’re ready to tackle your heavy load.
You should also make sure that you distribute the weight as evenly as you can so as to not harm the mechanics of your vehicle. Putting heavier items closer to the vehicle’s axle will protect the integrity of the car. It’s important to purchase appropriate hitches and sway control devices so that your vehicle will stay steady during your journey. When towing heavy items, your vehicle will also require more fuel. You can limit the amount of fuel you are wasting by keeping your idle time to a minimum, keeping consistent speeds with cruise control, and using high quality trailer stabilization equipment. When you tow something, you should most definitely consider the extra precautions to take when driving. As you are increasing the weight of your vehicle, you should make sure to drive at a safe and consistent speed and do not follow other driver’s too closely because it will take you more time to slow down. Avoid sharp turns and stay keenly aware of where you are driving to make towing an easy and safe experience.
Why Choose SportsTowing?
So hopefully after reading the towing capacity guide you now feel like an expert on towing capacity. But- does it all still seem too daunting? If so, let Sports Towing & Recovery take the towing off your hands. We are a trusted company in the Richmond, VA area with professionals that are renowned for their experience and extensive training that allows them to handle any towing load. We offer 24/7 services, whether you need towing or recovery. We can handle any towing project, as we have extensive standard and heavy duty towing services. At Sports Towing and Recovery we care about our customer’s experiences and work hard to give you competitive rates and special offers so you receive our top of the line services for a fair price. Visit our website: https://sportstowingandrecovery.com/ or call us at 804-325-9971 to learn more about our services and how we can assist you with all your towing needs.