Updated Blog Post: Are you considering buying a Horse Trailer, Camper or Boat? There are seven features that you should consider before you buy your next tow vehicle. Transwest Truck Trailer RV is here to help you find your perfect fit for what you are hauling. Before you even consider shopping for the right tow vehicle you want to know what trailer you will be hauling. But it is not, and here is why. There are so many different types and sizes of trailers out there to choose from. If you buy the vehicle first then you are limiting yourself as to what size trailer you can buy. Once, you know the trailer you will be hauling then you want to find out the weight of the trailer will be when it is fully loaded. A horse trailer will have a significant difference when it is empty versus when it is fully loaded with the horses, tack and saddles. A camper will weigh different empty versus when it is loaded with water, household supplies, bikes, four wheelers and anything else you want to take with you on vacation. After you know what the weight of the trailer fully loaded is then you can start shopping for the perfect tow vehicle. Tow Capacity The towing capacity is what the manufacturer sets as the maximum weight a vehicle can tow. Check what the tow capacity of the vehicle you are considering and make sure that it is able to handle the weight. Curb Weight The curb weight of a tow vehicle is the weight when the fuel tank is full, but still not carrying any passengers or cargo. Fuel efficiency is important nowadays, so vehicles are being built lighter and yet are still powerful enough to tow heavier trailers. It is just natural though to feel more in control when towing a trailer with a heavier vehicle. Wheelbase The wheelbase is the distance from the front of the axle to the rear axle of the tow vehicle, and very important to the control and stability. Having a longer wheelbase on your tow vehicle will give you less of a chance of the trailer weighing down the rear axle and lifting the front axle. Drive System Having a tow vehicle that has rear-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive is important to have when choosing a tow vehicle. With a front-wheel drive vehicle, you have more of a chance to lose control of the rear of the vehicle. Transmission Everyone has their own opinion as to which type of transmission is best for towing, automatic or manual transmission. A manual transmission could be more distracting when shifting while an automatic can give you more time to focus on driving and your safety. The best option is to be comfortable with what you are using. Choose a transmission that you feel more confident with. This design will provide more strength when towing. Their bodies are just not strong enough. Tow Package Did you know that there is more to a tow package than just the ball hitch on the back? Vehicles that have a tow package come with better suspension, brakes, bigger radiator, and transmission that allows more power to be sent to the drive wheels. All of this, in turn, creates a more powerful vehicle capable of towing a heavy load. In the end, there is a lot of information that you need to think about when shopping for the right tow vehicle that will keep you safe and in control of the load you are towing. Here at Transwest Truck Trailer RV, we carry used trucks with all different tow capacities that will fit your towing needs. Contact us today and we will be happy to help you find exactly what you need for the trailer you will be hauling whether it be a horse trailer, camper, fifth wheel or boat. A full-size dually just seems like overkill for such tasks, especially if you haul your horses only a few times a year. After all, the many sport utility vehicles SUVs look rugged and powerful, plus they offer appealing versatility. But can an SUV safely pull a two-horse trailer? And on the flip side, not all small or midsize trucks are suitable for the job. Here are some of your most important considerations: 1. Towing capacity Determined by the vehicle manufacturer, towing capacity is the maximum weight that a vehicle is rated to tow. Larger truck stops and landfills, for example, often have vehicle scales that anyone can use; call ahead to check on availability. GVW applies to the actual weight of the trailer itself as well. For safety, it is important that your tow vehicle, when fully loaded with luggage and passengers, does not weigh more than its maximum GVW rating, and the trailer weight when fully loaded cannot exceed the GTWR. Those two weights added together cannot be more than the GCVWR. You need to control for that. Curb weight This measure reflects what the tow vehicle weighs when fully fueled but empty---carrying no passengers or cargo. It used to be said that a tow vehicle had to be heavier than the trailer load it was pulling; however, trucks and SUVs engineered to contemporary standards can be lighter for better fuel efficiency yet still be powerful enough to tow a heavier load safely. But, in general, the heavier the tow vehicle, the better it will be able to control the weight of the trailer. Think of the physics of a small girl running with a large dog on a leash. The girl would have more physical control over a dog her own size or smaller. Wheelbase Critical to the maneuverability and stability of a vehicle, the wheelbase is the distance from the front axle to the rear axle of the tow vehicle. Also, the longer the wheelbase, the more control you will have of the rig and the better it will track. However, even if your vehicle meets your requirements for towing capacity and curb weight, with a shorter wheelbase it may still have difficulty controlling the trailer. This eliminates the front end from floating and gives you greater control. A weight distribution system is a must for SUVs and lightweight trucks. Drive system Most pickup trucks come with the rear-wheel drive, as do the largest SUVs. Much smaller and midsize SUVs, however, come with front-wheel drive, which does offer better traction in rain and snow but provides less control over the rear of the vehicle, which is critical for towing. When a trailer is attached to a front-wheel drive vehicle, most of the weight is placed on the wheels that are significantly less powerful. All-wheel drive AWD and four-wheel drive 4WD systems are different methods of delivering power to all four wheels. Traditionally, AWD systems relied primarily on the front-wheel drive but could redirect power to the rear axle as needed when the front tires slipped in slick conditions, and 4WD vehicles constantly directed 40 percent of the power to the front wheels and 60 percent to the back. However, contemporary engineering is blurring the distinctions in many models, which can act like both types of the system at times. AWD is available either standard or as an option in many SUVs and trucks. The upside is better traction in slippery conditions. However, an AWD system adds weight to the vehicle, which reduces fuel efficiency and also subtracts from the weight it can tow. Also, because your truck sits higher, so will your frame-mounted hitch, so you will need a ball mount with a bigger drop. Transmission Many people have strong preferences regarding manual and automatic transmissions, depending on how they learned to drive and their local terrain. The automatic transmission allows you to concentrate more on the trailer and the road. There are plenty of options for either transmission type that are capable towing vehicles, but it is most important that you are comfortable handling the vehicle and can operate it safely. Chassis design One primary difference between larger trucks and SUVs and their smaller counterparts is the design of the chassis, the framework that mounts all the other systems and provides the structural strength of a vehicle. In a tow vehicle with this design, the hitch is attached directly to the frame, as are both axles. The axles are mounted to the floor pan on subframes, which do not extend the length of the vehicle. Traditionally, unibody vehicles have not been recommended for towing because their bodies are not as strong. Tow packages A tow package is more than just a factory-installed ball hitch. A vehicle equipped with this option is built with beefed-up suspension and brakes, a larger radiator with added cooling capacity, and a transmission capable of sending more power to the drive wheels---all of which adds up to a more powerful vehicle that is better prepared to manage a heavy load. Many tow packages might include mirrors that extend outward so the driver can better see the road and trailer. A tow package does add to the vehicle weight, and it will decrease gas mileage. But if you frequently tow heavy loads over long distances, a truck or SUV equipped with a tow package is likely to be more reliable, and it will probably last longer. So get the tow package. Among the bumper pulls, any designed to carry three or more horses, especially if they are equipped with tack rooms or living quarters, will quickly reach the weights that require the largest tow vehicles. Many models of the largest trucks---such as the Chevrolet Silverado, the Dodge Ram, the Ford F-250s to F-450s, and the GMC Sierra---are rated to tow well over 10,000 pounds. But smaller trucks and many of the largest SUVS---including the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, the Cadillac Escalade, the GMC Yukon, the Lincoln Navigator, the Lexus LX 570 and the Ford Expedition---can be rated to tow 7,000 to 9,000 pounds, which is enough to pull a more moderately sized two-horse trailer plus a tack room with plenty of gear. A fairly large number of small trucks and more moderately sized SUVs are rated to tow loads in the range of 4,000 to 5,000 pounds or more, including the Chevrolet Traverse, the Dodge Durango, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Ford Explorer and the Toyota 4Runner. Just remember---a longer wheelbase will give you more control, and you will likely need to add a weight distribution system to stabilize your rig. A number of these vehicles come in different models, some of which may be a better match for you than others. For example, the GMC Sierra 1500 is rated to tow 10,700 pounds while the Sierra 3500 HD can pull up to 23,100 pounds. Do your research online, but make sure the vehicle you actually buy is the one with the towing capacity that meets your needs. Above all, though, you need to choose a tow vehicle that you are comfortable driving and can control easily. And once you have your new truck or SUV, practice driving it in safe conditions before taking it out on the road. Enter Full or Partial Stock ID Number Last Six of VIN.
