Towing Weights
Towing Weights
(OP)
Over the years, I have read the sections in my vehicle manuals governing max weight for a trailer to be towed. The governing parameter seems to be the combination of trailer weight and tow vehicle weight. I had always assumed that this related mainly to braking capacity of the tow vehicle. Is there something else?





RE: Towing Weights
RE: Towing Weights
Scariest moment was once in Colorado when the truck brakes got good and hot and boiled the water in the brake fluid (hygroscropic fluid) and vaporized in the brake lines taking my truck brakes out of the picture. Between the trailer brakes and some serious downshifting I am still here to relate this, thankfully.
rmw
RE: Towing Weights
- engine cooling and longevity
- trans torque capacity, cooling and longevity
- axle cooling and longevity
- brakes (depending if trailer has brakes, could assume no for worst case scenario)
(and don't forget OEM bragging rights in the case of PUs)
I can't find the article now, but I read one a couple months ago that discussed how SAE came out with a new differential oil viscosity mostly for 1 ton trucks. The thicker oil was eating into the fuel efficiency and the thinner oil wasn't passing durability tests.
ISZ