When it comes to pulling a trailer or camper behind your vehicle, knowing a few things about towing capacity is important to prevent mishaps out on the road. If the hitch you choose a hitch that is not best for your type of vehicle, you could have trouble towing or handling your vehicle. Check out these tips about trailer hitches and towing weights that can help you tow safely.

Every Hitch Has A Weight Rating

Every hitch has a specific weight rating that you need to consider before using it. Your vehicle also has specific weight limits. Before you hook up your trailer or camper, making sure the hitch you have is the right one for your vehicle and the trailer or camper is important. The following are vital considerations about weight you need to remember before towing:

• Gross Towed Weight (GTW): The trailer or camper you plan to tow has a weight listed on its title telling you how much it weighs. The hitch you choose will need to be one that is capable of handling the GTW. However, be sure to remember that you will also need to add in the weight for anything you ere hauling on a trailer or for the contents in the camper you want to take camping. For example, if you want to tow a car behind your truck, you will need to figure in the weight of the car and add it to the GTW of the trailer so you will know if your hitch will be able to handle it.

• Tongue Weight (TW): The weight a trailer or camper exerts onto the ball of the hitch is the TW. The TW is usually figured to be about 10-15% of the total weight of the trailer or camper. Bear in mind this figure should come from the weight you are figuring when the trailer or camper is loaded, not just the weight that is written on the title. For example, if the weight of your trailer and its load is 1500 pounds, the TW figured at 15% would be 225 pounds. If you put too much weight on the ball of your hitch, your towing experience could be dangerous because the handling of your vehicle would be compromised. The same is also true if you haul a load that is too light, the reason being a trailer or camper would sway back and forth during the haul.

• Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): The GVWR is the total weight figure for your trailer or camper, the weight of what you are hauling and the weight of what is in the vehicle you are towing with. The GVWR for your vehicle can also be found its title. For example, if your vehicle has a GVWR of 6,000 pounds and the GVWR is 7,200 pounds, you can safely carry 1,200 pounds in that particular vehicle. If you are towing a trailer or camper that weights 500 pounds, you will be able to carry 700 pounds in the vehicle. Always making sure you remain within the weight ratings is important to yours and your passenger's safety out on the road.

Hitching up your camper or trailer and hitting the road can be easy, but its a lot safer to do so only after you are sure you are not towing too much or too little weight. Making sure you are aware of weight limits before you buy a trailer hitch for your vehicle is extremely important. Contact a company like Geny Hitch for more information.