Need To Know About Towing Heavy Trailers

If you are hoping for the best results of towing, buying a heavy car hauler trailer may not be the only solution. Before you go for the towing job while delivering heavy vehicles, you need to acquire firm knowledge about it.

What do manufacturers generally recommend for tow setup?

The answer is pretty simple. Subaru specifies the maximum towing mass for both non-braked and braked trailers as well as maximum tow ball down mass. Experts also advise against exceeding the maximum permissible weight (MPW) of the tow vehicle as well as the maximum permissible rear axle weight (MPAW) of the tow vehicle when towing. This is why, it is said to maintain a proper logbook to understand the weight and the hauling quantity.

This means that understanding the towing system is in your hand by maintaining the logbook on a daily basis. The data helps the car manufacturer a lot as they don't have any idea which trailer is required for what kind of weight. It is recommended to purchase a 4 or 5 car trailer as a basic step for transporting the vehicles.

The importance of tow setup

Most of the manufacturers don't have the proper knowledge of tow setup. The major problem is that all these different weights and figures are confusing. They do not consider it a vital aspect of transporting vehicles. Without learning much, they prefer to maintain the safety verbally from other manufacturers. Many would even quite happily pay without knowing the difference between GCM and GVM.

Unfortunately, there are very few manufactures who know proper rules about towing, as it involves understanding quite a lot of trailer regulations and dynamics. Dealing with these manufacturers can provide customers or dealers a platform of liability. In case there is an accident, dealers can understand the reluctance of experts to certify car trailer combinations.

So, if you are in the business of manufacturing cars, and you need to transport them to various cities and suburbans, car trailers are the only safest way to do so. There is unfortunately no shortcut to setting up trailers correctly, you need to fully understand the forces at play and the various limits related with it.

Knowing about the towing setup does not need to be a training. Just read useful stuff on the Internet, and research a bit to be the most educated manufacturer in Texas.

The World Of Car Hauling Trailer Drivers

Professional car haulers are overlooked more often because of the popularity that drivers of flatbed trucks get to enjoy among people. While cars and other heavy vehicles going down an expressway is a common sight, there are many individuals who do not realize the importance of the professionals who play an essential role in transporting cars on trailers from one place to another.

The fact that the job of a car hauler is vital can be determined from the fact that places offering 4 or 5 car trailer for sale are still popular. Let us get acquainted with a few things that can be found only in the vast realm of car haulers:

Skillful Training : 

People who set out in search of vacancies for positions of car hauler bear in mind that they are bound to go through rigorous training for learning the skills that their job necessitates them to possess. Manipulating a hauling trailer is not a child’s play and involves multiple risks. A good hauler knows that he must have sufficient knowledge about different security and safety issues, or else he may accidentally end up risking the lives of many people.

Staying Alert :

In the industry of professional trailering, experts have to deal with problems that arise from driving at night for extended hours. Besides that, some car haulers even have to stay awake and drive through rough conditions on the road at times. In order to combat sleep and fatigue, many individuals depend on coffee and avoid eating excess food. They also try to keep the temperature of their tow vehicle low.

Unusual Driving Experience : 

The job of a car hauler generally offers a different and unusual driving experience. This is because the job description of the professional makes it mandatory to handle vehicles of various makes and models, sometimes even the ones that haven’t been sold or released yet.

Remaining Calm : 

For staying calm and composed as well as getting rid of boredom, car haulers adopt many different ways to keep themselves entertained. Some listen to loud music on radio, others sing their day away and still others play mind games with the things that they see on the road.

As we can see, being a car hauler is not easy and also something that one should feel proud about. Although people may not talk about these professionals so much, there is no doubt about the fact they play a very important role.

Brief Discussion About Tow Rating and Other Related Quantities

Are you planning to start a towing business of your own, or work as a full time hauler for a firm? If you are thinking that it is going to be as easy as hooking the trailer to the tow vehicle, you are wrong. There are plenty of details which you will have to bear in mind, the most important element out of which is perhaps the one related to weight. Before starting out, you must make sure your vehicle is capable of towing your trailer while it is loaded, be it a 4 or 5 car hauler. And that is where tow capacities and ratings come into play.

The tow capacity or rating can be defined as the maximum weight a vehicle can pull without any problem. You can find it inside the owner’s manual of your tow van or truck. Not only does this measure will represent the weight of your trailer, but also the load that it can carry efficiently. The tow rating of any vehicle usually takes multiple factors into account:

• Structure of vehicle
• Design of suspension and chassis
• Axle ratios, engine type and other variables of drive train
• Class and design of hitch
• Load capacities and tire ratings

These numbers are never arbitrary, rather the result of comprehensive real-world testing performed by engineers for pushing vehicles to their extreme limits to determine accurate physical abilities of the trucks or vans.

Though it is very important to not exceed the tow rating of your vehicle, there are several other limits which should also be never crossed while towing. They include:

• GVWR - GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) is the maximum load your vehicle can possibly carry, including fuel, cargo, passengers and the truck or van itself.
  
• GCWR - GCWR (gross combined weight rating) is the combined weight of your trailer and tow vehicle when fully loaded.
  
• GAWR - GAWR (gross axle weight ratings) represents the most load a certain axle is capable of carrying, including tire and wheel
  
• HWR - Hitch weight rating indicates the amount of load a hitch has been designed for carrying safely
  
• Tongue Weight - it must be between 15-30 percent for fifth wheel or gooseneck trailers and 10-15 percent for conventional ones, of the gross load.

Exceeding just one of the above mentioned can not only cause significant damage to both your trailer and tow vehicle, but also create a dangerous situation for you as well as other people on the road.

Maintaining a Hauler Trailer

If you have a vehicle towing business or own a private trailer at home, it is imperative that you make use of proper techniques for maintaining the hauler and keeping it in good condition. The task of trailer upkeep may not be too overwhelming, but it will definitely need some elbow grease to be done properly.

First of all, you must recognize the fact that bearings and brakes of a trailer undergo a lot of wear and tear. Therefore, these are the parts which require the most amount of maintenance. Dust particles can cause the brakes as well as drums to wear out prematurely. To prevent that from happening, rinse thoroughly with water for removing any dust particles that might be present on the brakes. When it is time to get them replaced, make sure that you change everything else as well, including hardware, shoes and wheel cylinders.

While greasing the bearings of your trailer, check whether the outer spring is fully compressed or not. Continue to grease if the spring appears or seems to be extended. You will have to do this by taking out the bearings from the wheel and pulling them apart to perform a meticulous inspection.

Be it a 4 or 5 car trailer, its electrical components need to function properly as well to prevent unwanted accidents or mishaps. Inspect the lights of your trailer carefully before taking it out on the road. If they are not working properly, check the connection of the plug. If you find nothing wrong with the plug, have a look at the bulb. If the bulb seems to be intact, there can be some problem with the wiring. Sometimes, wiring can corrode or become loose due to heavy vibration from regular usage.

The coupler of your trailer would not require extensive maintenance. But you will have to inspect it from time to time for ensuring that it is working fine. Check for wear and tear and grease occasionally to prevent the latch from becoming jarred or stiff. You may also need to apply lubricants to the locking mechanisms and tongue jack.

Just like every machine needs regular upkeep to last longer and perform well, a trailer is the same. By investing a few hours in maintaining the different components of your hauling equipment, you can easily ensure the safety of yourself, the goods you would be hauling and the other drivers on the road.