Trying to figure out what is the best trailer for you can be very hard to figure out. We’ll review things to consider when picking the best trailer for you. The top things to consider are things like, what will you pull it with? How heavy is the load you need to pull? What are the measurements of your load? How often will your trailer be used? And probably the number one question is cost.
Let’s start with some terms for weight. You will hear a lot about GVWR (GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING). GVWR is the maximum weight capacity of a vehicle without anything attached. So, this would be the weight of the truck plus the maximum weight you can put in it. For example, a basic 23 Ford F150 has a GVWR of 6,010 lbs. Its curb weight is 4,070 lbs. This will allow you to load 1,940 safely in the truck. There are a lot of factors that determine the GVWR of a tow vehicle. You’ll need to read the owner’s manual to find the GVWR.
Then we talk about finding the TOWING CAPACITY. This is determined by the vehicle manufacturer. You may see things online like airbags that can increase your towing capacity. There are no add-ons you can buy or install to increase a vehicle’s towing capacity. The best way to find this is the owner’s manual. If that is no longer in your position then some math can be done to find what it is.
To find your towing capacity you’ll need to find your manufacturer sticker on the driver door frame. There were a few years that Chevrolet put this stick in the glove box. The towing capacity is your GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) minus your curb weight. The sticker below is for a 20 GMC 3500HD single wheel. GCWR – Curb = 21,430 towing capacity. Now that you know the towing capacity, please keep in mind this is the maximum for your truck. If you’d like your truck to last as long as possible then I’d suggest staying below your max when in town.
So now that we know what our tow vehicle can do let’s talk about what type of coupling system you will use. You are going to have three options when it comes to trailers. You have bumper pull trailers. This is going to be the most popular style on the road. Then you have Gooseneck trailers. You’re only going to have gooseneck hitches in full-size trucks. The last option is a 5th Wheel hitches. This hitch is similar to a gooseneck but the hitch in the truck has a jaw that locks onto a kingpin. Most all of your 5th-wheel trailers are going to be RV campers.
Bumper pull trailers as it’s called are hooked to your bumper or to a tow hitch that is just under the bumper. Bumper pull trailers vary in size and weight capacities. Bumper pulls are best suited with a GVWR of 14,000 lbs or less. If you are just pulling around a lawn mower or a side by side then the bumper pull will be a good fit.
Gooseneck trailers will be attached to a ball in the center of the truck bed. You will typically be able to tow more weight with a gooseneck as it has a better balance over the axle of the truck. A 5th wheel is similar to a gooseneck. It will allow you to haul more weight as it is positioned over the axle. 5th wheels will have a different coupling style. I’ll go deeper into goosenecks and 4th wheels in a later post.
So, when it comes to finding the right trailer for your needs, you’ll need to start with what you have to tow it with. We’ll get more in-depth on the type of trailers you can get and what is the correct setup for you. Please keep a look out for future posts from Sportsland Cover and Trailer.
