If you already have the vehicle you plan to tow with, you need to find a trailer that is within the weight range of your vehicle. This was a common problem I ran into during my days as an RV Sales Manager. Customers would come in to buy a travel trailer only to find out that their tow vehicle did not have a very good towing rating. It can be extremely frustrating to go out and find the perfect travel trailer or fifth wheel and then be told you can’t tow it. On the other hand, it can be worse if you go to a less reputable RV dealer and the dealer tells you they can tow it. This happens every day, which is why you need to be armed with the correct information before you buy.

I don’t mean to upset RV dealers, but if you go to a dealer and they don’t ask you for tow vehicle information, it would be wise to go somewhere else. The first question my salespeople had to ask was if I already had a tow vehicle. If so, they would look in our towing book and identify the towing capacity for your particular vehicle. We will then inform you of your options. We lost a lot of sales because the customer couldn’t safely pull the RV he wanted, but we didn’t let him endanger himself or his family.

If you don’t already have the tow vehicle, it’s a good idea to first find the RV you want and then purchase a vehicle that is capable of towing it safely. I will warn you again, be careful if you listen to the salesperson at the car dealership. They are only interested in selling you a vehicle, and a large percentage of sellers do not understand vehicle towing qualifications. Call a reputable RV dealer and have them verify the vehicle’s towing capacity before purchasing.

I once had a client who found the RV he wanted and went shopping for a new truck. The seller told him that the truck could tow 10,000 pounds. He went on to show my client where 10,000 pounds was slammed into the hitch receiver in the back of the truck. The £10,000 stamped on the receiver is what the receiver itself is rated for. It has absolutely nothing to do with the towing capacity of the truck. My client bought the truck and brought it to us to do the brake check and wiring. I looked up the truck in my book and it was rated to tow 5,400 lbs. The trailer weighed 6,000 pounds. I could write a book about stories like this, but our goal is to prevent this from happening to you.

There are many things to consider before purchasing a tow vehicle. How often do you plan to tow? Where do you plan to tow? Will this vehicle be used strictly for towing or will you be using it for daily driving as well? Are you interested in a pop up, travel trailer or fifth wheel? How much does the camper you want weigh? Once you’ve answered these questions, you can start looking for the perfect tow vehicle.

The manufacturer determines the tow rating of vehicles. It is the maximum amount of weight that the vehicle can safely carry. The manufacturer takes many factors into account when determining a trailer rating. They look at the vehicle’s engine size, transmission, axle ratio, chassis, suspension, brakes, tires, cooling capacity, and many other things. Now all this may sound complicated, but the bottom line is how much you can safely tow the vehicle. Don’t assume that just because you’re buying a truck that it can tow a lot of weight. Most manufacturers offer vehicles with tow packages. A towing package upgrades the vehicle’s suspension, brakes, tires and cooling system. They also add items like engine and transmission oil coolers to protect major vehicle components when towing.

happy camp,

Copyright 2006 by Mark J. Polk owner of RV Education 101