[Padgett]

Does anyone else find it interesting that ratings are always in round numbers ? Personally I look at a lot of factors (and when was the last time you saw rear overhang even mentioned ?) I consider it very inportant and when the wheelbase to overhang ratio gets below 3:1 the likelihood of wag (sway) increases.

When I started towing there were no ratings per se and you were fortunate if the hitch (before receivers were common) even mentioned a weight rating.

I did always avoid "bumper hitches" even before energy absorbing bumpers and took the time and trouble to install a frame (or equivalent if the was no frame) hitch. At the time I was mostly towing SCCA racing Corvettes and if "something happened" it could ruin my whole year so tended to go overboard with heavy duty equipment on the TV.

Also all have started out with either all heavy duty cooling etc or a factory towing package (have had aberrations like the Sunbird I used to haul a little popup with race tires, tools, and spares and the Fiero I bought that came with a hitch but never exceeded what I felt to be "safe". Sometimes towed slowly though.

Must admit that in all those years I have never had a pick 'em up truck, I like a full cabin.

Bottom line here it that anything has some towing capacity and it is important to know just what that is. I do feel that some vehicles are rated more for the included hitch capacity than actual. In the US, a class II hitch (1 1/4" receiver) is limited to 3500 lbs. What the rest of the vehicle can sustain must be at least that but can be a lot more.

My Jeep has a Class III/IV (Chrysler terminology) receiver and is limited to 5,000 lbs not by the hitch or weight but by the vehicle system (With a different drivetrain the same system is rated to 7400 lbs).

So for a Floridian, my DOHC V6 TV is a good choice. For someone with more of a need for speed or an inability to watch gauges either the Hemi or the Diesel would be a better selection. In any case the factory towing package adds a lot more than just the hitch (like the Bargman and wiring).

That said I have a friend who once hauled a 3800 lb '69 TransAm on a 22 foot tandem axle trailer from California to Florida using a S10 Pickup with a 2.8 V6, 5 speed manual, and over 100k miles. He did need to rebuild the engine afterwards though.