Quote:
Originally Posted by mjlaupp
The reason that most vehicles fall into 3500# or 5000# towing capacities is that the weakest link in most towing equations is the hitch. Class 2 hitches are rated 360/3500# and class 3 hitches are rated at 500/5000#. Example: A vehicle may be capable of towing 3945#, however, it is equipped with a class 2 350/3500# receiver hitch because that hitch is within it's towing capabilities. If it was equipped with a class 3 500/5000# hitch, then someone would try to tow more than the vehicle was rated for simply because the hitch is stamped 500/5000# capacity. This could lead to legal confrontations.
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You raise a good point about being careful about checking out the stuff that came with your vehicle. The worst words we've heard lately in this forum are "Not for use with a Weight Distributing Hitch." But, you can buy a variety of hitch receivers for most cars and light trucks. In the remote event that people actually read anything stamped on their hitch receiver, hopefully they will also have been reading the drivers' side doorpost and the owner's manual where the print is more distinct and the light is better.
We live in a litigious society, where people even try to make money with a Prius by pretending that it has runaway acceleration (the idea that it's little 4 banger has the juice to overpower the brakes is a hoot). From the cases you can find on the Internet, real legal confrontations are about things like who was driving too fast for conditions, who lost control of their vehicle, and who had too much speed left over at the point of impact. I haven't been able to find a single case with legal energy spent trying to understand towing figures, but I'd love to hear about them.
And this conversation raises one more good point:
Most of us are using Class III hitches (500/5000) (with a quick look at etrailer.com, I couldn't find a class IV hitch to be available for Toyota Highlanders, or a Ford Explorer or Chevy Astro either, for that matter). Is that tongue weight limit number before or after the WDH is applied? For a hitch receiver, I'd guess it's probably before. Is there a consequence associated with a 650# TrailManor tongue on that receiver? Yet, I haven't heard of 500# hitch receivers failing. I'm getting more gray here, but others who see things in black and white will need to own more substantial tow vehicles that can support Class IV hitches.
"Is it any coincidence that many vehicles fall into "3500#" or "5000#" towing capacities? How is it possible that different manufacturers somehow managed to engineer multiple vehicles, and all end up with exactly the same capacities? " (from ThePair)
Manufacturers are obviously consolidating towing capacities into broad bands and not publishing more accurate figures that get us closer to what they really know. There have to be marketing pressures to push vehicles into the next higher category, but nobody on the outside knows whether the resistance those marketing pressures are pushing against is made out of transmission warranties or brake pads. Again, I'm getting gray here, not black or white.