hopkins@burdvax.UUCP (Bill Hopkins) (03/13/84)
One critical issue that didn't come up during the trailer hitch exchange is
the load rating of the hitch. "Class I" hitches are rated for a maximum of
2000 pounds of trailer and load (gross weight), which is a lot less than you
can easily put in a small U-Haul. They are also limited to a 100-pound
downward load on the tongue, which is a matter of balancing the load. Class
I includes any bumper hitch or inexpensive hitch you have installed, since
they put the load on the rear end of the car.
Class II and III hitches are rated for higher gross trailer weights (the
numbers escape me) and generally involve attaching to frame (rather than
body) members, and are more expensive. In addition, they are usually
available only where the car has the suspension to absorb the extra load, or
can be beefed up.
In general, the Miss Piggy Diet Dictum ("Never eat anything bigger than your
head") applies to trailering. You may be able to put a 3000-pound trailer
load on your 2500-pound import, but you're likely to find at some critical
moment that it (rather than you) is driving your car. The ideal vehicle for
towing a trailer is a truck or a big old American car with a beefed-up
suspension. It may not handle like a Rabbit, but neither will a trailer.