The mid-sized cars, pickup trucks, vans, and SUVs are capable of towing. You can tow motorboats, RVs, campers, other vehicles, airstreams, and various trailers.
The maximum towing capacity of your vehicle is determined by the manufacturer. The towing capacity and guidelines are clearly mentioned in the owner’s manual which the customers must read carefully before using their vehicle for towing purposes.
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You must be wondering whether towing is bad for your vehicle or not. The answer might depend on various factors such as your vehicle’s towing capacity, what you are towing, and whether our towing guidelines are followed. So, let’s explore this question in detail.
Does Towing shorten the life of a vehicle?
The towing capacity refers to the maximum weight your vehicle can pull or tow. While using your vehicle for towing purposes, extra power is required which means the vehicle may develop stress.
The developed stress might slowly affect the engine over time. Besides, the braking action also intensifies while towing which may lead to braking issues.
If you want to keep your vehicle safe even when used for towing purposes, you need to follow the towing guidelines provided by the manufacturer. The maximum towing capacity must not be exceeded, and you must use the approved towing accessories only.
Substantial damage or malfunction could result due to exceeding the towing limit, violating the towing guidelines, pulling an unbalanced trailer, and other mistakes.
The unforeseen things due to faulty towing are brake issues, increased chance of accidents, warranty void, traffic fines, damage to the drivetrain, and so on.
Before using your vehicle for towing, you need to carefully review the owner’s manual, and guidelines so that, your vehicle and trailer remain safe.
Does Towing Damage Transmission?
If you use your vehicle for towing purposes by not exceeding the maximum towing capacity, the stress developed in the vehicle is minimal. With that, the damage to the transmission is also minimal.
However, towing heavier loads greater than the rated capacity might directly increase stress on the vehicle’s transmission resulting in substantial damage. Besides, the vehicle components may get seriously damaged due to the stress generated by the towing.
An unbalanced trailer can result in dangerous trailer sway which then results in overworking the engine. Most of the latest pickup trucks are equipped with Trailer Sway Control (TSC) to prevent such dangerous trailer sway.
Important Tips for Safe Towing
As we discussed above, improper towing activities might seriously harm your vehicle. So, you need to be careful while using your vehicle for towing purposes.
Here are some checklists you need to consider for minimizing the wear on your vehicle due to towing.
Carefully Review Your Owner’s Manual: An owner’s manual is an important instructional book or booklet that includes all the information about your vehicle including maintenance and troubleshooting advice. Besides, you can find the guidelines that are important to using the vehicle safely.
If your vehicle is rated for towing capacity, the information related to the towing is available in the owner’s manual. You need to carefully review the suggestions included in the manual before operating your vehicle for towing.
Do not exceed the maximum towing capacity: You must not exceed the maximum rated towing capacity of your vehicle otherwise, it may result in substantial damage.
Safe Driving is important: While towing, you need to maintain a safe speed, accelerate slowly, and brake evenly. You need to be extra careful during sharp turnings because towing could make turnings challenging.
Verify the authenticity of the towing accessories or equipment: Sometimes, vehicles are certified to tow more than their capacity when equipped with proper towing accessories or maximum trailer tow packages. In that case, you can tow the maximum weight however, you must use the approved accessories only.
Seek Assistance from Professionals: You can seek help from professional technicians to get your vehicle ready for towing.
Conclusion
Using your vehicle for towing purposes is normal if the vehicle is capable of towing, and is certified by the manufacturer. Towing is not that bad for your vehicle if you use it safely by following the towing guidelines, and not exceeding the maximum towing capacity.
The life of a vehicle degrades in the long run. Engines, exterior components, brakes, transmission, and other parts develop metal fatigue over time. If you continuously use your vehicle for towing, it could add extra stress.
Stellan Carter is an accomplished writer, entrepreneur, and avid Ford Raptor owner. As a co-founder and content contributor for this renowned blog website, Stellan brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the automotive industry. When he's not behind the wheel of his beloved Ford Raptor, Stellan can be found exploring new terrains, capturing the essence of his automotive adventures through his camera lens.
