A few tips on safely loading up your vehicle
Even with pandemic restrictions, summer travel season is here and Friday afternoon traffic is starting to see all manner of vehicles heading to the great outdoors for some family fun. Some will be overloaded in terms of cargo and passenger weight, and even those within their limits may not have these loads properly stowed. This can lead to a breakdown risk, or a loss of control in panic manoeuvres.
KNOW YOUR VEHICLE’S LIMITS
Towing and cargo specs from manufacturers weren’t simply written to take up space in your owner’s manual. Exceeding them runs the risks of expensive damage breakdowns. Most modern vehicles have powertrain control systems that will shut the transmission down to second gear only when overheated by an excessive weight load, making for a long and costly ride home — if you’re lucky enough to get that far.
KEEP MOST OF WEIGHT BETWEEN THE AXLES
Unibody SUVS and crossovers can suffer from poorly placed cargo weight. When the rear suspension is overloaded, it can lighten the load on the front wheels, reducing braking and steering performance. And when you’re carrying a heavy load down a steep hill with curves, you really need all the force your vehicle can muster on all four wheels to stop and steer safely.
CHECK YOUR COMBINED VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING
If you’re towing anything and want to lighten some cargo load in the vehicle and transfer it to the trailer, check your combined vehicle weight rating first. That limit is for the vehicle, trailer and all cargo weight — including passengers and fuel. If you’re over that limit, just moving things from your vehicle to the trailer won’t change anything.
CHECK THE TONGUE WEIGHT
Trailer hitches are great, but they have drawbacks. The clamping force of the trailer’s hitch on the ball is much stronger when the correct amount of tongue weight — the weight the trailer’s hitch point puts onto the vehicle’s hitch ball — is applied. It should be around 10 per cent of the trailer’s total weight with gear, so 200 pounds on a 2,000-lb. trailer, for example. Too little weight will drastically affect handling, and too much will make the vehicle’s rear suspension sag. A lot of truck owners opt for rear airbag suspension kits, when possible, to reduce the sag when they’re towing within weight limits. These add-ons can help level out the ride while allowing for normal operation without a trailer or heavy cargo load, as compressed air can be easily added or released.