How is Towing Capacity Calculated?

Name: How is Towing Capacity Calculated?
Brand: Carasel
Rating: 4.9 (187 reviews)

Author: Carasel Date Posted:17 January 2023

Towing Services in Sydney

When looking to purchase new vehicle you need to think about whether it not you plan on towing anything with the vehicle. For example, if you are planning on towing a heavy caravan, then you will need a vehicle that has the ability to tow heavy trailers. In order to do this a lot of people make use of manufacturer specifications when looking at the towing specifications of a vehicle.

What is a Towing Capacity?

The maximum towing weight your vehicle can safely tow is called the Maximum Towing Capacity. This, however varies depending on how the vehicle is constructed, how much the vehicle weighs and how much you distribute your load you are looking at towing.

When looking at your manufacturer book it will declare the towing capacity of the vehicle, and this is based on one driver and no passengers in the vehicle. It is crucial that you add the weight of your passengers to the overall total weight as this can also impact the way the vehicle and tow vehicle drives on the road.

Towing Terms You Need to Know

Before heading off you need to make sure you fully understand "how the towing capacity is calculated". Below are some common terms you need to know:

Towing Capacity: The maximum weight your vehicle can pull safely
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating): The maximum weight the vehicle can hold when it is parked.
GTW(Gross Trailer Weight): The total weight of your trailer/caravan including the items inside it or on it.
GCVWR(Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating): The maximum amount that is recommended for the combined vehicle and trailer to tow.
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating): The amount of weight that the axle's on the vehicle can support. It will be different from the front to the back.
Tongue Weight: Measures how much force is placed on the trailer hitch while it is driving, hauling the trailer/caravan
Curb Weight: The weight of the tow vehicle when it is full of fuel, gas and any additional fluids like water when driving.
Dry Weight: The weight of the tow vehicle when it is empty - no fuel, cargo etc.
Payload: The maximum weight that a vehicle can support in the cabin.

How is Towing Capacity Calculated?

There are three basic steps that you need to calculate your towing capacity with.

1. Calculate GCVWR

To work out your vehicles towing capability, you will be needing to know the total GCVWR of the vehicle and trailer you plan on towing. In addition to this you need to know the weight of the cargo that will go inside the vehicle and the trailer. This also includes the weight if all passengers also.

2. Calculate Curb Weight

Next you need to calculate the curb weight. This is the weight of the tow vehicle when it’s full of fuel and any additional liquids like water while you are driving. This is different from the GVWR (how much weight the vehicle can carry)

3. Calculate Final Towing Capacity

To calculate the towing capacity, subtract the weight from the GCVWR. Manufacturers usually emphasise that the weight should never exceed your vehicles towing capacity. Generally, a good rule to follow is never come within 10% of that sum. This gives you a small margin of error should your calculations be slightly out and ensures you are towing a weight that will be safe.

Can A Towing Capacity Be Increased?

You can increase your towing capacity by using several pieces of trailer towing equipment accessories. Towing accessories that match your present tow grade are best. They are lower rated equipment that limits the towing capacity. However, just be mindful that you don't surpass the capacity of your towing setup's lowest rated component.

Equipment You Will Need For Trailer Towing

Trailer Hitch Receiver

Trailer hitch receivers are attached to the underside of the vehicle and include a receiver opening of 1-1/4" x 1-1/4" or 2" x 2". The trailer hitch attachment points should line up with the existing holes in the frame of the vehicle. 2-1/2" x 2-1/2" receiver openings can also be used for heavy duty applications.

Ball Mount

As the ball mount provides a tight connection to the tow vehicle and trailer, selecting the right one is vital for safe towing. They come in four sizes: 1 1/4", 2", 2 1/2" & 3". You can purchase either standard or adjustable ball mounts.

Pin & Clip

The Pin & Clip are most used to hold the trailer hitch receiver and ball mount together. However, they can be easily removed so many people choose to use a hitch lock to prevent theft occurring.

Trailer Hitch Ball

Trailer Hitch Balls come in three common sizes including 1-7/8", 2" & 2-5/16". The size you choose should match up with the size of the coupler on your trailer to make for a secure fit.

Wiring Harness

By Law, all vehicles that tow a trailer must have a wiring harness to help power to the trailer lights, This allows brake lights, running lights and indicators to operate correctly.

Weight Distribution Hitch

It is vitally important not to overlook the necessity of a weight distribution hitch. This will more evenly disperse the weight across the trailer axles and the tow vehicle axles. It can additionally help prevent the trailer from swaying and make for a smoother, safer ride.

Get all the Equipment you need to Tow Safely.

Carasel Towbars have two Sydney based locations that you can either call or visit to ask any questions you may have regarding towing with your vehicle. Should you need a towbar, towbar service or replacement leads our friendly team can cater for all this and much more. Come fast and have a chat today!

Welcome to our website. If you continue to browse and use this website, you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions of use, which together with our privacy policy govern Carasel Pty Ltd’s relationship with you in relation to this website. If you disagree with any part of these terms and conditions, please do not use our website.

The term ‘Carasel Pty Ltd’ or ‘us’ or ‘we’ refers to the owner of the website whose registered office is Unit 1, 4 Stanton Road, Seven Hills, NSW, 2147. Our ABN is 41001176852. The term ‘you’ refers to the user or viewer of our website.

The use of this website is subject to the following terms of use:

The content of the pages of this website is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice.
Neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.
This website contains material which is owned by or licensed to us. This material includes, but is not limited to, the design, layout, look, appearance and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with the copyright notice, which forms part of these terms and conditions.
All trademarks reproduced in this website, which are not the property of, or licensed to the operator, are acknowledged on the website.
Unauthorised use of this website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offence.
From time to time, this website may also include links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information. They do not signify that we endorse the website(s). We have no responsibility for the content of the linked website(s).
Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to the laws of Australia.

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting it through our compliance with this privacy policy (“Policy”). This Policy describes the types of information we may collect from you or that you may provide (“Personal Information”) on the "Carasel.com.au" website (“Website” or “Service”) and any of its related products and services (collectively, “Services”), and our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that Personal Information. It also describes the choices available to you regarding our use of your Personal Information and how you can access and update it.

This Policy is a legally binding agreement between you (“User”, “you” or “your”) and Carasel Towbars Pty Ltd (doing business as “Carasel”, “we”, “us” or “our”). If you are entering into this agreement on behalf of a business or other legal entity, you represent that you have the authority to bind such entity to this agreement, in which case the terms “User”, “you” or “your” shall refer to such entity. If you do not have such authority, or if you do not agree with the terms of this agreement, you must not accept this agreement and may not access and use the Website and Services. By accessing and using the Website and Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by the terms of this Policy. This Policy does not apply to the practices of companies that we do not own or control, or to individuals that we do not employ or manage.

Automatic collection of information

When you open the Website, our servers automatically record information that your browser sends. This data may include information such as your device’s IP address, browser type, and version, operating system type and version, language preferences or the webpage you were visiting before you came to the Website and Services, pages of the Website and Services that you visit, the time spent on those pages, information you search for on the Website, access times and dates, and other statistics.

Information collected automatically is used only to identify potential cases of abuse and establish statistical information regarding the usage and traffic of the Website and Services. This statistical information is not otherwise aggregated in such a way that would identify any particular User of the system.

Collection of personal information

You can access and use the Website and Services without telling us who you are or revealing any information by which someone could identify you as a specific, identifiable individual. If, however, you wish to use some of the features offered on the Website, you may be asked to provide certain Personal Information (for example, your name and e-mail address).

We receive and store any information you knowingly provide to us when you create an account, make a purchase, or fill any forms on the Website. When required, this information may include the following:

Account details (such as user name, unique user ID, password, etc)
Contact information (such as email address, phone number, etc)
Basic personal information (such as name, country of residence, etc)
Payment information (such as credit card details, bank details, etc)
Geolocation data of your device (such as latitude and longitude)

You can choose not to provide us with your Personal Information, but then you may not be able to take advantage of some of the features on the Website. Users who are uncertain about what information is mandatory are welcome to contact us.

Privacy of children

We do not knowingly collect any Personal Information from children under the age of 18. If you are under the age of 18, please do not submit any Personal Information through the Website and Services. If you have reason to believe that a child under the age of 18 has provided Personal Information to us through the Website and Services, please contact us to request that we delete that child’s Personal Information from our Services.

We encourage parents and legal guardians to monitor their children’s Internet usage and to help enforce this Policy by instructing their children never to provide Personal Information through the Website and Services without their permission. We also ask that all parents and legal guardians overseeing the care of children take the necessary precautions to ensure that their children are instructed to never give out Personal Information when online without their permission.

Use and processing of collected information

We act as a data controller and a data processor when handling Personal Information, unless we have entered into a data processing agreement with you in which case you would be the data controller and we would be the data processor.

Our role may also differ depending on the specific situation involving Personal Information. We act in the capacity of a data controller when we ask you to submit your Personal Information that is necessary to ensure your access and use of the Website and Services. In such instances, we are a data controller because we determine the purposes and means of the processing of Personal Information.

We act in the capacity of a data processor in situations when you submit Personal Information through the Website and Services. We do not own, control, or make decisions about the submitted Personal Information, and such Personal Information is processed only in accordance with your instructions. In such instances, the User providing Personal Information acts as a data controller.

In order to make the Website and Services available to you, or to meet a legal obligation, we may need to collect and use certain Personal Information. If you do not provide the information that we request, we may not be able to provide you with the requested products or services. Any of the information we collect from you may be used for the following purposes:

Create and manage user accounts
Fulfill and manage orders
Deliver products or services
Improve products and services
Send marketing and promotional communications
Send product and service updates
Respond to inquiries and offer support
Improve user experience
Post customer testimonials
Deliver targeted advertising
Enforce terms and conditions and policies
Run and operate the Website and Services

Processing your Personal Information depends on how you interact with the Website and Services, where you are located in the world and if one of the following applies: (i) you have given your consent for one or more specific purposes; (ii) provision of information is necessary for the performance of an agreement with you and/or for any pre-contractual obligations thereof; (iii) processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which you are subject; (iv) processing is related to a task that is carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in us; (v) processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by us or by a third party. We may also combine or aggregate some of your Personal Information in order to better serve you and to improve and update our Website and Services.

Note that under some legislations we may be allowed to process information until you object to such processing by opting out, without having to rely on consent or any other of the legal bases. In any case, we will be happy to clarify the specific legal basis that applies to the processing, and in particular whether the provision of Personal Information is a statutory or contractual requirement, or a requirement necessary to enter into a contract.

Payment processing

In case of Services requiring payment, you may need to provide your credit card details or other payment account information, which will be used solely for processing payments. We use third-party payment processors (“Payment Processors”) to assist us in processing your payment information securely.

Payment Processors adhere to the latest security standards as managed by the PCI Security Standards Council, which is a joint effort of brands like Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. Sensitive and private data exchange happens over a SSL secured communication channel and is encrypted and protected with digital signatures, and the Website and Services are also in compliance with strict vulnerability standards in order to create as secure of an environment as possible for Users. We will share payment data with the Payment Processors only to the extent necessary for the purposes of processing your payments, refunding such payments, and dealing with complaints and queries related to such payments and refunds.

Please note that the Payment Processors may collect some Personal Information from you, which allows them to process your payments (e.g., your email address, address, credit card details, and bank account number) and handle all the steps in the payment process through their systems, including data collection and data processing. The Payment Processors’ use of your Personal Information is governed by their respective privacy policies which may or may not contain privacy protections as protective as this Policy. We suggest that you review their respective privacy policies.

Disclosure of information

Depending on the requested Services or as necessary to complete any transaction or provide any Service you have requested, we may share your information with our trusted subsidiaries and joint venture partners, affiliates, contracted companies, and service providers (collectively, “Service Providers”) we rely upon to assist in the operation of the Website and Services available to you and whose privacy policies are consistent with ours or who agree to abide by our policies with respect to Personal Information. We will not share any personally identifiable information with third parties and will not share any information with unaffiliated third parties.

Service Providers are not authorized to use or disclose your information except as necessary to perform services on our behalf or comply with legal requirements. Service Providers are given the information they need only in order to perform their designated functions, and we do not authorize them to use or disclose any of the provided information for their own marketing or other purposes.

In the event we go through a business transition, such as a merger or acquisition by another company, or sale of all or a portion of its assets, your user account, and your Personal Information will likely be among the assets transferred.

Retention of information

We will retain and use your Personal Information for the period necessary to comply with our legal obligations, as long as your user account remains active, until the purchase order or Services are fulfilled, until our and our affiliates and partners obligations are fulfilled, to enforce our agreements, resolve disputes, and unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

We may use any aggregated data derived from or incorporating your Personal Information after you update or delete it, but not in a manner that would identify you personally. Once the retention period expires, Personal Information shall be deleted. Therefore, the right to access, the right to erasure, the right to rectification, and the right to data portability cannot be enforced after the expiration of the retention period.

Cookies

Our Website and Services use “cookies” to help personalize your online experience. A cookie is a text file that is placed on your hard disk by a web page server. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the features of the Website and Services.

We may use cookies to collect, store, and track information for security and personalization, to operate the Website and Services, and for statistical purposes. For further information on the cookies we collect and their purpose, see our cookie policy. Please note that you have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies by default, but you can modify your browser settings to decline cookies if you prefer.

Data analytics

Our Website and Services may use third-party analytics tools that use cookies, web beacons, or other similar information-gathering technologies to collect standard internet activity and usage information. The information gathered is used to compile statistical reports on User activity such as how often Users visit our Website and Services, what pages they visit and for how long, etc. We use the information obtained from these analytics tools to monitor the performance and improve our Website and Services. We do not use third-party analytics tools to track or to collect any personally identifiable information of our Users and we will not associate any information gathered from the statistical reports with any individual User.

Do Not Track signals

Some browsers incorporate a Do Not Track feature that signals to websites you visit that you do not want to have your online activity tracked. Tracking is not the same as using or collecting information in connection with a website. For these purposes, tracking refers to collecting personally identifiable information from consumers who use or visit a website or online service as they move across different websites over time. The Website and Services do not track its visitors over time and across third-party websites. However, some third-party websites may keep track of your browsing activities when they serve you content, which enables them to tailor what they present to you. For a description of Do Not Track protocols for browsers and mobile devices or to learn more about the choices available to you, visit "internetcookies.com":http://internetcookies.com

We may permit certain third-party companies to help us tailor advertising that we think may be of interest to Users and to collect and use other data about User activities on the Website. These companies may deliver ads that might place cookies and otherwise track User behavior.

Email marketing

We offer electronic newsletters to which you may voluntarily subscribe at any time. We are committed to keeping your e-mail address confidential and will not disclose your email address to any third parties except as allowed in the information use and processing section or for the purposes of utilizing a third-party provider to send such emails. We will maintain the information sent via e-mail in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

In compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act, all e-mails sent from us will clearly state who the e-mail is from and provide clear information on how to contact the sender. You may choose to stop receiving our newsletter or marketing emails by following the unsubscribe instructions included in these emails or by contacting us. However, you will continue to receive essential transactional emails.

Push notifications

We offer push notifications to which you may also voluntarily subscribe at any time. To make sure push notifications reach the correct devices, we use a third-party push notifications provider who relies on a device token unique to your device which is issued by the operating system of your device. While it is possible to access a list of device tokens, they will not reveal your identity, your unique device ID, or your contact information to us or our third-party push notifications provider. We will maintain the information sent via e-mail in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. If, at any time, you wish to stop receiving push notifications, simply adjust your device settings accordingly.

Affiliate links

We may engage in affiliate marketing and have affiliate links present on the Website and Services for the purpose of being able to offer you related or additional products and services. If you click on an affiliate link, a cookie will be placed on your browser to track any sales for purposes of commissions.

Links to other resources

The Website and Services contain links to other resources that are not owned or controlled by us. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other resources or third parties. We encourage you to be aware when you leave the Website and Services and to read the privacy statements of each and every resource that may collect Personal Information.

Information security

We secure information you provide on computer servers in a controlled, secure environment, protected from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. We maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards in an effort to protect against unauthorized access, use, modification, and disclosure of Personal Information in our control and custody. However, no data transmission over the Internet or wireless network can be guaranteed.

Therefore, while we strive to protect your Personal Information, you acknowledge that (i) there are security and privacy limitations of the Internet which are beyond our control; (ii) the security, integrity, and privacy of any and all information and data exchanged between you and the Website and Services cannot be guaranteed; and (iii) any such information and data may be viewed or tampered with in transit by a third party, despite best efforts.

As the security of Personal Information depends in part on the security of the device you use to communicate with us and the security you use to protect your credentials, please take appropriate measures to protect this information.

Data breach

In the event we become aware that the security of the Website and Services has been compromised or Users’ Personal Information has been disclosed to unrelated third parties as a result of external activity, including, but not limited to, security attacks or fraud, we reserve the right to take reasonably appropriate measures, including, but not limited to, investigation and reporting, as well as notification to and cooperation with law enforcement authorities. In the event of a data breach, we will make reasonable efforts to notify affected individuals if we believe that there is a reasonable risk of harm to the User as a result of the breach or if notice is otherwise required by law. When we do, we will post a notice on the Website.

Changes and amendments

We reserve the right to modify this Policy or its terms related to the Website and Services at any time at our discretion. When we do, we will revise the updated date at the bottom of this page. We may also provide notice to you in other ways at our discretion, such as through the contact information you have provided.

An updated version of this Policy will be effective immediately upon the posting of the revised Policy unless otherwise specified. Your continued use of the Website and Services after the effective date of the revised Policy (or such other act specified at that time) will constitute your consent to those changes. However, we will not, without your consent, use your Personal Information in a manner materially different than what was stated at the time your Personal Information was collected.

Acceptance of this policy

You acknowledge that you have read this Policy and agree to all its terms and conditions. By accessing and using the Website and Services and submitting your information you agree to be bound by this Policy. If you do not agree to abide by the terms of this Policy, you are not authorized to access or use the Website and Services.

Contacting us

If you have any questions regarding the information we may hold about you or if you wish to exercise your rights, you may use the following data subject request form to submit your request:

Submit a data access request

If you have any other questions, concerns, or complaints regarding this Policy, we encourage you to contact us using the details below:

https://carasel.com.au/form/contact-us

We will attempt to resolve complaints and disputes and make every reasonable effort to honour your wish to exercise your rights as quickly as possible and in any event, within the timescales provided by applicable data protection laws.

This document was last updated on October 17, 2022

How is Towing Capacity Calculated?