Towing Basics

Trailers can add tremendous versatility to your vehicle, providing additional cargo space as needed. With the right tow package, a vehicle can pull a speed boat to the lake, snowmobiles to the mountains, an apartment-sized camping trailer across the country, or personal belongings off to college.

By virtue of the fact that you're reading this article, you're likely in the market for a new vehicle, so now is the time to consider what the next few years may bring: Are you itching to increase your recreational time? Expecting to move? Planning long-distance treks? If you currently have a specific need, such as towing a collector car, then you can aim to purchase the perfect setup for this task. Otherwise, your target vehicle should have the flexibility to cover your driving needs for both today and tomorrow. Using a trailer might allow you to buy a smaller and/or more passenger-friendly vehicle than you would otherwise need for the occasion towing duty. Is a pickup truck necessary when a small trailer could provide the same cargo capacity?

Having the right combination of vehicle, trailer, and hitch equipment is key to owner satisfaction, as well as safe towing. To help you make a well-rounded decision about vehicle shopping and for towing information in general, we consulted engineers at General Motors and DaimlerChrysler, as well as experts at National Association of Trailer Manufacturers, Putnam Hitch Products, and U-Haul.