TREAD
TRAILER TECH
Hauling and securing our precious toys.
STORY & PHOTOS BY CHRIS COLLARD
Before heading to Easter Jeep Safari this year, I did a final walkaround of my car hauler, an 18-foot Big Tex with my Expedicion de las Americas CJ-7 atop. As I inspected the tie downs, lights, electrical connections, tires, and safety chains, I thought of the dozens of towing accidents I’ve seen over the years and wondered what factors led up to having someone’s possessions strewn across the highway. In this Backcountry Skills, we’ll be exploring the equipment and discussing techniques of safely hauling our precious cargo, and how to avoid being the purveyor of the next Interstate yard sale.
I have five trailers ranging from a small box unit for dump runs to a 26-foot toy hauler and tandem-axle sailboat trailer. But my first experience with toys on the hook was at age 16—my dad let me take friends out on our ski boat…what was he thinking? I learned the principles of wide turns, double-checking the coupler and wiring, and how to back the darn thing up without looking like a rookie. But as my trailers got bigger and loads got heavier, I realized there was a world of stuff I didn’t know.
QUICK FACTS
Conventional hitches are broken down into five classes based on receiver size and load capacity.
Class I: 1.25-inch receiver, up to 2,000 lb.
Class II: 1.25-inch receiver, up to 3,500 lb.
Class III: 2-inch receiver, up to 8,000 lb.
Class IV: 2-inch receiver, up to 10,000 lb.
Class V: 2- to 2.50-inch receiver, up to 20,000 lb.
Class in Session
There are a variety of methods to tether a trailer to your rig ranging from the standard ball and socket, pintle, gooseneck, and fifth wheel. We’ll focus on the former, which falls into five classes. Class I & II are light duty, so we’ll skip those, but the following principles apply to all methods and classes of towing.