trucks and towing

How to Load a Trailer for Perfect Tongue Weight

If you have ever felt a trailer start to wag the truck, you have felt tongue weight (or the lack of it) in real time. The good news is you usually do not need fancy parts to fix it. You need to load the trailer with intention. For most bumper-pull trailers, the sweet spot is about 10 to 15 percent...

10 Utility Trailer Maintenance Tasks That Add Years

I have managed fleets where the trucks got all the attention and the trailers got “whatever’s left.” That is usually fine right up until a wheel bearing cooks itself on the shoulder or a rotten deck board lets a mower tire punch through. The good news is utility trailers are simple machines. A...

Single vs. Dual Axle Trailers

I have hooked up just about every flavor of trailer you can imagine, from little yard haulers to equipment decks that spend their lives behind work trucks. And if there is one decision that quietly affects how safe and relaxed your tow feels , it is this: single axle or dual axle (tandem). Both can...

Test and Adjust Trailer Brakes Before You Tow

I have seen a lot of sketchy trailer setups in my time, but one of the most common (and most preventable) problems is weak or uneven trailer brakes. Folks will spend good money on a weight distribution hitch and mirrors, then roll out with brakes that are out of adjustment or a controller that is...

Prevent and Control Trailer Sway at Highway Speeds

If you’ve ever felt your travel trailer start to “wag the dog” at 60 to 70 mph, you know how fast your stomach can end up in your throat. Trailer sway is one of those problems that feels random until you learn what’s really happening. The good news is it’s usually predictable and very fixable. I’ve...

How to Load a Trailer the Right Way

I have watched more than a few “perfectly fine” trailer setups turn white knuckle on the highway, and it usually comes down to one thing: where the weight is placed. You can have the right truck, the right hitch, and good tires, but if the trailer is loaded wrong, it can still sway , squat your...

Backing Up a Trailer Like a Pro

If you have ever watched someone back a trailer into a campsite in one smooth move and thought, “I will never be that person,” I promise you can. Backing up a trailer is not magic. It is a repeatable skill built on a few simple rules, good mirror setup, and practice that is structured instead of...

Aluminum vs. Steel Ball Mounts

If you tow long enough, you eventually get tired of two things: rust stains down the back of your nice bumper, and wrestling a boat-anchor ball mount in and out of the receiver every time you need the tailgate. That is usually when aluminum ball mounts start looking pretty tempting. But steel has...

Trailer Hitch Classes I-V Explained

After years of managing work trucks and seeing all kinds of “it should be fine” towing setups on the shoulder, I can tell you this: picking the right receiver hitch is not about buying the biggest one you can bolt on. It is about matching the hitch class to your trailer’s real weight , your tongue...

Install and Test a 7-Pin Trailer Wiring Harness

If you tow long enough, you will see it: a trailer with one taillight blinking like a candle in the wind, or worse, no trailer brakes because somebody twisted wires together and called it “good.” A properly installed 7-pin (also called a 7-way RV blade) connector is one of the best safety upgrades...

5th Wheel vs. Gooseneck Hitches

If you have ever stood in your truck bed staring at the floor thinking, “Alright, what am I bolting into here,” you are in the right place. 5th wheel and gooseneck hitches both live in the bed, both put the trailer’s weight over or near the rear axle, and both can be excellent. But they behave...

Inspect and Maintain Trailer Brakes and Axles

I have seen a lot of “it towed fine last time” trailers on the shoulder with a smoking hub or a wheel cocked at a bad angle. Trailer brakes and axles are not glamorous, but they are where safety lives. The good news is most of the core maintenance is straightforward if you take your time, keep...

Weight Distribution Hitch vs. Standard Hitch

If you have ever watched a trailer tug the back of a truck down like a kid sitting on the tailgate, you have already seen the difference between a standard hitch and a weight distribution hitch (WDH). One is basically a strong, simple connector. The other is a tool that helps your truck and trailer...

Calculate Your Truck’s True Towing Capacity

I’ve seen it a hundred times in construction fleets and campground parking lots: a truck that “can tow 12,000 pounds” on paper, but the owner is unknowingly overloaded before they even pull out of the driveway. The reason is simple. The brochure tow rating is only true under a very specific set of...

Buying a Used Truck for Towing: What to Check

If you are buying a used truck specifically to tow, you are not shopping for cupholders and chrome. You are shopping for cooling capacity, axle gearing, brakes, frame integrity, and a history that proves the truck was cared for when it was working hard. I have managed fleets where trucks towed...

5 Maintenance Tips to Prevent Hitch Rust and Wear

If you tow in real life, rain happens. Snow happens. And if you live anywhere that sees road salt, your hitch is basically sitting in the splash zone behind your rear tires. The good news is hitch rust and wear are mostly preventable with a few habits that take minutes, not hours. I’ve managed...

Payload vs. Towing Capacity: What Really Limits Your Truck

If I could fix one thing I see on the highway every summer, it would be this: folks buying a truck based on the biggest towing number in the brochure, then wondering why the rear end squats like a tired mule once the family and the camper are loaded up. Here’s the truth from years of fleet work and...

Trailer Hitch Classes: Class I to V Explained

If you have ever stood in a parts store aisle staring at “Class III” and “Class IV” boxes like they are secret codes, you are not alone. Hitch classes are meant to make life easier, but the fine print matters: receiver size, tongue weight, weight distribution, axle ratings, and braking all come...

Fifth Wheel vs. Gooseneck Hitches

If you have a heavy-duty pickup and a trailer that belongs in the bed instead of on the bumper, you are already thinking like a safe tow operator. The hard part is picking the bed hitch that fits how you actually use your truck. I have watched plenty of good trucks end up in white-knuckle towing...

About Ben Hollister

Hey there, and welcome to TowVox. I’m Ben Hollister, and if you’re here because towing feels confusing, truck specs make your eyes glaze over, or you just want to be 100% sure your setup is safe, you’re in the right driveway. I’m a former heavy-duty fleet mechanic. I’ve also worked as a fleet...