Breakaway switch - A safety device with the purpose of
automatically activating the trailer brakes if the
trailer becomes disconnected from the hitch while towing.
Bumper pull-Trailer that connects to a ball that's attached to the
tow vehicle's frame or bumper. Also called "tag hitch" trailer.
Cargo Weight CW - The sum weight of all the cargo
added to the Base Curb Weight BCW, including the passengers and
equipment.
Coupler - The trailer A-frame section that attaches
to the hitch ball.
Curb Weight - CW - The weight of the tow vehicle or
trailer or both together as it is sitting. Without the load you
will be adding.
Dually - Usually a pickup truck with four tires on
one rear axle.
Fifth-wheel trailers - trailers designed to be
mounted to a special hitch that is mounted over the rear axle in
the bed of a truck. Fifth wheel trailers can be one, two or three
axles and are the largest trailer built with the largest load
capacity.
Frame-mount hitch - Class II and higher hitches are
bolted to the tow vehicle's frame or cross members. This type of
hitch may be a permanent ball mount, or may have a square-tube
receiver with a removable hitch bar or shank.
Gross Axle Weight -GAW - The total weight supported
by each axle, front or back. To determine this number, you weigh
the vehicle and the trailer on a scale.
Gross Axle Weight Rating GAWR - The manufacturer's
rating for the maximum weight that an axle is designed to
carry.
Gross Combined Weight -GCW - The actual weight of a
vehicle and trailer combined. To get this weight, you have to
weigh the vehicle and the trailer together on a scale.
Gross Combination Weight Rating- GCWR - The maximum
allowable weight of the tow vehicle and
trailer, together.
Gross Trailer Weight GTW - The weight of the trailer
fully loaded.
Gross Vehicle Weight GVW - the curb weight added to
the cargo weight. The total weight of a vehicle when fully
loaded.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating -GVWR - The maximum
allowable weight of a vehicle, including passengers, cargo, fuel
and hitch weight.
Hitch ratings - Hitches are rated by the
manufacturers for the the maximum amount of weight they are
engineered to hold. There are six classes of hitches. Class 1 -
1000 to 2500 GTW Class 2 - 3500 GTW Class 2.5 - 4,000 GTW Class 3
- 10,000 WD/6,000 GTW Class 4 - 12,000 WD/8,000 GTW Class 5 -
14,000 WD/10,000 GTW
Hitch weight - The amount of weight carried by the
hitch when the trailer is coupled. Also referred to as
tongue-weight.
Payload -The maximum allowable weight of cargo and
passengers that the vehicle is designed to carry.
Receiver - The portion of a hitch that accepts the
ball mount or shank.
Safety chains - A set of chains, usually permanently
mounted to the trailers frame with a set of hooks that are either
attached to specific places on the hitch or to the tow vehicles's
subframe. The chains should be crossed under the tongue of the
trailer and will "catch" the tongue of the trailer and keep it
off the roadway in case of accidental separation. They keep the
trailer attached to the tow vehicle in case of hitch
failure.
Shank - Also know as a hitch bar or stinger. A shank
is the removable part of the hitch setup that has the ball or
adjustable ball mount, and slides into the receiver.
Spring bar - parts of a weight-distributing hitch
setup. The spring bars are installed and tensioned to distribute
some of the trailer's hitch weight to the front axle of the tow
vehicle and the axles of the trailer.
Sway bar - Device used to limit the swaying or
fish-tailing of a trailer by a friction system or a cam action
system.
Tongue weight-The amount of the trailer's weight
that is transferred to the tow vehicle through the trailer
tongue, gooseneck or fifth wheel. Also referred to as "hitch
weight".
Tow rating - The manufacturer's rating of the
maximum weight limit that can safely be towed by a particular
vehicle. Ratings are for overall trailer weight, not trailer
size. The ratings are determined by the vehicle manufacturer
according to engine size, transmission, axle ratio, brakes,
chassis, cooling systems and other special equipment.
Trailer brakes - Brakes that are that are activated
either electrically or by a surge mechanism. Electric trailer
brakes that are activated when the tow vehicle's brakes are
operated, or when a brake controller is manually operated. Surge
brakes use a mechanism positioned near the coupler that "feels"
when the tow vehicle is slowing or stopping and activates the
trailer brakes using a hydraulic system.
Umbilical cord - The electrical wiring harness
attaching the tow vehicle to the trailer, for lights and electric
brakes.
Weight carrying hitch - a hitch that accepts the
entire hitch weight of the trailer.
Weight distributing hitch - an equalizing hitch-a
hitch setup that uses spring bars under tension to distribute a
portion of the trailer's hitch weight to the tow vehicle's front
axle and the trailer's axles.
Weight Distribution- WD - A Weight Distribution
hitch is used to even the weight of the cargo between the front
and rear wheels of the trailer for better steering, braking, and
level towing.
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