If you own a car and are currently getting ready to fill your vehicle with many passengers and heavy equipment, make sure to find out everything there is to know about car towing before going on that trip you’ve been meticulously planning for a while now.

Are you aware of the specific trailer weight limits for your automobile? Generally speaking, cars can tow a maximum weight mentioned in the specification sheet, and it is definitely not a good idea to exceed that limit. Keep reading to grasp essential car towing rules and recommendations; when in doubt, don’t hesitate to contact a car towing expert.

What is the gross train weight?

The gross train weight (also known as GTW) represents the overall weight of the loaded vehicle plus the total weight of your loaded trailer that you want to tow. Basically, the GTW includes the weight of the passengers, insanely heavy luggage, snowmobiles, tents, sleeping bags, and any similar other luggage or towed equipment.

Here’s some information that you should analyze before going on your trip: The maximum width of the trailer should not exceed 8 feet and the maximum trailer length should not exceed 23 feet, as long as it is being towed by an automobile that has a weight under 7,716 pounds. This is a general rule that should be taken into consideration by all people who plan to use a towing vehicle.

How can I determine the gross train weight?

You might have a lot of questions on your mind related to trailer weight limits and several other car towing-related issues. Remember the fact that when you use a trailer with no brakes, the gross trailer weight should be less than 1,653 pounds; if the trailer has brakes, the GTW shouldn’t top 7,716 pounds.

Also, for vehicles weighting less than 7,716 pounds, the length of the car added to the length of the trailer shouldn’t go beyond 59 feet. You could easily determine the exact GTW by driving the trailer on a public scale, available in most communities.

Ask an expert

In most cases, calculating the correct GTW value shouldn’t be a challenge. However, if you have any unanswered questions, it is advisable to contact a car towing expert. Find the best ones with help from TalkLocal, your direct connection to the right professionals in your area.

Sway Bar Towing

A sway bar or stabilizer bar reduces the roll of the body of a vehicle during fast cornering or over irregularities in the road. It connects opposite wheels using a lever arm, and the arms are linked by a tension spring. The sway bar roll increases stiffness of the suspension. The sway bar reduces the sway of the vehicle against turns on sharp corners, making it safer for the passengers.

This is very important, especially in towing vehicles. When the sway bar is removed, the vehicle can tilt from the road by larger distances, presenting a safety hazard. During a fast turn, a common occurrence is for the vehicle to rely on the outer wheel when the sway bar is absent. When it is present, the sway bar will bring the other wheel closer to the outer wheel, thus stabilizing the vehicle. For safety reasons, sway bar towing should always be used when towing. This would decrease the torsion when turning sharply in corners.

How to Change Sway Bar Towing Links

1. First, make the wheel lug nuts looser. Do not remove them, only make them slightly looser.

2. Use a hydraulic lift to lift the car. You will need this jack to lift the suspension arm of the car. The tension on the link is relieved and the suspension is compressed.

3. Then, remove the wheels and the lug nuts.

4. Next, you have to identify the bad link.

5. Once the bad link is identified, remove the nut connecting the sway bar link to the sway bar.

6. Install the new link to the sway bar.

7. Re-tighten the lug nuts.

8. After this, you need to have the bushings tightened.

9. Lastly, you need to replace the wheels and lug nuts.

If You Need Help…

You can always contact TalkLocal to find a professional near you. The steps to the procedure above are not easy, and you may need professional help. Call us now to be connected with qualified professionals in your area!

Most homeowners agree on the fact that utility trailers represent a great investment, since they can be used around the clock in different applications, making their lives and their daily chores a whole lot easier. However, most of them don’t really need huge utility trailers with an increased weight capacity.

All they are asking for is a tiny trailer, used to carry unneeded products (usually lightweight supplies, rocks, or waste in the form of dead leaves, dirt, manure, and so on) from point A to point B. In this case, a great utility trailer lawn mower is an excellent alternative at hand, requiring a relatively small amount of money.

Believe it or not, with the right materials (preferably marine-grade wood and steel), some tools (including a wood saw, jig saw, circular saw, wood chisel, hammer, and a drill-driver), lots of patience, and great attention to detail, you could easily build your very own utility trailer lawn mower, on time and on a budget. If you follow all of the right steps, you should be able to make the most of a fully functioning product without investing more than $200 in this interesting DIY project.

One could easily analyze a generous selection of garden utility trailers, displaying different sizes, design ideas, special features, dimensions, and capacities. Some of the most popular models are 22 cubic feet in size, with a capacity of approximately 1,500 pounds. However, you could easily find a utility trailer lawn mower especially designed to support a bigger weight while optimally handling all of your daily requirements.

With so many models displaying different features and shockingly different price tags available on different e-commerce platforms, it might be hard to make an informed decision. When in doubt, simply call a towing expert, by using TalkLocal, your reliable source of information that puts you in contact with hundreds of competent professionals in your area.

Have you ever wondered how those beautiful horses are being transported in different parts of the U.S. to compete against each other during some of the most prestigious competitions? The answer is simple: Their owners move them from point A to point B using trailers for horses, guaranteeing a 100% safe ride and a superior level of comfort at all times. Keep reading to discover useful info on horse trailers and great towing professionals.

How to choose the best trailers for horses

At this point in time, horse owners have the chance to check out a great variety of horse trailers, manufactured using premium materials and displaying significant improvements in terms of looks and functionality. Some of the best models have a 100% aerodynamic shape, favoring reduced fuel consumption and triggering considerable financial savings.

The best products, designed for daily use, should be based on an extremely robust, aluminum structure; such trailers for horses are expected to be incredibly stable during the whole trip. Keep in mind the fact that there are hundreds of models available on the market, each of them coming with different price tags, features, advantages, and disadvantages.

Paying the right price for horse trailers

The most inexpensive ones are by far the less sophisticated stock trailers, used to transport cattle. Of course, some of the most sophisticated models come with special safety features, custom windows ensuring optimal ventilation for the transported animals, and also great suspension to guarantee a pleasant, incident-free ride and a reduced level of stress on the horses.

Despite the fact that innovative technology has become widely expensive these days, be prepared to spend more than a couple of dollars on great trailers with custom cabinetry, a generator, ramps, and various other extras, coming from 5-star manufacturers, as great models are priced anywhere from $20,000 to $80,000 and more.

Ask for help today

Finding the best trailers for horses requires a significant amount of time. Make the best decision by consulting a towing expert today. Find the most competent professionals by relying on TalkLocal, which helps you get in touch with real professionals who are only 1 call away.

All trailers, regardless of their size and their type (horse trailers, camping trailers, boat trailers, and so on) should display a fully functional lighting system before being utilized on the open road in any part of the United States. All drivers should comply with strict trailer lighting regulations, established by DOT (the Department of Transportation of the United States) before hitting the road. Keep reading to discover everything there is to know about car trailer lights.

Types of lights and their specific requirements

All people who want to buy or rent a trailer should know that there are two main types of lights that should always function properly: side lights and rear lights. Every trailer should be equipped with 1 pair of red taillights and one pair of brake lights, while also displaying red or yellow turn signals and one license plate light.

All of these lighting features should be placed symmetrically at an average height ranging from 15 inches to 72 inches. The only exception to this rule is the license plate light, which is permanently attached directly above the trailer’s license plate.

Furthermore, side lights are very important, because they signal the driver’s presence on the open road and indicate the length of the trailer. They should be placed symmetrically on both sides of the trailer. Moreover, trailers with a length exceeding 30 feet should display yellow intermediate lights to warn other drivers that they are approaching a vehicle with an extended length.

All lamps should be in excellent condition and permanently mounted on the trailer that you plan to use to transport your objects from point A to point B.

Ask an expert

Are you dealing with a problem related to car trailer lights? In this case, you should know that trailer lighting is relatively difficult to install and repair.

This is precisely why you should opt for professional services, rather than investing in a DIY project that could provide less than satisfactory results. Use TalkLocal, a great free service, to be connected with the best towing experts in your area who can address all of your car towing needs and concerns in a timely manner.

Coil Spring Suspension

A coil spring is also called a helical spring and is used to store energy and release it. It is also used to absorb shock and maintain forces between two surfaces. They are usually made of elastic materials, which returns to the original shape when released. The springs in a vehicle are one of its hardest working parts because it supports the vehicle one hundred percent of the time. Suspensions are also found in motorcycles. Usually, your suspensions will perform less than perfectly when faced with extreme environments or unusually high loads.

How to Change Coil Spring Suspension

Installing the coil spring suspension on your car requires expert help and specialists. If you are none of these, then you will require help.

Step one requires raising your vehicle so that the tires are off the ground and you can access the oil spring safely. This requires using a hydraulic jack.

Step two is removing the front wheels. This depends on the make and type of the car.

Step three is the removal of the lower ball joint from the car’s control arm. The average size of the nut used for these is 13/16”, so make sure you have a correctly fitting socket.

Step four is removing the strut.

Step five is compressing the coil, and this requires that you observe safety.

Step six consists of installing the new coil spring and finally re-installing the strut again.

For all of these steps, you need the help of an expert, because any of these steps can be potentially dangerous for you. Even step one can mean that the car can fall on you and crush you!

Need Professional Help?

Contact TalkLocal today and let us help you locate a professional near you!

Trailer Torsion Bars

A torsion bar is a weight-bearing suspension bar for any vehicle and is commonly used for trailers. The long metal bar has one end attached to the chassis of the vehicle and one end attached to the lever that is attached to the axle. The vertical motion of the wheel causes the torsion bar to twist around the axis and is resisted by the torsion.

The main disadvantage of torsion bars, unlike coil springs, is that they cannot provide progressive rates of springs. Certain manufacturers tend to change the torsion bars to change the ride height, allowing for either heavier or lighter engines. Even though the ride height may be adjusted by turning the adjuster bolt on the torsion key stock, rotating this key too far can place the standard level of the stock piston too far. Towing cars with torsion bars is easier, too.

Adjusting the Trailer Torsion Bar

1. Choose between adjusting the bolts to either lift the car up or loosening them to lift the car down.

2. On the threads, there are lock nuts to be found.

3. You will need a socket and a bar that are a decent size and that will get the job done. The right size is very important or else it will not work.

4. On the front wheel arms, there are rubber bump stops that limit wheel travel.

5. From these, you can adjust the torsion bars as much as you want, but not too much or else it will be uncomfortable and may cause them to break. If you go too high with respect to the torsion bars, the reduction of your wheel travel goes downward.

Need Help?

It may be best to call a professional for this issue. Here at TalkLocal, we can help you find a professional near you. We’ll connect you to the right professional in just minutes, for free.

Air Suspension Towing

This type of suspension towing is driven by an electric driven air pump. It can also be driven by a compressor that pumps the air into what is called a bellows made from rubber. In turn, this raises the chassis from the axle. This type of suspension is often used in heavy vehicles such as trucks, buses, and trailers.

The main purpose of air suspension is to provide an overall smooth ride to passengers, and the correct term is air spring. Towing, on the other hand, is the pulling of one vehicle behind another. It is not exclusive to land vehicles, however, because waterborne vehicles can tow one another as well.

How to Improve Air Suspension Towing

When towing a heavy load, air suspension towing is highly recommended. There are air suspension kits available in the market today. They improve the quality of the ride by reducing the roll of the body and improving the stability. The modification seeks to enhance to quality of the ride by smoothing it out despite the weight added to it. The highest quality of air suspension kit should do no less than that.

Air suspension towing is useful when you own a water ski or a boat that you like to bring around on weekends. That’s where towing comes in handy. Air suspension then becomes a must for you. The kits available on the market should be able to improve your chassis if you choose the right kits. Choosing the right kits means looking at the specific brand that is right for your car. There are a lot of kits available in the market. Consult an expert for assistance.

Need Expert Advice?

Contact TalkLocal today! We can help you get the expert advice you need where and when you need it! You’ll be on the phone, speaking with a qualified professional in just minutes.

We’ve all had it happen — just when we’re in a hurry, we find out that our car is dead. There’s no one else around to help, and the auto club is more than an hour away. Well, if you have a battery charger, it’s fairly simple to go ahead and jumpstart your car’s battery, even if there’s no one else around to help you. Here’s how to jumpstart a car with a battery charger.

How To Jumpstart A Car With A Battery Charger

1. Make sure your car is turned entirely off. Removing the keys from the ignition ensures it’s completely off, and not just dead.

2. Open your hood using the hood release lever inside the vehicle.

3. Verify that your charger is turned off and is not plugged into an electrical outlet before you begin. Place it away from the vehicle, but close enough to connect the cables.

4. Take the positive clamp from the charger and attach it to the positive terminal on your car’s battery. This should be marked with a plus (+) sign, and is often colored red so you can identify it more easily.

5. Take the negative clamp from the charger and attach it to the negative terminal on your car’s battery. This should be marked with a minus (-) sign, and is often colored black so you can identify it. This should provide the power needed to jumpstart the vehicle.

6. Adjust the voltage on the charger. If unsure, consult with the owner’s manual for the best results. A slow, or trickle charge, will usually give you better results.

7. If your charger has this option, decide whether you want it to shut off automatically when the battery is charged.

8. Wait the amount of time indicated by the manual for the type of charger you have and the voltage selected. Attempt to start the car.

10. Turn the charger off and unplug it before removing it.

11. Disconnect the battery charger – first remove the negative clamp from the battery, and then remove the positive clamp.

That’s it! Get in, and you’re ready to go.

Need More Help?

If you need any help, or have any other questions, TalkLocal has professionals who can help. We will connect you with a towing service who can help you restart your car, or bring it to a mechanic.

Many people wonder, “What are towing mirrors?” While towing mirrors may seem like a complex piece of equipment, they are usually just extensions added to the existing side mirrors of a vehicle. With towing mirrors, a vehicle will have better visibility past an RV or trailer that is being towed.

Towing Mirrors and the Law

In many cases, it may be illegal to tow an RV or trailer behind a vehicle without towing mirrors. Since it can be impossible to see other vehicles behind one’s own without towing mirrors, they are mandatory in some states and jurisdictions. However, this can vary based on one’s location.

While towing mirrors are often used for towing vehicles, some larger RVs may be equipped with towing cameras. In many cases, these towing cameras are installed on the rear of an RV. With a fish-eye lens, these cameras can provide a driver with a 180 degree view of the traffic behind a towed RV. This can make it much easier to change lanes, merge into traffic and much more.

Limitations of Towing Mirrors

However, it’s important to understand some of the limitations of towing mirrors. In many cases, towing mirrors can distort the distance of an object. Because of this, an object in a towing mirror may be closer than it appears. This can make it difficult to judge lane changes and other traffic maneuvers. In some cases, this can also increase the risk of an accident.

It’s also important to make sure that towing mirrors are securely fashioned to your vehicle. In many cases, towing mirrors are designed to slide over the existing side mirrors of a vehicle. In some cases, these mirrors can fall off of a vehicle while it is in motion. To prevent this from happening, it’s essential to make sure that towing mirrors are properly installed in a vehicle. This will reduce the risk of serious accidents in the future.

Find Help With Towing

Towing mirrors play a very important role for proper road safety. Contact TalkLocal if you would like help with towing. We’ll connect you with the right professionals in just minutes.