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Definitions of Common Terms

There are many terms related to towing that could bear some explaining. Here are some of the more common ones (in alphabetical order).

• Commercial Towing
• This would be any vehicle and trailer combination exceeding 26,000 lbs. Gross Combined Weight (GCW).

• Commercial Vehicle
• Any vehicle that exceeds 10,000 lbs. Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW).

• Insert
• An item that slides into a receiver of a hitch.

• Pin & Clip
• The pin & clip are very important as they secure the receiver and the hitch or hitch accessory. The pin rests in the shank hole of the receiver and the clip fits over the head of the pin.

• Receiver
• The receptacle part of a hitch which can take inserts such as ball mounts, bike racks and other accessories.

• Safety Chains
• Chains which are attached to the trailer tongue and has hooks on their free ends. They keep the trailer connected to the towing vehicle in the event the coupler or the hitch ball should come free.

• Shank
• The Shank bolts to the Ball Mount on one end and fits into the hitch receiver on the other end.

• Sway
• Sway is caused by many factors, but the main cause is wind gusts (crosswinds) and sudden changes in direction of the towing vehicle. It can also be caused by passing traffic, improper loading, overloading, poor tire inflation and incorrect weight distribution.

• Sway Control
• A device similar to a shock absorber that will resist the swaying movement of a trailer tongue caused by wind and passing vehicles.

• Tongue
• This refers to the part of the trailer that extends forward from the trailer box and includes the coupler.

• Tongue Weight or TW
• This is the amount of the trailer's weight that presses down on the trailer hitch.

• Tow Bar
• A device attached to the front of a vehicle which allows it to be towed by another vehicle while riding on its own wheels.

• Weight Carrying or WC
• Tow rating capacity of a hitch without a Weight-Distributing system.

• Weight-Distributing or WD
• Tow rating capacity of a hitch when using a Weight-Distributing system.

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