Quote:
Originally Posted by Hersbird
I also believe manufacturers de-rate certain vehicles to keep them from stealing sales from other high profit models.
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+1. They don't just want to steer you into the bigger truck, they'll settle for the same thing with the towing package and its added markup. Different capabilities are where they make their money, and our love for suing big companies make it worth their while- my van can tow a lot, but if something goes wrong it's not on them because I didn't buy the towing version. Engine, transmission and cooling are largely irrelevant- relative mass is what matters in towing, and suspension options are what's important for managing it. Take my 2011 Grand Caravan: the entire RT platform, be it a Grand Caravan, T&C or Ram Commercial Vehicle, has one engine. It has one transmission, one radiator, one engine oil cooler and one transmission cooler. Basically,
"Here's your van, which cosmetic differences would you like?"
Suspension is where it gets interesting. How much is it meant to carry and how should it ride with that load? The heavier a load it's meant to carry, the less comfortable the ride will be when you're just running to the grocery store. There are different rear springs for Touring (SDC), Performance (SDD) and Commercial Grade (SDH) suspensions. Whichever type you have will also have a different part number depending on whether or not you have Load Leveling and Height Control (SER). Rear shocks only get crazier: Normal (SDA) and Sport (SDF) suspension are added to the SDC and SDD choices (with all the extra choices depending on whether or not you have SER) and then they throw in five more VIN code choices depending on your size and type of tires.
My van is pretty basic, it has SDC without SER. Fully loaded and with our Jay 1006 pop up camper fully loaded, it sags. A lot. But not enough that I decided it needs jounce bumpers or anything, it's a minivan- it's supposed to be dragging its ass. So my rig isn't optimal for how I use it but 'tis enough, 'twill serve. The frame can handle the load and the rear suspension isn't competely swamped, and I'll bet the van that came off the assembly line right after mine may have had the SDH and a rougher ride. The one after that probably had SER a much higher sticker price.
So you can see why the factory would downrate my van's towing capacity even though it can still handle the load... it just can't handle it as well. It would be a bad executive who would allow
every van to be a top of the line tow vehicle when they could save money with lighter springs, and more tow capacity could be a feature they could make money off of. That's not to mention that one horribly expensive van on the lot makes the regular ones look like bargains.
On a little car, why
not engineer the frame to within an inch of its life? In the US, awash in pickups and lawsuits, they can deny it can tow at all. I went to U-Haul to buy a ball mount with a bigger rise than the one that came with my hitch, and when I told them it was a Fit he went out back and got one that he said they sell to "all the Fits." I was surprised that they admitted that a Fit could tow, given corporate squeamishness. Mine? I don't plan on towing any heavy loads with it. It can tow, and do it well- but I'm not going to make the rear end sag much because it doesn't have as much in reserve as the van does.
My only experience with overweight towing was in the Army. The 5 ton truck's tow rating was less than our howitzers weighed. Never a problem until we got "upgraded" from the old bias tires that looked like paddle wheels to radials that looked like snow tires. More surface area meant less grip on wet pavement and the front end could come a bit loose on downhills. With a regular hitch setup, that particular problem could easily be handled with load leveling equipment. As to liability and insurance, I'd recommend driving safely, defensively, yadda yadda yadda- the same as if your owner's manual says you can tow. I can't see a cop saying
"He ran the stop sign, but your car shouldn't have that trailer. You're coming with me!" Insurance might have an issue if the non-spec towing caused the accident, but largely they're clueless.