Towing imposes additional performance requirements on your Subaru, along with legal and safety considerations, so it’s important to understand how it might impact your vehicle.

For more details on Tow Ball Download and the impact on Vehicle Weight keep reading or watch here.

Tow Ball Download
When the trailer is hitched up to the car and the jockey wheel removed, a proportion of the weight of the trailer, is transferred to the weight of the car through the tow ball, this is called Tow Ball Download or Tow Ball Weight. If your Subaru is rated for towing, it will have a maximum Tow Ball Download specified which should not be exceeded.

A general rule of thumb is that Tow Ball Download should be around 10% of the weight of the trailer being towed.

Tow Ball Impact on Vehicle Weights
The Tow Ball Download from the trailer must be included in the Vehicle Payload and added to everything that is already on, or in, the car such as optional accessories, driver, passengers, luggage and fuel. This additional payload weight will also increase the Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) which has a maximum specified limit.

If the car has been loaded up to its maximum GVM before it has been hitched to the trailer, then it will be over the limit once the trailer is attached. If this is the case, then payload will need to be removed from either the trailer or the vehicle itself to bring the vehicle within the specified weight.

Tip – If you want to calculate the maximum payload for your car when it has a full tank of fuel, subtract the Kerb Weight of the car from the Gross Vehicle Mass.

Load Distribution & Impact on Tow Ball Download
Absolute weight will impact Tow Ball Download but how you distribute the load in the trailer and towing vehicle can also have a significant effect, so it’s important to plan what goes in the car, what goes in the trailer, where things are placed and then checking your weights to ensure you’re safe and legal on the road.

Ensure heavier items are placed over the trailer axles and as low as possible, and that when hitched up, the trailer coupling is at the same height as the tow ball coupling on the vehicle.

Anything heavy in the boot of the vehicle should also be placed low and over the rear axle.

The vehicle and trailer should look relatively flat when hitched up with a tow ball download at or very close to that 10% mark.

Too much weight at the front of the trailer will make the tow ball download too heavy, causing the front of the vehicle to lift which can impact steering response.

Too much weight at the back will result in tow ball download being too light, which can impact trailer stability and create sway.

Tow Ball Download should be measured using appropriate scales to ensure accuracy and that it’s within the limit specified for the vehicle. As the driver it’s your responsibility to ensure that all your towing weights are within the specified limits from both a legal and safety perspective.

There are a few ways that you can do this:

Purchase or borrow towing weight scales and do the measurements at home
Contact a Mobile Towing Weight Service – they come to you and measure weights
Use a Public Weighbridge – drive to your nearest weighbridge to check the weights

Tow Ball Download & Impact on Vehicle Weights

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