Standard tow ratings will likely lower stated capacities for pickups.
Pickup trucks accounted for 18 per cent of all new vehicles sold in Canada last year – and per capita, Canadians buy more pickups than Americans.
It's no surprise then, that tow ratings are a big deal, as important in this sector as fuel mileage for compact cars. Whether for commercial or personal use, pickups are employed to tow, among other things, utility or travel trailers, pleasure craft and four-wheeled adult toys. Bragging rights are on the line in this fiercely competitive market.
However, advertised tow ratings have become something of a joke as each manufacturer has created its own standards and procedures. As soon as one company claims a new and higher figure, the competition tops it. With no common procedures, the result is an apples-versus-bananas comparison for consumers.
And it has proven all but impossible to convince manufacturers to adopt a universally accepted method of establishing maximum tow ratings – until now.
The Society of Automotive Engineers International (SAE), a professional entity that establishes standards and practices for the auto and other industries, proposed a towing standard for light-duty pickups. Labelled SAE J2807, it was first published in 2008 and revised in September, 2010.
Representatives from all pickup manufacturers were involved in its formulation, but only Toyota adopted the standard as of the 2011 model year.
Ford, the industry leader in sales with its F-150, could arguably be accused of delaying the adoption of the standard. In 2013, General Motors and Chrysler said they would switch to the standard when Ford did. Ford responded that it would do so with its next-generation F-150 – due as a 2015 model.
True to their word, General Motors and Chrysler will adopt J2807 for 2015 model year light-duty pickup trucks. Nissan will implement the new standards with the next-generation diesel-powered Titan due as a 2015 model.
J2807 outlines procedures to test trucks as owners would use them and applies to full-size light-duty pickups, not heavy-duty models. A truck's engine and transmission, brakes, suspension, frame and ability to cope with heat are tested in a standardized environment. The J2807 system includes procedures for acceleration, braking and climbing grades without overheating.
A standard protocol will likely lower the stated capacity for all these pickups by several hundred pounds.
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