SAE Tow Standards
Industry News Notes
The theory was a good one, except when the car makers got together to agree on a measuring system that offered equality when determining tow ratings (known as J2807). There was no set date when these standards would take effect. Toyota stepped up and applied the new standard to their trucks instantly, however the big three were hesitant, not wanting to handicap themselves if others did not. You have to hand it to Toyota, Nissan and Mercedes as they have been abiding by the SAE system for years now, while the big three American truck makers continued to hold steadfast even after a 2013 deadline passed, each refusing to change unless the others followed suit. According to Automotive News, Ford will abide by the J2807 standards for the upcoming 2015 F-150 and both GM and Ram will also begin to publish SAE compliant numbers in 2015. GM has already told 4WDrive Magazine that they have already completed J2807 testing on the new Silverado and Sierra and say that their figures should change very little. Numbers are expected to fall as the Toyota Tundra saw a 181 kg (400 lb) drop in its towing capacity when they changed over to the SAE standard way back in 2011. While we’re still a little under a year away from all truck makers publishing figures on an even playing field, it is great to see the industry finally offer the customer fair and completely comparable numbers.