A 3-minute lesson from the Nevada course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Towing changes how your vehicle steers, brakes and handles. Class C drivers have strict size limits, and a trailer that's overloaded or badly balanced can overturn or throw its load onto the road.
10,000 lb
Most a non-commercial Class C driver may tow — single vehicle or combination, by GVWR
Loading a trailer incorrectly endangers you and others: items that come loose can hit other road users, and the trailer's interior can be damaged in a quick stop or crash.
Overloading hurts steering, braking and speed control: very slow on uphill grades, too fast downhill, longer stopping distances, and brakes that can fail when forced to work too hard.
Don't be top-heavy: the higher the center of gravity, the more likely you'll overturn. Keep cargo as low as possible — heaviest items under the lightest, or in lower storage compartments.
You're loading a utility trailer with a heavy generator and light camping gear. Put the generator low and centered and the light gear above it — stacking the generator high would raise the center of gravity and invite a rollover.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
A non-commercial Class C driver may tow a vehicle or combination with a GVWR of:
10,000 pounds or less
15,000 pounds or less
5,000 pounds or less
26,000 pounds or less
Answer: 10,000 pounds or less
Non-commercial Class C drivers may tow a vehicle or combination with a GVWR of 10,000 lbs or less.