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TOW-VEHICLE TECH
Boating
|August/September 2023
If it's been a while since you bought new tow vehicle, you might be surprised by the many built-in advancements in trailering technology. New tow tech ranges from integrated weight scales and adaptive suspensions to systems that automatically back up your truck to hitch up your trailer. Here are a few examples to look for. -Jim Hendricks
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ONBOARD SCALE There's no more guessing about the tongue weight of your boat trailer with an onboard scale. The system available in the 2023 Ford F-150 pickup, for example, can estimate your tongue weight on a conventional hitch and show the number through the dash display or a code in the smart taillights. It will advise if the tongue weight is too high or too low.
HITCH UP WITH AI Ford's Pro Trailer Hitch Assist available for the Ford F-Series pickup uses artificial intelligence, including computer vision and machine learning, to automatically back up and align a truck's hitch ball to a trailer coupler with the push of a button. It automatically controls the truck's speed, steering and braking to make hitching up an easy, single-handed task.
This story is from the August/September 2023 edition of Boating.
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