Drivers love to have a lot of faith in their vehicles. There can be pride and fondness around them, with many believing their trusty motors can do anything.

Of course, they can't – especially when transporting heavy goods in many situations. Not every vehicle is built to tackle these challenges head-on at first. Those who overestimate their vehicle's achievement are more likely to endanger themselves and other drivers.

After all, police are rather adamant about stopping overloading vehicles and have a keen eye for detecting them. They reaffirm that overloaded vehicles are more susceptible to accidents on the road.

However, there are things you can do to make your vehicle more suitable for transporting heavy goods. While there's a limit on what can be achieved (smaller cars typically can't tow caravans, for example), a few modifications may help your situation. So, here's how to make your vehicle more suitable for transporting heavy goods.

Using a Towbar

You can add different parts to your vehicle to make it more capable of transporting heavier goods. Most people start this effort with the Towbar.

You can have Towbars fitted at home or at work with the help of the aptly named Towbar Express. Find your Towbar by using their vehicle registration tools so that you can get one that's suitable for your vehicle. After that, you simply need to choose your fitting date and location. They cover 85% of the UK, but you can also use their coverage checker to see if they can help you. In the unlikely event that they can't, look for a similar service near you.

Towbars have many practical applications when you're transporting heavy goods. People use them when travelling to a body of water with their boat, or when they're caravanning, moving house, or even transporting goods during a DITY refurbishment.

Furthermore, Towbars help distributes weight across a vehicle when carrying or towing a heavier load. They save people money, too, as they won't need to rent a larger vehicle to transport their goods. Some even add value to a vehicle should you wish to resell it later. Regardless of your reasons, Towbars come with many benefits when you're trying to transport heavier goods.

Swap Out Parts

Not everybody is enthralled by the idea of taking apart their vehicles and adding new components. However, this extra effort can ensure your vehicle can carry a heavier load.

There are three main things to consider changing here. They are:

• The tyres – Some are more durable, which means they become less vulnerable to damage when transporting heavier goods. They can also improve handling and traction with deeper tread patterns. Run-flat, all-terrain, and commercial tyres are often designed specifically for vehicles carrying heavier loads.
• The brakes – The cargo your vehicle is carrying, the longer it can take for your brakes to bring it to a stop. Larger callipers and disks can help here, which increases a vehicle's stopping force and stops the brakes from overheating. Higher-performance brake pads are also recommended.
• The suspension – Improves stability and handling under heavier loads. Reduced ground clearance is also possible. Further upgrades can be carried out here with stronger sway bars, stiffer springs, and heavier-duty shocks.

Once again, these measures are largely about safety. Once they're implemented, the handling and stability of your car will make it easier to drive, and you hopefully won't feel like you're transporting heavy goods at all. Your vehicle may feel lighter and less cumbersome.

Tieing Down the Goods

Even if your vehicle can transport heavy goods from a specifications perspective, more work may still need to be done here. Goods may be heavy, but they can still move around if they're not properly secure.

These problems can be enormously consequential. After all, even lorries have lost things like portable cabins in transit, which have fallen off the vehicle and caused chaos on the roads. In that instance, the vehicle was breaking weight limit restrictions. Nevertheless, goods must be secured, even if you're confident you adhere to your vehicle's weight restrictions.

You can install tie-down points to prevent heavy goods from moving around your vehicle's storage area during transit. You'll need to mark areas on the frame or body of your vehicle for drilling, with extrema caution for the vehicle's condition and your personal safety (ensure you're wearing protective gear, such as goggles). After fitting them to the holes, you'll need to tighten the bolts on the anchor points.

Don't use the tie-down points until you've tested their strength. You can do this by trying to move them around by force. If they wobble or appear otherwise unstable, tighten them further. Take your time, as a false sense of security can be dangerous here. Only when you're confident that they are fully secure should they be used to tie down heavy goods.

Installing a Weight Distribution Hitch

Some weight-transportation problems can be solved with a weight distribution hitch. Sometimes, they're also known as an equalizer hitch. Either way, these devices can be extremely useful when transporting heavier things, so it's worth looking into them further to see how they can help.

A weight distribution hitch is designed to be used along with Towbars. When caravans or trailers are being towed, the device is supposed to ease pressure on the vehicle's frame, wheels, and axles. Sometimes, the trailer's tongue can cause the towing vehicle's front to lift up, which can cause problems with braking, sway, and steering. The hitch plateaus things out, bringing the vehicle level and making it safer to drive.

Fortunately, these devices are easy to use. You only need to do the following:

• Attach the hitch head to the ball mount of the towing vehicle.
• Attach the spring bars to the frame of the trailer and the hitch head.
• Attach the cables or chains (these can vary) to the hitch head and the spring bars, effectively connecting them.

There's an important disclaimer to note here; distribution hitches can't be used with every vehicle. Before attempting to set one up, consult the manufacturer or look for any installation guidelines. Presuming their effectiveness could be dangerous, so ensure that you double-check whether this solution is compatible with your vehicle.