Tips for Safe Travel Trailer Towing
For some people, the idea of towing their new travel trailer is intimidating. If you're new to towing a travel trailer, you might only see the potential disasters. In reality, safe travel trailer towing is really all about being adequately prepared, being cautious, and learning a few basic skills. Here at The Outpost RV, we designed this short instructional guide to help you get your feet wet with travel trailer towing. Keep this tips in mind before your next trip, and you'll have much more confidence once you get out on the road. And if you find yourself in needs of towing equipment, safety gear, or service for your trailer, stop by our Middlebury, Indiana location and talk to our experienced and friendly crew!
Pay Attention to Weight
One of the most important considerations in towing is weight. Your tow vehicle will have what's known as a gross combined weight rating, or GCWR. This number is the maximum amount your vehicle, its occupants, the cargo, and trailer can weigh altogether. This isn't just a recommendation. Exceeding this weight can be extremely unsafe, not to mention the fact that if you get caught by law enforcement, you'll be facing some serious penalties. To make sure you're under the legal limit, head to the nearest weigh station once you're all loaded up and on the road.
Do your Prep Work
Safe towing is all about preparation, and there are many aspects that go into a complete travel plan when you're towing. First, you'll want to plan out your route to avoid known road work, extreme road grades, and twisty roads that your trailer will be hard to navigate with a trailer. Next, you'll need to make sure you have all the necessary equipment for towing. Make sure you have large enough mirrors to see all the way down the length of your RV as this will become extremely important for turning, parking, and backing up. You'll also need to make sure your RV's brake light and turn signals are functioning correctly. When you actually go to load your trailer, make sure to correctly distribute the weight. When looking at your trailer head on, you'll want the weight to be evenly distributed from left to right. From the side, the weight should be grouped like a mountain over the front axle. The point of this to leave about 10% of trailer's total weight resting on the tongue of the trailer to help keep the hitch in place during transit.
Practice the Basics
Safe towing also involves developing a few new driving skills. You'll need to relearn the basics of driving, such as braking and steering. Because a trailer significantly increases the weight of your vehicle, braking will happen much slower than you might think. Give yourself at least double the time to brake from what you would in a vehicle without a trailer. If your trailer has its own braking system, you'll need to follow the instruction manual to learn how to use it. It's best to practice this in an empty parking lot so you can get a sense for how it works. Steering is challenging, too because the trailer adds a substantial amount to the length of your vehicle. You'll need to cut corners much, much wider than you would in a normal to avoid causing your trailer to jump the curb or hit whatever is on the inside of the turn. Backing up can be challenging because the trailer will turn in the opposite direction from normal. The trailer will also tend to turn much more quickly than you might expect, so it's best to take turns slow and be conservative with how much you turn the wheel.
Use a Buddy to Cut the Distractions
One of the best tricks for ensuring safe towing is implement the buddy system. Having a friend available is extremely helpful when you need to park or back up as they can act as a flagger and show you how much space you have in your blind spots. They can also act as a navigator and copilot, controlling the maps, climate controls, music, and other variables in your tow vehicle so you can put your energy into driving.
Are you ready to get out and try towing? Make sure to plan thoroughly and give yourself plenty of practice in open parking lots with the basics so you can get used to all the most difficult parts of towing. The Outpost RV cares about our customers' safety, so we're always happy to offer further advice and to help you find all the equipment you need to safely tow. If you live near Middlebury, Goshen, Elkhart, South Bend, or Fort Wayne, Indiana, stop by our dealership and service center today!