Properly Towing A Travel Trailer

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Properly Towing A Travel Trailer

Parking

• Try to avoid parking on grades. If possible, have someone outside to guide you as you park. Once stopped, but before shifting into Park, have someone place blocks on the downhill side of the trailer’ wheels, Apply the parking brake, shift into Park and then remove your  foot from  the brake pedal.  Following  this parking sequence  is important  to make sure your vehicle does not become locked in Park because of extra load on the transmission. For manual transmissions, apply the parking brake and then turn the vehicle  off in either  first  or reverse gear.
• When uncoupling a trailer, place blocks at the front and rear of the trailer tires to ensure that the trailer does not roll away when the coupling is released.
• An unbalanced load may cause the tongue to suddenly rotate upward; therefore, before uncoupling, place jack stands under the rear of the trailer to prevent injury.

Backing Up

• Trailers will move in the opposite direction of the tow vehicle.
• Back up slowly and move the steering wheel slightly to adjust the trailer’s direction.
• When backing up put your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel. To turn left, move your hand left. To turn right,  move  your  hand  right.  Back  up  slowly.  Because  mirrors cannot  provide  all  of  the  visibility  you  may  need  when  backing  up,  have  someone outside at the rear of the trailer to guide you whenever possible.
• Use slight movements of the steering wheel to adjust direction. Exaggerated movements will cause greater movement of the trailer. If you have difficulty, pull forward  and  realign  the  tow  vehicle   and  trailer  and  start again.

Turning

• Remember  to swing wider when turning.
• The trailer’s wheels are closer to the inside of a turn than the wheels of your tow vehicle which means they are more likely to hit or ride up over curbs.

Passing

• When passing a slower vehicle or changing lanes, signal well in advance and make sure you allow extra distance to clear the vehicle before you pull back into the lane.
• Pass on level terrain with plenty of clearance.  Avoid passing on steep upgrades or downgrades.
• If necessary, downshift for improved acceleration or speed  maintenance.
• When passing on narrow roads, be careful not to go onto a soft shoulder.  This could cause  your trailer  to jackknife  or go out of control.

Pre-Departure Safety Checklist

• Before driving, make sure your vehicle maintenance and trailer maintenance are current. This is very important because towing puts additional stress on the tow vehicle.
• Make sure the wheel lug nuts/bolts on the tow vehicle and trailer are tightened to the correct torque
• Check and correct tire pressure on the tow vehicle and trailer.
• lnspect tires for uneven wear patterns on the tread, cracks, and foreign objects.
• Make sure you have wheel chocks and jack stands.
• Check routes and restrictions on bridges and tunnels.
• Be sure the hitch, coupler, draw bar, and other equipment that connect the trailer and the tow vehicle are properly secured and adjusted.
• Check that the wiring is properly connected — not touching the road, but loose enough to make turns without disconnecting or damaging the wires.
• Make sure all running  lights, brake  lights,  turn signals, and hazard  lights  are  working.
• Verify that  the brakes  on the  tow vehicle  and trailer  are operating correctly.
• Check  that all items are securely  fastened  on and  in  the trailer.
• Be sure the trailer jack, tongue support, and any attached stabilizers are raised and locked in place.
• Check load distribution to make sure the tow vehicle and trailer are properly balanced front to back and side to side.
• Check side and rear  view mirrors to make sure  you  have good  visibility.
• Do not overload the vehicle.

TIPS

• Take time to practice before driving on main roads and never allow anyone to ride in or on the trailer.
• Some tow vehicles may have specifically calibrated transmission tow—modes. Be sure to use the tow-mode recommended by the manufacturer.
• Before  you leave,  remember  to check  routes  and restrictions  on bridges  and tunnels.
• The most common causes of accidents while towing a trailer are driving too fast for the conditions and not adjusting to the changes in handling. Slow down when traveling over bumpy roads, railroad crossings, and ditches.
• Towing a trailer utilizes many of the same skills you use when driving normally: drive at moderate speeds, follow at a safe distance, anticipate stops, and avoid sudden steering and braking.
• Hold the steering  wheel  as steady  as possible.Slow down if you have to go over a pothole or other object in the road.Allow  considerably  more  distance  for stopping.
• Be aware of the trailer’s height, especially when approaching  overpasses,  roofed  areas,  or  wooded areas.If you encounter problems such as accidentally departing the roadway  or tire blowouts  just remember:  gas OFF, brakes  OFF,  steer  STRAIGHT,  and WAIT.
• Towing a trailer causes decreased acceleration, increased stopping distance, and increased turning radius.
• Use lower  gears  when traveling  up or down hills.   Downshifting  assists  with braking when  going down  hills and  adds power  when climbing hills.
• Apply brakes at intervals on long downgrades to keep them from overheating.
• To control swaying caused by air pressure changes and wind buffeting when large vehicles pass from either direction, release the accelerator pedal to slow down and keep a firm grip on the steering wheel.
• Do:
• • Take your foot off  the accelerator  and reduce  your speed  gradually.
  • Apply  the trailer  brakes alone  if your  trailer  has electric brakes.
  • Use the driving gear that  the manufacturer  recommends  for towing.
  • Drive at moderate speeds. This will place less strain on your tow vehicle and trailer.
  • Check tire  pressure  regularly,  including  the spare.
• Don’t:
  • Hit your brake pedal hard as this may cause the trailer to jackknife.
  • Try to steer out of the sway as sudden steering will make the sway worse.
  • Speed up.  Sway increases with speed.
  • Do not run over or bump into curbs.
  • Continue towing a trailer that  tends  to  sway.