Tips For Towing Your Travel Trailer Safely
As you can imagine there are ts to into consideration when towing travel trailer. The following are towing tips to make your journey safe and hassle free your trip begins.
Checklist
When hooking travel trailer try to do in the time and use checklist.
Tow Ratings
This item is as reminder because at this pt you should have tow vehicle that is able to tow the weight of your trailer. You can your vehicle’s tow ratings in the vehicle owner’s manual. It is crucial that you don’t exceed this weight. the rated weight can cause handling difficulties, insufficient power in tow vehicle and poor fuel mileage.
Weight Distribution
Load the trailer properly by storing heavy items low and forward and lightweight articles high. This will the trailer’s center of gravity low and will help minimize sway, wobble and swing. It will enable you to maintain control your trailer.
Secure The Load
Make eg in your trailer is put in cabinets and is not in cabinets is safely tied so it can’t move. Checking the fridge is good idea to make there is that will spill or be thrown ad dg the trip. You wouldn’t to get to your destination and fridge of broken eggs or spilled milk. Not fun to start your trip.
Hitch
Check the label to make se your trailer does not exceed the suggested maximum tongue weight and towing capacity. Inspect hitch for cracks and rust hooking up. The hitch will have 10% of the total trailer weight if trailer is loaded properly.
Ball
Check the label and make you don’t exceed the suggested towing capacity. The ball should be lightly greased so trailer can smoothly and it should be located so the trailer sits level when attached to tow vehicle. Inspect ball for cracks and rust hooking up.
Safety Chains
Safety chains provide added insurance that the trailer will not detach from the tow vehicle. Attach in crisscross pattern the trailer tongue, allowing slack for turns, but short eh to not drag the ground. This prevents the tongue from dropping to the road if the trailer coupler separates from the hitch ball.
Weight Distributing Bar
By using weight distribution hitch you are transferring some of the tongue weight to the axle of your tow vehicle when you set the chains on the bars of the weight distribution hitch. Finding the correct link pt may te tries. If you don’t apply eh tension on the bars, you’ll fd swaying, on the other hand if you put too mh tension on the bars, you will be taking the weight off the of vehicle.
Connector
Connectors constant attention because they tend to corrode easily. Ensure the wiring is loose to make disconnecting or touching the ground. you have it connected check the running lights, tg lights and brake lights to make they are wg properly.
Brakes
Make the brakes are working.
Tires
Checking tires tends to get overlooked when towing trailer. You should do thorough check leaving on trip by measuring the tire pressure and quick check wr you fl for gas which can be de by feeling eh tire with your hand. Recommended pressures are indicated on the tire sidewalls. Also be the tow vehicle’s tires are properly inflated. remember that with multiple axles and tandem wheels it is ss hard to tell if you have flat just by looking at the tires because of the manywheels supporting the weight. You can usualy check this by putting your hand all the tires, the that is hottest is the losing air. The bt to be safe on the road is to measure the tires. Overloading and underinflation are the most common causes of tire failure.
Wheel Bearings
The bearings should be kept in good repair. If the bearings are not wg correctly, the internal rollers are not moving freely. If the bearings are not properly greased, they can get so hot that they will actually weld to spindle assembly. total failure of wheel bearings will cause the wheel to stop which may cause an accident. In to prevent this the wheel bearings should be checked at least year.
Commercial Weight Scale
The bt to the actual weights of your tow vehicle, trailer and tongue weight is to use public commercial weight scale. In to be you are not overloaded you must weigh the vehicle and trailer fy loaded. It may te or half an hour to determine your weights but the time you spend doing this will save you time and money with unexpected repairs to your tow vehicle or trailer and breakdowns your trip. Make se you write these and them as reference in the future.
Towing Mirrors
Towing trailer creates blind spots. Make se you have adequate mirrors that you the visibility you for safe towing. Adjust your mirrors so you can at least 200 feet (60m) the vehicle oe the trailer is hooked up. If you have limited visibility you have options; 1. install extended mirrors that replace your current mirrors, 2. attached mirror to your existing sideview mirror. This will enable you to rear and approaching traffic and be safe on the road.
E. Widmer is an entrepreneur and an avid rv’er. To read information about travel trailers pe click here: www.traveltrailergurus.com Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/rvs-articles/tips-for-towing-your-travel-trailer-safely-982234.html
rvstorageedmonton :: Jul.07.2009 :: RV :: No Comments »