“Trailers Part 1”
Whether you are moving heavy machinery, hauling camping gear, or towing a boat, knowing how to safely drive with a trailer is a practical skill to learn. Towing requires more attention and different skills than regular driving. Your vehicle’s behavior changes when towing a trailer, and it’s crucial to understand the physics involved. In this blog series, we will break down the essentials of safe trailer towing and how to ensure that your trip goes smoothly.
Be Prepared: Understand what you are towing before you get on the road or even load up the trailer. It is important to prepare your vehicle and trailer for the journey. Also, plan out your route. Some roads are more trailer friendly than others.
Know Your Vehicle's Towing Capacity: Make sure your vehicle is equipped to tow the weight of the trailer and load you want to tow. Each vehicle has a maximum towing capacity, and exceeding that limit can cause mechanical failure or unsafe driving conditions. Always check your vehicle’s owner manual to confirm its towing capacity, and remember to factor in the weight of the added load.
Prepare your vehicle: Make sure your vehicle is in normal operating function. Check your brakes, fluids, tires, mirrors, and lights. Braking will become more difficult with the added weight so it is important for your breaks to be working properly. Both your vehicle’s and trailer’s tires must be correctly pressurized. Underinflated tires can make handling more difficult, increase the risk of a blowout, and decrease fuel efficiency. A potential issue with your vehicle will only be enhanced when the weight of a trailer is added. Trailers may have trailer breaks ensure that these are properly hooked up and in working order. They may become stuck or worn out after years of use or storage. Trailers have lights. Be sure to hook these up and test them prior to driving. These lights should operate as your rear lights do on your vehicle.
Properly load and secure the trailer load: Load your trailer properly to maintain stability and safety as you drive down the road. Stabilize and secure the trailer to ensure that it will not go anywhere when weight is applied. 60% of the weight should be loaded in front of the axle toward the towing vehicle with the remaining 40% behind. If you can, attempt to even out sideways the weight so that one side is not overly weighted. A balanced load improves handling and reduces the risk of accidents. Secure your load. Use straps and tie-downs. Make sure what you are securing is strong enough to hold. Also, think about all of the ways an object can move. Do not have objects striking outside of the radius of the trailer. This can become dangerous as you traverse the roadways.
Towing a trailer may seem intimidating, but with the right preparation, you can safely navigate the road with confidence. By taking the time to ensure that your vehicle and trailer are properly equipped and prepared, you’ll set yourself up for a smooth, secure journey. In part 2 of this series, we will focus on driving with a trailer on the roadways, and in part 3, we will look into how to back up a trailer.