Everything You Need to Know About Towing

 

 

It doesn't matter if you've been towing large trailers for years, or heading off on your first family vacation with a small tourist trailer, towing is no easy task.

In order to pull a trailer after another vehicle, the driver needs to develop a whole new set of skills. The very process of hitching and unhitching a trailer from a tractor requires know-how and many steps, and the omission of at least one important element in the process can jeopardize safety.

We spoke with industry experts and John Ibbotson, Consumer Reports' chief mechanic and towing foreman, and consulted with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's trailer towing guide for a list of things all towers should think about before hitting the road. ... We'll dive deeper into the key tasks that should be part of any pre-towing or classic towing checklist and end with some driving tips to help you tow more smoothly and safely.

 

Basic Driving Tips for Safe Towing

Know your trailer. “In many cases, the trailer weighs more than the truck,” says Ram Trucks' Romain. All this extra weight behind the truck will have a huge impact on the truck's ability to stop quickly and take tight turns. “Height can also be an issue, as touring trailers can be much taller than trucks, so clearances should be considered when driving into gas stations or in low bridge conditions,” says Romain.

Make wider turns at curves and corners. Since the wheels of your trailer will be closer to the inside of the bend than the wheels of your towing vehicle, the trailer tires are more likely to hit or run over curbs. Safe towing service Naperville requires the driver to be constantly on the lookout for a wider area than usual around any corner.

Allow for longer stopping distances. The braking distance will be longer than what your towing vehicle can normally reach on its own, due to the increased weight of the trailer. This means that you will need to be more aware of vehicles that suddenly stop in front of you while towing service near me and start braking earlier than if you were not towing.

Drive in the right lane on highways. “Try to drive in the right lane as much as possible so you can use the extra braking space on the right side of the road in case you need to brake suddenly,” Sandling tells MrTruck.com. Driving in the right lane will also make it easier to move to the curb in the event of a broken wheel.

Adjust trailer brakes according to load. Many trailers are equipped with electric brakes and the power level can be adjusted by the driver if the truck is equipped with an optional trailer brake control in the vehicle. “It's important to adjust how much the trailer brakes,” says CR's Ibbotson. “For example, you want your trailer brakes to use a lot of force when towing a heavy boat. But when the boat is not on a trailer, the trailer brakes need to be readjusted for this lower weight so that the trailer tires do not lock or skid. "

Don’t ride your truck’s brakes on long downhills. Shift the truck transmission to a lower gear to slow the vehicle down and slightly reduce the load on the brakes. Many of today's pickups have a tow / haul mode that, when the driver engages the system, automatically downshifts the gear when he detects that the truck is on a long descent. Using the brakes at regular intervals to control your speed (as opposed to constantly pressing the brake pedal) will help prevent overheating of the brakes.

Use a spotter when backing up. If possible, have someone behind the trailer so that it backs up; mirrors - even wide rear-view mirrors - usually cannot provide all the required visibility, especially in situations where other vehicles, objects or people are in the immediate vicinity.

Practice driving with a trailer. “It's a good idea to practice accelerating, reversing, braking, taking wide turns and using the side mirrors before you hit the road,” says AAA's Bennett. This is especially important if you are new to the art of towing a trailer behind a car.

Disconnect wiring before launching a boat. Disconnect the trailer harness from the towing vehicle before reversing the trailer in the water when leaving the boat. This will avoid electrical problems that can arise from submerging trailer headlights in water.

Check your route ahead of time. “Some roads cannot be driven with trailers, and some roads also have weight, height and width restrictions,” says Mel Yew, CR automotive analyst. Planning your route ahead of time saves you having to go back to find roads that work for your installation.