There are times that you may find yourself in need of a trailer to tow something home. While it is fairly easy to find a trailer to tow, if you aren’t used to towing you may not be doing it correctly. It is important that you understand what is required of your vehicle so that you can tow your trailer safely. Since we are experts at towing here at Citywide Towing, we thought we would share some trailer towing tips with you today.
Vehicle Towing Capacity
It is vital that you understand the towing capacities of the vehicle that you are using to tow your trailer. You should study the owner’s manual so that you understand what your vehicle can handle. If you have extra passengers that are riding with you, that should be taken into consideration as well when you are thinking about weight requirements. Another area that you should be checking is the tow hitch. There should be a label on the tow package that explains what it can handle.
Load the Trailer Properly when Towing
If you aren’t used to towing a trailer, you may not realize that the way you load the trailer definitely matters. You should be loading the heaviest items in the front half of the trailer that is closest to the vehicle. Once you have all the cargo properly packed into the trailer, it is also important that everything is secured. You may find that you need to tie some things down to make sure they don’t blow out of the trailer.
Ensure Tires are Ready to Tow
Not only should be checking the tires on your vehicle, but it is important that you are checking the tires on your trailer as well. If your tires aren’t inflated properly it can have a big impact on the handling of the trailer. You should be aware that the speeds that you can go and still stay safe. Your tires will have a speed rating that you should be aware of.
Test Trailer Lights
While it may not seem like a big deal to have trailer lights that work, it is important that they do for safety reasons. Often, when people are towing, their load is tall enough that the lights on the vehicle can’t be seen. If your trailer lights aren’t working, you could face steep fines for this safety violation.
Check the Brakes
Your brakes will need to be working flawlessly to tow a trailer. If you are towing a light trailer, you will likely not have any brakes on the trailer itself. Heavier trailers have a trailer brake system that should be checked. If your vehicle is having brake problems, you should obviously postpone using it to tow until the brakes are fixed.
Towing & Roadside Assistance in Addison, Balch Springs, Carrollton, Cedar Hill, Cockrell Hill, Combine, Coppell, DeSoto, Farmers Branch, Ferris, Garland, Glenn Heights, Grapevine, Highland Park, Hutchins, Lancaster, Lewisville, Ovilla, Richardson, Rowlett, Sachse, Seagoville, Sunnyvale, University Park, Wilmer, Wylie, Duncanville, Grand Prairie, Arlington, Irving, Mesquite & Greater Dallas, Texas
If you need your vehicle towed for any reason, you can count on the experts at Citywide Towing to provide you with superior towing services. Call us today!
