Travel Trailer Towing Tips
If you’re planning to get a travel trailer, you should know the proper way of towing it. Most of the tips and tricks we at Pete's RV Center Indiana are going to share with you are easy to follow, and with a little bit of practice, you should be good to go! If you’re looking for travel trailers for sale in Schererville, IN, contact our sales department to see the models we have in our inventory.
Getting Ready
The first thing you have to do is make sure your tow vehicle is compatible with your travel trailer. If you’ve got a smaller model, you won’t need heavy-duty tow vehicles, but for a bigger one, you’ll need something with a fair amount of power. If any part of the towing vehicle gets overwhelmed, it can create a hazard. Familiarize yourself with the towing limitations of your commuter vehicle (including the gross combined weight rating) and figure out if they need to be upgraded.
You have to strategize when loading your travel trailer. Don’t put too much weight on the back part of the vehicle as this increases the risk of sway and makes it more difficult for the driver to retain control.
Turning
When you finally get behind the wheel, there’ll be a few challenges you’ll be faced with right at the start and you should be prepared for them. Luckily, turning looks way harder than it is. Just keep in mind that your trailer will go wherever your vehicle does. This means if you have a longer trailer, you’ll need to pull forward farther to clear the turn.
Backing Up
With backing up, you’ll need to practice before you get the hang of it. Even with experience, this needs to be done at a slow speed. Avoid doing this when you’re around traffic or a lot of people, so the pressure on you is at a minimum. Remember that turning and backing up at the same time can be counterintuitive from what you’re used to.
If you want your travel trailer to turn to the right, you have to turn your steering wheel to the left, and vice versa. This is because your trailer will move in the opposite direction of your tow vehicle. It’ll be good for you to have someone on the ground guiding you as you’ll have a lot of blind spots to deal with when backing up a travel trailer.
Important Tips
Stay aware of the extra weight behind you, because even smaller campers add extra pressure on your tow vehicle, especially when braking. To help with stopping your travel trailer, you can invest in a camper braking system, but you still need to maintain enough distance between you and other vehicles on the road. Also, monitor your speed so you don’t slam into the vehicle in front.
We hope these tips will help you have safer trips! If you need expert travel trailer service before you head out, contact Pete's RV Center Indiana in Schererville, IN, and our expert technicians will have it functioning smoothly in no time. If you’re looking for travel trailers for sale near Indianapolis, IN, or Champaign, IL, get in touch with our sales department to find the best camper for you.