Travel Trailer Towing Tips
With camping season just around the corner, it’s time to start looking at ways to make this summer even more exciting for you and the whole family. One great way to step things up is to invest in a travel trailer. Not only will you be able to enjoy this summer in a whole new way, but many seasons and years to follow.
But we know that moving a travel trailer around, especially for new RV owners, can be a little intimidating. That’s why Charlie Obaugh RV Center has provided you with some tips for easy and safe towing. If you need additional help, stop by our location in Staunton, Virginia and we’ll help you with all your RV-related needs. We also serve Waynesboro, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Richmond, Roanoke, and Lynchburg.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT TOW VEHICLE
Before you even consider buying a travel trailer–or at least before you hook it up to any old car–you’ll want to make sure you have the right tow vehicle. The nice thing about travel trailers is that they feature a bumper pull hitch, which is the kind of hitch that sticks out behind the back bumper of the tow vehicle and creates a small space between the two vehicles. Essentially, this means the hitch is compatible with just about any type of vehicle, from cars to trucks to SUVs.
But this doesn’t mean you should use any vehicle. There’s still going to be some requirements as far as weight goes. Figure out what your potential tow vehicle’s gross combined weight rating (GCWR) is. This is the maximum amount of weight your entire unit should be, combining the weight of the tow vehicle, the towed vehicle (the travel trailer), cargo, and passengers. Your tow vehicle must be able to handle the additional weight of the travel trailer, both for safety reasons and legal ones. An overloaded tow vehicle can become a road hazard, and if you’re caught exceeding your GCWR, there are hefty fines to be paid.
WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION
It’s not enough for your unit to be able to manage the weight, you have to also ensure the cargo inside the trailer isn’t going to create a problem. If there’s too much weight on one side, it could drag you around on the road and make driving both difficult and dangerous.
You’ll want to evenly distribute the weight from side to side, however from front to back, you’ll want to employ the 60/40 rule. This means that 60% of the overall weight is in the front half of the trailer, closer to the hitch, and the last 40% tapers off the back half. In fact, many people suggest 10-20% of the overall weight be as close to the hitch as possible. This will help deter the weight of your travel trailer causing parts of the rig to raise up and lose traction on the road.
PRACTICE
When you’re finally ready to get behind the wheel, make sure your first time on the road isn’t the day of your big trip. You’ll want to spend a lot of time practicing well in advance so you can learn and make mistakes in a low-stress environment. Find a large, empty parking lot and relearn some basic driving skills and what they feel like when you’re towing a travel trailer. This should include braking, turning, parking, and reversing.
When you’re feeling confident in those areas, spend some time on the highway at a low traffic point in the day. This will help you get used to high-speed driving and merging. Keep in mind that the additional weight is going to severely impact the amount of time it takes you to stop, so you’ll want to leave lots of additional space between you and the vehicle in front of you.
Hopefully this gets you where you need to be to start learning how to tow a travel trailer. Just keep in mind that while it may be a little intimidating now, with a little practice and patience, you’ll be a pro in no time. If you’re still looking for the right travel trailer, then stop by Charlie Obaugh RV Center and we’ll give you the full tour of models we have in stock right now. We welcome all current and future RV owners from Staunton, Waynesboro, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Richmond, Roanoke, and Lynchburg, Virginia.