Ten
Tips For Safe Towing
Whether it’s a car, a boat, your personal
watercraft, a house trailer or your trash to the dump,
towing requires attention to details. Here are ten
key details to pay attention to for safe towing and
longer vehicle life.
1. Weight
Make sure your trailer and whatever you're hauling
is within the tow capacity of your vehicle. Check
the owner's manual to find the trailer types that
your vehicle can haul and the maximum load weight
it can pull. Use the right trailer hitch and make
sure it is hitched correctly.
2. Weight Distribution
If you experience fishtailing, where your trailer
sways while accelerating, back off the gas and see
if it stops. If it continues when you accelerate again,
check to see how the weight is distributed on the
trailer. It may not be distributed evenly from side
to side, or else it's too far back to put a sufficient
load on the hitch ball. You want to try to carry 5
to 10% of the trailer load on the hitch. Redistribute
the load as necessity dictates before continuing.
3. Lights
Connect brakes and signal lights. Double check to
make sure the trailer's brakes, turn signals and tail
lights are synchronized with those of the tow vehicle.
4. Tires
Avoid hauling too much weight for the tires. Blowouts
can be bad news. Be sure you keep the proper air pressure
in your tires, too.
5. Handling
When towing, you're operating a vehicle combination
that's longer and heavier than you're used to. So
you'll want to make some compensating adjustments
in your normal driving practices.
Backing up is tricky, but it is a
skill you can learn. Till you're experienced, have
someone direct you from outside in those tight spots
or places where you have limited visibility.
When barreling down the highway, avoid
sudden turns.
6. Buckle Your Seat Belt
In case your tow vehicle ends up upside down.
7. Stopping
It's a matter of physics. When towing, you have more
momentum than you would without a trailer. Be sure
you keep in mind that it therefore takes more time
and distance to stop. Avoid tailgating and pay attention
to what's happening a little further down the road
than you normally would.
8. Check Things Out As You Go Along
Maybe you forgot to fasten a chain, forgot to clamp
the hitch or forgot to tie your car down. You're in
a hurry to get home after a long night. Things like
that can happen. Once you're on the road, make sure
everything looks good back there. You really don't
want to be up all night trying to get your car out
of a ditch somewhere.
9. Use AMSOIL Synthetic Transmission
Fluid
What kind of lubricant are you using in the transmission
of your tow vehicle? Towing is one of the most demanding
activities on a vehicle's drivetrain system.
In fact, because of the heat generated,
towing is probably the number one killer of transmissions.
For this reason many people install an oil cooler.
An alternative is to use a high end synthetic lubricant.
As a result of the reduced friction, the tranny will
run cooler, and transmission life will be lengthened
considerably. Tests have shown that AMSOIL synthetic
automatic transmission fluid provides useful service
up to three times longer than conventional fluids.
10. Pay Attention To Details
Right now many states, including Minnesota, are calling
for stiffer penalties when there are accidents caused
by trailers that break loose. It will be criminal
negligence, not a mistake. Pay attention to the details,
including hitches, safety chains, signal light hookups,
handling, weight, the capacity of your tow vehicle,
tires and all the rest.