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Safety Tips for Driving with a Trailer
Take time to practice
before driving on main roads and never allow anyone to ride in or
on the trailer. Before you leave, remember to check routes and
restrictions on bridges and tunnels. Consider the following
safety tips each time you drive with a trailer.
General Handling
Use the
driving gear that the manufacturer recommends for towing.
Drive at
moderate speeds. This will place less strain on your tow
vehicle and trailer. Trailer instability (sway) is more
likely to occur as speed increases.
Avoid sudden
stops and starts that can cause skidding, sliding, or
jackknifing.
Avoid sudden
steering maneuvers that might create sway or undue side
force on the trailer.
Slow down
when traveling over bumpy roads, railroad crossings, and
ditches.
Make wider
turns at curves and corners. Because your trailer’s
wheels are closer to the inside of a turn than the wheels
of your tow vehicle, they are more likely to hit or ride
up over curbs.
To control
swaying caused by air pressure changes and wind buffeting
when larger vehicles pass from either direction, release
the accelerator pedal to slow down and keep a firm grip
on the steering wheel.
Braking
Allow
considerably more distance for stopping.
If you have
an electric trailer brake controller and excessive sway
occurs, activate the trailer brake controller by hand. Do
not attempt to control trailer sway by applying the tow
vehicle brakes; this will generally make the sway worse.
Always
anticipate the need to slow down. To reduce speed, shift
to a lower gear and press the brakes lightly.
Acceleration and
Passing
When passing
a slower vehicle or changing lanes, signal well in
advance and make sure you allow extra distance to clear
the vehicle before you pull back into the lane.
Pass on level
terrain with plenty of clearance. Avoid passing on steep
upgrades or downgrades.
If necessary,
downshift for improved acceleration or speed maintenance.
When passing
on narrow roads, be careful not to go onto a soft
shoulder. This could cause your trailer to jackknife or
go out of control.
Downgrades and
Upgrades
Downshift to
assist with braking on downgrades and to add power for
climbing hills.
On long
downgrades, apply brakes at intervals to keep speed in
check. Never leave brakes on for extended periods of time
or they may overheat.
Some tow
vehicles have specifically calibrated transmission tow-modes.
Be sure to use the tow-mode recommended by the
manufacturer.
Backing Up
Put your hand
at the bottom of the steering wheel. To turn left, move
your hand left. To turn right, move your hand right. Back
up slowly. Because mirrors cannot provide all of the
visibility you may need when backing up, have someone
outside at the rear of the trailer to guide you, whenever
possible.
Use slight
movements of the steering wheel to adjust direction.
Exaggerated movements will cause greater movement of the
trailer. If you have difficulty, pull forward and realign
the tow vehicle and trailer and start again.
Parking
Try to avoid
parking on grades. If possible, have someone outside to
guide you as you park. Once stopped, but before shifting
into Park, have someone place blocks on the downhill side
of the trailer wheels. Apply the parking brake, shift
into Park, and then remove your foot from the brake pedal.
Following this parking sequence is important to make sure
your vehicle does not become locked in Park because of
extra load on the transmission. For manual transmissions,
apply the parking brake and then turn the vehicle off in
either first or reverse gear.
When
uncoupling a trailer, place blocks at the front and rear
of the trailer tires to ensure that the trailer does not
roll away when the coupling is released.
An unbalanced
load may cause the tongue to suddenly rotate upward;
therefore, before un-coupling, place jack stands under
the rear of the trailer to prevent injury.
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