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Post by bigbill on Jul 3, 2013 10:21:29 GMT -8
Trailer Towing Safety Tips
A. Have the proper class hitch or stronger on your vehicle including all parts. B. Make sure your vehicle is designed to tow a trailer the size of yours C. You might want to add transmission and engine oil coolers to protect against overheating D. Check the states you will be towing in to see if you are required to have trailer brakes. E. If you have electric brakes make sure the break away switch has a separate 12 volt power source other than from the tow vehicle. F. You should have two safety chains that are strong enough to hold your trailer should the hitch fail also they need enough slack to allow turns but not drag on the road. G. Have proper wiring connections and always make sure they are connected and lights are working. H. Tires should be rated for trailer use (law in some states) and the tire load specs should exceed the total weight of trailer and contents. Tires are marked with proper inflation amount to carry the rated load and they should be checked on a regular bases. I. Your vehicle should be equipped with mirrors that allow you to see around the trailer on both sides. J. Your trailer should be loaded to maintain approximately 10% of total weight on hitch. K. If tow vehicle sags down when trailer is attached you most likely will need an equalizing hitch (consult a dealer for advise) L. Tires on tow vehicle should be inflated to max load pressure when towing. M. A good habit to get into is walk around your rig checking for anything loose or missing just before you depart from every place where you stop and get out of the car. If you have to back up take a good look at what is behind you before you get in the vehicle. We all check for cars but check for poles, trees, parking blocks, ect., even people N. Make sure everything in the trailer is secure. The average cupboard latch won’t hold a heavy pan during a sharp turn or when you hit a chuck hole or a curb. A TV or a flower pot also won’t stay on top of a table, these thing can become missiles doing extreme damage or a least making a huge mess. Make sure windows and vent covers are secure, and as silly as this sounds if leaving a camp site make sure all cords and hoses are disconnected and properly stored. O. HAVE A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE TRIP
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Post by Nomad on Jul 3, 2013 10:31:13 GMT -8
Great post Bill.
I will make this a sticky so it stays toward the top.
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Post by bigbill on Jul 3, 2013 14:52:41 GMT -8
Thank You I just got to thinking about all the people out there with little or no towing experience and the ones thinking of buying their first trailer, so I thought i would make a check list of things they should know so their family can have a safe and enjoyable time with their trailer.
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Sept 29, 2013 0:22:57 GMT -8
Another good idea is to cross the chains under the tongue, so that if it comes off the ball, the trailer tongue will (theoretically) be supported by the chains and not drop to the pavement where it could dig in and pitchpole the rig.
And don't neglect the fridge latch. The one on mine was broken, so I made a little lever out of metal that securely locks the door. A friend had a fridge latch failure and you talk about a mess... when the eggs, milk, beer, and cottage cheese all end up on the floor! It actually happened to me once when I forgot to set the latch. Luckily my fridge is close to the floor and I didn't have too much stuff in there, but it did all end up on the floor of the trailer.
-Gary
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Sept 30, 2013 16:14:04 GMT -8
Gary the same thing happened to me but I was able to save the beer. Pulled into a park and drank it before anything else went wrong.
Great tips Bill. Gary I've always wondered about the reason for crossing the chains. Thanks for that.
I can't push enough the idea of doing a complete walk around every single time you get out of the vehicle no matter the reason for the stop. It saved me on my Colorado trip at just 110 miles into the trip when I stopped to eat. All the tread had come off one tire and the fender was hanging by one loose screw. If I had not done a walk around I would not have noticed it. So my own advice saved me recently and I have it on video.
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shastabear
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Post by shastabear on Sept 30, 2013 19:57:41 GMT -8
BigBill.....I've written down your checklist as well. I am also glad Gary mentioned to cross the chains. I've already been doing that because my grandfather always did that (the old 'watch and learn' as a kid thing). I do this even if its only going from the driveway to the yard or vice versa.
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Oct 1, 2013 13:29:41 GMT -8
Gary the same thing happened to me but I was able to save the beer. Pulled into a park and drank it before anything else went wrong. Great tips Bill. Gary I've always wondered about the reason for crossing the chains. Thanks for that. I can't push enough the idea of doing a complete walk around every single time you get out of the vehicle no matter the reason for the stop. It saved me on my Colorado trip at just 110 miles into the trip when I stopped to eat. All the tread had come off one tire and the fender was hanging by one loose screw. If I had not done a walk around I would not have noticed it. So my own advice saved me recently and I have it on video. Okay, as long as we're confessing our boo-boos, I'll second the walk-around advice based on the time I was blithely cruising down the freeway when a motorist frantically waved and pointed to my trailer... The trailer door was latched wide open... We have no secrets in this forum... -Gary
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Oct 1, 2013 15:53:44 GMT -8
Been there and done that one too but with a cab-over camper so it was the back door. I hope others learn from not only our successes, but our mistakes as well.
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soup
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Post by soup on Oct 15, 2013 5:46:17 GMT -8
Cool thread BB! I think this should head it's own new section called "Towing Talk" or Towing Safely Talk. Anyway, I want to add something very important most newbies and some oldies might miss. How to help your vintage hitch stay secured in the downward, forward, locked position while towing. There is a small hole (see pic) in frame behind the hitch along bottom of frame on curb (passenger) side. You have to insert a lock or hitch pin or bolt with lock nut or something in this hole to keep the hitch latch from moving backward allowing the hitch to come loose. The first step in a safe towing adventure is a Safe driver. soup PS; I really do think we need a section just for the actual towing of the units.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Oct 18, 2013 9:47:11 GMT -8
You know I have one with a hitch like this with no hole there.
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coloradoan
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Post by coloradoan on Oct 20, 2013 21:54:12 GMT -8
I am buying my first trailer and would benefit greatly from any and all advice on towing my Shasta safely! Thank you to everyone who takes the time to write on these forums. I look forward to joining your ranks as a new Shasta owner!
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Post by Shasta newbie on May 11, 2014 6:17:55 GMT -8
THANK YOU - for these tips. I've tried to read all the forum here before towing my trailer and somehow missed these tips. Yesterday my trailer came off the tow ball and thankfully the tow chains saved the day. I wasn't aware of the crossing of the chains or the hole behind the latch. These may have prevented the whole experience. One tow chain broke so I now have only one good tow chain. where do I go to have this fixed?
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Post by Shasta newbie on May 11, 2014 6:19:18 GMT -8
And just to hopefully give you a good laugh - I did learn yesterday why my father got out and checked the rig five times before we ever left the neighborhood! It used to aggravate all of us but now I know the valuable lesson.
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diymom
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Post by diymom on May 28, 2014 21:45:47 GMT -8
I love this list as I am a towing novice---like no towing experience really-just watching my cousins growing up-backing their trailered boats into various places... My husband and I just bought our first 15 foot trailer and I printed this list for the trailer and another copy to keep in our trip itinerary that we usually have. I will inspect the trailer every stop, I promise!
thanks so much- this is a MAJOR help to those of us who are new to towing.
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capnjonny
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Post by capnjonny on Jul 19, 2014 10:55:57 GMT -8
Having just taken My Shasta Compact on its first camping trip since I finished restoring it here are a few observations.
Mirrors Many trailers are 8 ft wide and require mirror extensions. I bought 2 at O Reileys auto parts. They attach with 2 rubber straps to the existing mirror. It took some time but eventually I was able to align the extension mirror with the truck mirror so both were seeing the same view. Having said that I have found that with my trailer being only about 6'4" wide the standard mirrors work well by themselves.
I took along a hanging Coleman fluorescent lantern and made the mistake of hanging it from a coat hook I had installed on the side of the cabinet to the left of the sink. After about 25 miles of travel it had marked up my new woodwork with paint. Fortunately a little rubbing with 600 grit sandpaper took off the marks.
I originally intended to use the bumper hitch on the truck (rated 2000 lbs) to tow with but when I took the trailer on the road with I had handling problems - the trailer jerked / lurched constantly. the trailer tongue was higher than the rear and this was putting the weight too far aft. not enough on the tongue.
I bought a bolt on receiver hitch mount that lowered the front lower than the back of the trailer. I also filled 2 of the 3 6 gal. water tanks that are mounted under the Ice box at the front of the trailer. This brought the center of weight forward and stopped the lurching.
I also purchased and installed a friction anti sway bar which mounts between the tongue and the hitch which is supposed to help control sway in cross winds.
One thing you should do before you start pulling your trailer is to weigh it. I took mine to the local dump and used their scales. First I drove through with the trailer attached, then with just the truck.
I also checked the truck suspension by measuring the distance from the front and rear bumper to the ground with just the truck and with the trailer attached to see how much the trailer unloaded the front end of the truck. If the trailer weight lifts the front end too much it will cause a loss of traction and control in the front end which is very dangerous.
Remember that if there are one or 2 people in the cab that will tend to push the front down as their weight is far forward of the rear axle so you might want to do this test with 1-2 people sitting in the cab. Any weight you are going to carry in the tow vehicle should be placed ahead of the rear axle to avoid taking weight off the front wheels.
A note on the ice box. Mine now faces the rear. I bought a tupperware waste basket and cut it down to fit on the top shelf. I drilled 2 1/2" holes so that they drain right into the ice box drain line. With the trailer front end lower than the rear this makes ice melt run toward the drain. I had no problem with melt water on the trip. 9 lbs. of crushed ice put in a pre cooled box lasted 2 days. with all the extra insulation I added to the box I expected better . I was opening the box every couple hours to get ice for drinks though. Next time I will take a separate cooler for drinks and ice and possibly try to super cool the box with dry ice before departure.
Cap'n Jonny
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