RV Towing And Trailer Safety

RV Towing And Trailer Safety

Being aware of proper procedure for RV towing and trailer safety is one of the most important components to safe travel. If you are new to RVing, there are some basic things you should know that will help ensure your safety.

Before departing for your next destination run a thorough safety inspection. This needs to become a regular practice before every trip as routine as filling the tank. Make sure that pins, hinges, safety clips, and chains are all engaged, tight, secure, and in place. Take the time to be thorough and physically test each component.

If you own a trailer (conventional, pop-up, or fifth-wheel) as opposed to an RV, you need to be sure that the towing vehicle is capable of safely towing the trailer. You must account for the weight of all luggage, supplies, and passengers when calculating this. The towing vehicle must also be in good condition and able to drive up mountains without losing too much speed.

Each kind of trailer has different ways of being hitched. Conventional trailers use a ball and coupler hitch in which a ball attaches to the rear of the tow vehicle and a socket on the front end of the trailer. Sway control on this kind of attachment helps to reduce the amount of dangerous side to side motion experienced while traveling.

Fifth-wheel trailers are much more stable than conventional trailers. In this case, the trailer is towed by a large truck. The hitch sits in the bed of the truck and accounts for about 20% of the trailer’s total weight. Components of the fifth-wheel hitch include the fifth-wheel plate, handle, hitch plate, pin, pin box, plate jaws, and side rails.

Safety laws disallow people from riding inside of conventional trailers while being towed. However, people are permitted to ride in a fifth-wheel as long as there is an unblocked exit that can be accessed from both inside and outside. Also, the passengers must be able to communicate with the driver of the towing vehicle at all times.

Very large RVs and motorhomes are capable of towing another vehicle. This is convenient for travelers once they set up camp in a campground. Having a car available makes it easier for them to visit the surrounding area without having to uproot the entire motorhome every time groceries are needed.

In this case it is important to ensure that the RV is capable of towing the vehicle on highways and up any terrain encountered. Also remember to allow for extra time and space when passing other vehicles or entering the freeway. Keeping RV towing and trailer safety in mind while preparing for a trip will ensure there are no surprises along the way.