Towing and Hauling Do's and Don'ts

[jhurst]

Hi all



Just thought we needed a place for people to post their experiences and advice for hauling anything and everything.



Like how something odd that you hauled handled, or maybe some of the hotshots can tell the best way to strap or boom different loads. What to watch out for in snow and ice. Anything that you think might help someone else out in the future.



Let's hear it! Oo.





Justin H.

 

[klenger]

Don't tow on snow and ice with cruise control on. I almost lost it on Wolf Creek Pass.



http://www.klenger.net/photo_album/grand-canyon/slide15.html

 

[TowPro]

When towing a standard Travel Trailer, and a large truck is about to pass you, apply the trailer brakes by hand using the brake controler, just enough to feel the trailer drag, while keeping your foot on the fuel pedel, will just about stop any sway that is caused by the truck that is passing you. (5th wheels don't have this problem)



also another one I am sure we all DO



DO tow with mirrors that allow you to see around your trailer. I don't mean a 1"X3" piece of mirror just sticking out past the camper. You need as much mirror looking behind you as you would have if not towing.



I am supprised how many campers I come up behind and can't see the tow vehicials mirrors sticking out the side. How can they safely tow when they can't see what's behind them?

You can't change lanes, you can't even back up.

 

[RAPID RICK]

DON'T

Don't go through a drive thru that is only 9'6" high when your slide in is 10'6" tall. A friends wife did this. Didn't hit any thing but was real embaressed when she had to get out & ask 4 cars to back out so she could back out .

Rick

 

[Jff24Gordn]

Do tie stiff down so tight you cant find another place to put a strap or chain. I would much rather have 4 straps and 2 chains on a pickup than try to push it back on the trailer after flying off. i aint never lost anything and dont intend to.



So you strapped everything down, and you now have the loose end of the strap to get rid of. Look at your ratchet, the strap that is attached to it should have a few inches between where it goes through the ratchet to the stiching. Fold up the tag end of the strap and stick it in there before you tighten it down. now, the end of the strap is secure and cant go anywhere. Not every manafuacture of straps are nice enough to give you the space to do this.

 

[Texas Diesel]

DONT let your wife "help" you back up, :-{} and lost $'s will result.

My Aerolite is in the repair shop because she "helped" me

 

[roadranger]

Load the trailer properly for tongue weight (10-15% of load)

Better to err with too much on the nose than too much on the tail, wagging away.



Check trailer tire pressure DAILY.

Sure, it's a PITA, but so is a tire blowout that wrecks the side of the trailer.



Check the trailer lights DAILY.

Nobody behind you knows what you're going to do next if the lights don't work.

Nothing like having an 18 wheeler go right over the top of you as you stop to make a left turn.

At the very least, run the 4-way flashers to keep going at night if you have total light failure.



In snowy road conditions, turn the trailer brake controller DOWN in power.

The major cause of jacknifes is the trailer wheels locking up and the trailer then trying to pass the tow vechicle.

A sliding tire goes faster than a rolling one.



If you need to chain up in snowy conditions, DO put a set of drag chains on the rear most trailer axle with brakes on it. Cable type chains work nicely for this. Again, nothing like having your trailer pass you as you're trying to slow down/stop.



When swinging wide for right turns, DON'T leave enough room for anyone to come down your right side. Lots of idiots out there think nothing of passing a trailer on the right side.



When backing in a spot from off the road, ALWAYS try to do it turning from the drivers side. Even if you have to go around the block to get set up right, it's worth the trouble.



While backing in, when in doubt about what's back there, GET OUT of the driver's seat and take a look. The trailer you save may be your own!

Besides, you can use the exercise...



JMHO of driving trailers professionally and recreationally for 32 years.

 

[jnelson]

You can go down a hill too fast once - you can go down a hill too slow a whole bunch of times.

 

[wcjp]

I've learned when towing a vehicle on a trailer to use extra straps. When towing my Jeep it isn't usually a problem. When towing friends commuter vehicles with soft suspensions they tend to sway some. After strapping down the suspension to the trailer I use an additional two or three light duty straps. I attach them to the frame. Their only job is to eliminate sway and stop the suspension from cycling.

 

[Barry]

Cruise controls are wonderful things to have. They are however very INefficent while towing. If you are in rolling terrain, the cruise backs off going down hill(when you really need to let the rig gain a few mph) and then the CC floors the go pedal to go up the other side. No real driver would drive like that so why would you let an electronic box flogg your drive train and destroy your fuel economy.



Sometimes you can use the CC if the road is flat and long such as an interstate, but even then, watch your boost guage when the truck starts up an overpass... ... ... ... POW, it's pegged out!



Does my go foot get tired? Sure. But not as tired as my eyes and brain get watching my boost guage go from 0 to pegged every little hill I go up and down.

 

[John Berger]

Always cross your safety chains. That way if the trailer comes off the ball, it will lay in the chains as they stretch out.



If you have a galley tank (forward part of the trailer) always keep it half full. This helps to minimize sway (assumes everything else is correct)



Always put your tailgate down before coupling & de-coupling your 5'ver.



Don't back up to a trailer with moisture or diesel fuel on the bottom of your shoes. The words "Slippery when wet" are appropriate. It also gives new meaning to "slipping the clutch. "



Don't drive faster than you have to, even if you can.

 

[dpope]

What ever you do... DON'T FORGET THE BEER!!!!!

 

[otis]

Don't forget about the rear jacks being down before you pull away. I did and now I have the fun job of having to straighten them out

 

[John Berger]

Originally posted by otis

Don't forget about the rear jacks being down before you pull away. I did and now I have the fun job of having to straighten them out

Otis, as you probably already know, they never really straighten out again. They get wobbly when you jack them up or down too. I never experienced this, it's just what I've heard.

 

[jhurst]

Great info!



When straping down a load, put a twist in the strap on each side of the load to help keep the wind from whipping the straps... .





Justin H

 

[Briar Hopper]

Never leave the propane on for the sake of keeping your refrigerator running, when you are towing your RV trailer. Things tend to get pyrotechnic when you pull into a gas station. Fumes and all that.

No personal experience on the above, just heard it from friends that RV full-time.

Pulling a trailer in snow, if it kicks out on you, manually apply the trailer brakes while staying on the throttle, that will bring the trailer back in line quickly. Aside from that, if you're pulling a trailer in snow, you're either experienced, or crazy. The main problem is avoiding the other idiots while you have a trailer in tow.

 

[John Berger]

Originally posted by Briar Hopper

... The main problem is avoiding the other idiots while you have a trailer in tow.

That's what Hadley's are for.

 

[Jff24Gordn]

Originally posted by jhurst

Great info!



When straping down a load, put a twist in the strap on each side of the load to help keep the wind from whipping the straps... .





Justin H

I know that a twist in a chain lowers its breaking point. I assome the same is true for a strap. I just pull straps down tight enough that they dont shake (as tight as I can pull it. ) I tend to bend 3/8" chain hooks when I try that with a chain.

 

[jhurst]

I'm not for sure if that is true for straps or not, because most semis I see have a twist in the their straps and they use a cheater when they tighten 'em down.



Justin H

 

[Dean Upson]

I always check the jaws on my fiver hitch (you can paint them white or look in with a flashlight) and give it a gentle tug before the front jacks are up. Not a bad idea to padlock your fiver hitch so it can't be released by some jackass in a parking lot. I measure the distance to the ground from my trailer hitch when I un-hitch. This makes it easy to start off where you left off when you hook-up in the morning. If I plan to leave the campground early in the morning, I get everything I can done the evening before, even hook up if I can. This save time and is considerate to other campers.



Dean