Today in Part 2 of my series on Tow Cars and Towables, I give some general tips for using a trailer and begin my tips for towing a car behind your motorhome. If you haven’t begun towing a car yet, trust me when I say that once you give it a try, you’ll be glad you did!
Here are general tips for using a trailer:
- Check the air pressure in your spare tires.
- Use a checklist before driving away from home or a campsite.
- Do a last walk around the rig, looking under and over for missed details.
- Torque the lug nuts on the wheels.
- Check turn signals and brake, four-way, backup, and running lights every time you hook up the trailer to your vehicle.
- When driving, keep a safe distance behind the vehicle in front. If you can read the license plate of the vehicle in front of you, you are too close.
- Keep to the right when being passed by trucks.
- Don’t drive in the blind spot of trucks.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Keep your CB radio and cell phone in good working order. Pay attention to weather conditions.
- Take a break every 100 miles or two hours to keep alert and get circulation.
| Be safe, be courteous, be patient, be calm, be friendly, and enjoy! – William Bucher, Biglerville, PA |
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| Put white lithium grease on the trailer ball. It helps stop squeaking and rust and is a good ground for the wiring. – Richard Hayden, Leonardtown, MD | |
Towing a Car
- Be sure your tow car is attached safely. While parked on a level place, measure to make sure that the center of the ball on the motorhome hitch is about an inch and a half higher than the pivotal point on the tow bar attached to the car. This keeps the car from pole vaulting into the motorhome during a sudden stop.
- If you want to be independent and not inconvenience others when caravanning, tow a car yourself.
- When towing a car, allow 100 feet or more for braking because you have two vehicles to stop instead of one. Towing a car also affects how closely you should follow another vehicle.
Next week I’ll conclude the series with some final tips to use when towing a car.
Bernice Beard