Preparing for Safer Travel Trailer Towing
As a new travel trailer owner, you've got to be excited for all the fun and adventure that await you on your first RV vacation. This enthusiasm is natural, but before actually purchasing your trailer, you'll need to step back and consider some of the important factors that can affect your towing experience. You've got to get your RV to the campsite in the first place, and the only way to do that safely is by carefully selecting your trailer, getting it and your tow vehicle equipped with all the necessary accessories, and packing it properly before you drive. With this guide from Carolina Coach & Marine, we'll explain all of these aspects in detail. Then, when you're ready to get your next travel trailer, come check out our selection at our dealership, where we proudly serve the areas of Charlotte and Winston-Salem, NC.
Selecting Your Travel Trailer
If you haven't already purchased your travel trailer, then now is a great opportunity to start thinking about what you'll be capable of towing. You probably don't want to purchase a new tow vehicle, which means that you'll need to figure out the maximum amount that yours can haul. Even small pickup trucks and some SUVs can tow a travel trailer, but all cars and trucks are assigned a gross combined weight rating (GCWR), which establishes the maximum amount of weight that can be supported by the vehicle's axle. That means the combined weight of everything in the car, as well as the total weight of the attached RV. With this in mind, you'll need to select a travel trailer that's much lighter than the GCWR, or else the weight on your tow vehicle might put the weight over its legal limit. This can be a little tricky, since new RVers might have some difficulty figuring out how much weight all the appliances and furnishings will add on. However, our sales team will be happy to help you out with these considerations, so don't hesitate to ask these kinds of questions when you're at our dealership.
Necessary Accessories
After you've purchased your trailer, there are a few accessories you'll need to make sure are set up on your travel trailer and tow vehicle. Visibility is important while towing, as you'll need to watch the back corner of your trailer during corners and turns, so have some extended mirrors placed on your tow vehicle to allow you to see your RVs profile. Also make sure that the brake lights and turn signals are functioning properly on the travel trailer. New models should already be equipped with these devices and an electrical system to connect them to your tow vehicle, but it's still important to check them before your trip. Finally, you'll need to have some sort of tire pressure monitoring system for your travel trailer's tires. This can be as simple as a cheap tire pressure gauge, but if you can get an automatic monitoring system, this will be even handier. These systems give you minute by minute updates on the condition of your tires, which can really come in handy when taking cross country trips.
Best Way to Pack
The last important part of preparing for an RV journey is packing. Towing a travel trailer for the first time is hard enough, so don't make life more difficult by loading it improperly. You'll need to put about 15-20% of the weight on the nose, because this will hold the hitch more firmly together, and it'll keep the tail of your trailer from swaying back and forth. Also, don't put too much weight on one side or the other. Instead, try to balance the amount you pack on each side, as this will create a much more balanced towing experience.
Towing a travel trailer can be difficult, but if you take the preparatory steps, you'll make the whole process much easier. So when you're ready to get on your way to your first RV vacation, come on into Carolina Coach & Marine to check out our selection. We serve customers from Lake Norman, Hickory, and Statesville, NC.