No matter what kind of “home” you have, that is, a trailer, its owner must perform a simple preliminary preparation before traveling. After all, like any type of vehicle during its forced downtime in the winter in the Parking lot, the trailer (no matter a year old or very used) can “pop up” outside unexpected “surprises”, or problems, breakdowns, etc.troubles.
Tips that the trailer owner should know about:
Spare wheel.
Always carry a spare wheel. We are not talking about your workhorse’s spare tire, but a spare wheel for a trailer trailer. If a puncture occurs on the road and you do not have a spare wheel on the trailer, then consider – all is lost. A serious headache Will be provided for you. You can count for luck if the breakdown occurs not far from the city or on a fairly busy highway. Well, what if it happens in a remote area? What will you do then? So dear travelers, be sure to check the availability of one tire for the car and one/two tires for the trailer itself.
It is also important not to forget about the safety rules. Make sure that the condition of the tire itself is normal, its tread must comply with technical regulations, it (they) should not have any cuts and cracks from old age.
Load adjustment.
When loading the trailer, try (never) to put the main weight in the back of it, this can destabilize the trailer and during the ride it will sway, thereby breaking the handling, and in high-speed turns it can just bring in and this will eventually lead to very sad consequences. You should always think about weight distribution, Husky weight distribution hitch is one of the best on the market. Choose only the best products for you!
Science physics and experienced drivers themselves advise the following: – try to distribute all the weight evenly, put the heaviest things as close to the floor as possible (thus you lower the center of gravity of the trailer itself), do it so that at least 10% of this load falls specifically on the hitch, this will be the best and optimal formula for loading the trailer.
Do not forget about the fastening belts. They will not allow kitchen utensils, things, etc. to roll on the floor of the motorhome, thereby causing damage to themselves and the interior of the trailer.
Checking tire pressure.
Check the pressure of all trailer wheels. Another important nuance that You should know about and without which (without checking it) do not even think to go on the road! This is the optimal pressure for your trailer (see the technical data sheet for what it should be), which improves fuel efficiency and increases the most important control on the road, it optimizes the handling of the trailer and control in the tractor-trailer bundle.
DO not exceed the maximum speed limit with a trailer! In addition, please note that in some foreign countries, the speed of movement with a trailer on public roads is regulated separately. Read in advance the traffic regulations of the countries where you are going to travel by car with a trailer.
The setting of the side mirrors.
Adjust the rear view mirror. External mirrors should be calibrated so that You can clearly see the trailing edges of the trailer on the left and right. In this case, you will get the maximum visibility for yourself and will be able to best control what is happening behind your back. Your changes in a car with a trailer will be safer, and the passage of sharp turns is much more confident. However, we will return to the last point in this article later.
Always keep in mind that you are driving a real road train. There should be no sudden maneuvers, no reckless behavior! All actions must be smooth, precise and deliberate.
An additional set of autotrailer mirrors will make your task easier. They will also give you an additional better overview of the curbs as well.
Reverse gear.
It’s time to get moving! But first we want to remind you that driving a car with a trailer implies certain nuances and difficulties that are associated with driving (with traffic) in reverse. Whether you drive into a gas station, Parking lot, or car camp it doesn’t matter, you may need the skill of driving back with a trailer everywhere.
Before you go on the road, be sure to check the operation of the brake mechanisms and preferably in a safe place. They should not be asked any questions. It will be especially important to do this simple procedure after “wintering”.
Did you think there was something wrong with the trailer brakes? We call the master to the Parking lot, let him check everything more thoroughly. We don’t skimp on security.
Driving on the highway.
In General, everything seems to be simple. We do not exceed the speed limit, do not make sudden maneuvers, and as we said above, do not brake with the “pedal to the floor”. Did your mobile Home start to rock while you were driving? Please don’t panic! Remove the right foot from the gas pedal and the trailer will stop rocking itself after a while. To slow down at this moment in any case it is IMPOSSIBLE!!!
Riding and moving around the mountains.
This type of auto tourism is usually preferred for experienced drivers. All this is compounded by the dimensions of the trailer in this tourism, namely, the larger they are, the more auto-skill you will need to drive through the mountains. We will try to devote a separate article to this section. It will include General and specific examples of driving (moving) in the mountains on cars and on cars with trailers, and of course on trucks.
