Trailering Tips
By Mark Sak
Have you ever had one of those bad experiences pulling the ATV to deer camp in which you almost lost it on I-75? Does your vehicle drive differently the instant you hook something on the back? Most do. There is certainly a lot more to trailering your boat, trailer, or RV than just hooking up the lights a driving away. Here are a few problems to look out for and a few suggestions on making your next trip safer and more pleasant.
Being a professional walleye angler, I traveled over 30,000 miles last summer alone to tournaments all over the Midwest. Staying for a week at a time meant I had to drag a lot of things with me to these events. Tool boxes, spare batteries, coolers packed with crawlers add up to hundreds of extra pounds. In the early days you probably wouldn’t have wanted to be driving behind me as I often “wagged the dog” all the way to the U.P. I began to take a serious look at how to improve the way my vehicle tows. Not only is this much safer but also leaves the driver more rested after the trip is finished due to the fact I was no longer white knuckling through heavy traffic.
The first important thing that needs attention is the overall condition of the trailer. Is it designed for high speeds and is it designed to haul the load that will be put upon it? We have all witnessed trailers severely overloaded that are now sitting on the shoulder of I-75 because the axle broke. When you consider the problems associated with dealing with a broken down trailer in the U.P. when you reside in Detroit, wouldn’t it be easier to add some equipment to make the trailering experience trouble free? Most would gladly spend the money. If you have a trailer that doesn’t tow well or own an undersized vehicle to pull a big load, here are a few things to consider.
Hitches are designed by weight standards. Class I hitches are designed for very light use. Less than 200 pounds tongue weight. Class II hitches are designed for a tongue weight of 300 pounds or less and 3000 pounds total trailer weight. Class III hitches are heavy duty and designed for 500 pounds tongue weight and 10,000 total trailer weight. With a weight distributing system, a class III hitch can be increased up to 1200 pounds tongue weight. Weight distributing systems such as equalizing hitches can do wonders for the integrity of the vehicle and trailer. They can be used on trailers with braking systems when applied correctly. Sway control bars however, are not recommended for vehicles that will pull trailers with surge brake systems on them. They do not provide enough room for the trailer tongue to surge and brake properly.
I have learned through the years one of the most important things one can do is taking the time to load the trailer and vehicle correctly. Never overload the back of the tow vehicle or the front of the trailer. This takes some extra time but makes the trip much more enjoyable. I also use an Air-Lift system on my vehicle. This is an air ride system in which the air pressure is controlled from inside the vehicle. I can adjust air pressure depending on the load. It does not negatively effect the ride or suspension of the vehicle like adding a leaf spring does and is very reasonably priced. It is bolted on the frame of the vehicle and for me, makes a tremendous difference in my trailering. I make sure my load is packed correctly, meaning the majority of the weight is placed over the axles of my truck and boat.
Braking systems are also an extremely important aspect of all trailering systems. I have dual surge brakes on my Trailmaster trailer. The new antilock brake systems on vehicles are greatly affected when pulling trailers in the rain. Pulling a trailer even with a light load on wet roads may engage the antilock system when the driver least expects it. Many folks will tell you a good trailer braking system will actually stop a vehicle better than it stops itself under normal conditions. If the trailer is equipped with only one brake on one side of the trailer as many are, expect it to pull to one side when brakes are applied.
Taking the time to equip the vehicle and trailer correctly will provide a great deal of trouble free performance on today’s congested highways and make the trailering experience much more enjoyable. The best way to make sure your equipment is right for the job, contact your local RV service center. They don’t usually charge to take a look at your set up and will often have parts on-hand to up grade your vehicle and trailer. For more info on an Air-Lift system call 1-800-248-0892.
