Congratulations on your new Good Trailer! You’re almost ready for new adventures. Haul equipment for a weekend project. Take your recreational toys on a road trip.
No matter how you’re using it, learning how to hook up your trailer properly is the first step to a safe and successful journey. This blog post will help you with that, but don’t forget to consult your Good Trailer owners’ manual as well.
Table of Contents
Vehicle
First thing’s first. You need to know your vehicle is safe for towing! You also need to make sure you have the proper equipment for towing a trailer.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Trailer Hitch Receiver
- Wiring Harness
- Hitch Ball
The trailer itself has a coupler that you’ll be using to hook up the trailer.
Before using any towing vehicle, you also need to be sure your trailer can handle the weight. Determine what your vehicle can handle using the following information.
- Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) – The total weight of the trailer and its cargo.
- Tongue Weight – The downward force the trailer’s coupler exists on the hitch ball. This is usually 10-15% of the GTW.
- Hitch Rating – The hitch receiver itself has a weight rating. This rating must be greater than or equal to the GTW.
- VIN Plate – These weights are often listed on the VIN sticker or plate on both the vehicle and the trailer. Of course, we offer specs for each of our trailers here on our website as well.
Hydraulic Drop Deck
Remember your Good Trailer is unique. It’s equipped with a hydraulic drop deck system.
Make sure you use your remote control to raise the trailer all the way up before you start the hitching process. You can’t hitch the trailer while it’s sitting on the ground.
Make sure both the front and back of the trailer are fully used and in place.
Folding Tow Bar
Your Good Trailer is also equipped with a unique foldable tow bar. Make sure the tow bar is fully unfolded and all the pins and locks are securely fastened before you attempt to hook up the vehicle.
Your Support
You should usually try to have at least one other person helping you with trailer hookups.
They need to watch you and guide you as you back up the trailer, telling you when to stop, adjust, or re-center. It’s almost impossible to see the trailer ball and coupler from the rear view or side mirrors. Having help is one of the safest ways to get the job done.
If you don’t have a friend a rear camera can help, if your vehicle is equipped with one.
Adjust
Start by making sure the vehicle and the trailer are roughly aligned. The vehicle should be a few feet in front of the trailer. This makes backing up in a straight line much easier. The spotter’s role is to guide the driver until the hitch ball is directly under the trailer’s coupler.
Once the trailer coupler and hitch ball are aligned, you wills top and use the trailer’s tongue jack to adjust the coupler’s height. You want to raise the coupler high enough to clear the hitch ball. You want to make sure the coupler will clear the ball. Make sure the trailer coupler latch is unlocked.
Then, slowly finish backing the truck into place. Lower the coupler until it fits snugly over the ball.
Then, lock the coupler latch back into place. You should hear a click. Insert and secure the latch pin. The latch pin prevents the latch from accidentally disengaging.
Once locked, try to lift the trailer’s tongue using the jack. The back of the vehicle should lift with the trailer. This confirms the coupler is securely attached to the ball. Then, raise the tongue jack completely and secure it in the raised position.
Hook Up
Plug the brakes into the electrical harness. This connection powers the trailer’s brake lights, turn signals, and running lights—all legally required for safe towing!
Then, attach the breakaway brakes. The breakaway cable is a safety device that activates the trailer’s brakes if it ever separates from the tow vehicle. Hook it to a secure point on your vehicle, such as a frame loop. Do not attach the breakaway cable to the hitch ball itself. This ensures the brakes will activate even if the hitch fails.
Attach the safety chains (cross them so they make an X). Doing so creates a cradle that can catch the trailer’s tongue if the coupler ever fails. It also prevents the tongue from hitting the ground. If the tongue hits the ground the trailer can flip, and we don’t want that!
Final Checklist
Before you start your tow, ensure:
- The coupler is secure on the ball.
- The coupler latch is locked and pinned.
- Safety chains are crossed and attached.
- The breakaway cable is attached to a secure point on the vehicle (not the hitch ball).
- The electrical harness is plugged in and working (check all lights: brakes, turn signals, and running lights).
- The tongue jack is raised and secured.
- All cargo is properly loaded and secured, and the trailer’s ramp is lifted and locked into place.
Driving with the Trailer
Driving with the trailer takes a little bit of adjustment.
For example, when you’re backing up with a trailer in tow, moving the steering wheel to the right makes the trailer move to the left, and vice versa. This a common point of confusion for new towers.
Practice in an empty parking lot to get a feel for how the trailer responds to your steering inputs.
Additional Help
The team at GoodMFG® is always happy to help if you have any questions about how to use your Good Trailer. Don’t hesitate to contact our team if you have any questions!
See also:
Troubleshooting Your Good Trailer
