Towing a trailer safely takes extra time, care, and attention.
Of course, at GoodMFG®, we innovate with safety in mind: every feature, from our hydraulic drop deck to our folding tow bar, is designed to reduce the chances that our trailers will ever cause an injury.
But no amount of innovation will ever remove all the risks associated with the road.
We hope never to hear that any of our trailers has ever been associated with a tragedy, or any of our customers. In that spirit, we provide these tips for handling our Good Trailers safely while you drive.
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Inspect & Test
Good Trailer safety begins before you ever leave your parking lot or driveway.
You may be used to jumping in your car without giving it a second glance, but trailers add a brand new layer of complexity to the drive. It is imperative to inspect your trailer before every trip. You may even want to inspect your trailer several times during longer trips.
At a minimum you should check the following:
- Is the trailer coupling secure?
- Are the safety chains securely fastened to the frame of the tow vehicle?
- Are the safety chains crossed beneath the hitch and coupler with sufficient slack to permit turning?
- Are the safety chains spring-loaded safety latches fully engaged?
- Are the tires in good condition?
- Do the signal and brake lights still work?
- Are the lug nuts tight?
- Is your cargo secure?
- Is there sufficient pressure in your tires?
You should also test your breakaway brake system at least once before you hit the road. The breakaway brake system engages if the coupler or the hitch fails. The safety chains are meant to keep the trailer attached while the electric brakes are engaged.
The system includes:
- A solar battery
- A switch with a pull pin
- A lanyard
To test the system, remove the pull pin from the switch and attempt to pull the trailer forward. The trailer should resist being towed. The wheels won’t necessarily be locked, but towing the trailer should be much harder.
Never tow the trailer if the breakaway brake system isn’t functioning properly!
If you’ve verified the breakaway brakes are functioning, you can replace the pull pin in the switch and hit the road.
Never tow the trailer with the breakaway break system on. The brakes will overheat, which may result in permanent brake failure.
Practice
If you’re already comfortable with trailer towing basics, you can skip this section. But if trailer towing is brand new to you, we want to encourage you to take a little practice time before hitting the highways.
There’s no shame in taking a trailer out to a big, empty parking lot so you can get used to what acceleration, maneuverability, and braking all feel like. Expect to encounter these differences:
- Slow acceleration
- Wider turn radiuses
- Longer stops
Every trailer and tow-vehicle combination feels a little different, so even experienced drivers may want to take a moment to drive on a low-traffic street before trying tougher maneuvers.
A thorough test will involve the following steps.
- Adjust all of your mirrors so you can see both the trailer and the area behind the trailer.
- Start by accelerating to 5 mph.
- Turn the wheel to feel how the tow vehicle and trailer combination respond.
- Stop the tow vehicle and trailer a few times from speeds below 10 mph.
- Try using different combinations of the trailer brakes and the tow vehicle brakes. Note the effect the trailer brakes have when they are the only brakes used. When properly adjusted, the trailer brakes should adjust just before the tow vehicle brakes.
- Practice backing up the tow vehicle with the trailer attached. Remember: you should always exit your vehicle and inspect the trailer to ensure there are no unseen obstacles before attempting a backing maneuver.
Watch Your Load
Overloaded trailers, and loads with improper tie-downs, are leading causes of trailer-related accidents.
Check your VIN label for two pieces of information.
- Your trailer’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) tells you the maximum weight your trailer can handle. This includes both your trailer weight and your load weight. If you don’t know the weight, you can use any commercial scale to find out.
- Your trailer’s Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) tells you how much load any given axle can handle.
Once you’ve verified you’re not carrying too much weight, you can begin considering how to load the trailer.
As a rule of thumb, you should mentally divide your trailer’s cargo bed into three roughly equal lengthwise sections: front third, middle third, and rear third.
- Place 60% of the weight at the front third, but avoid making it the exclusive location of your heaviest items. Distribute the weight.
- Place the very heaviest items at the middle third, directly or slightly forward of the axle, so long as you don’t exceed your GAWR.
- Add the remaining weight, 40% or less, to the rear of the trailer.
Once you’ve positioned your load, tie it down. Our E-Track or D-Ring add-on packages are a great way to make sure you always have an easy, safe way to secure any load.
Slow Down
It goes without saying that you shouldn’t be speeding, but meeting the speed limit isn’t enough for safety when you’re towing a trailer.
Plan on going at least 10 miles below the speed limit in good conditions. In wet or icy conditions, consider traveling at 15-20 miles below the speed limit, if not slower.
Approaching a hill? Don’t go full throttle unless you want to kill your gas mileage. Instead, build speed slowly on approach, then throttle to maintain momentum.
Bumps in the road? Slow down!
When in doubt, in almost any other situation you can think of, slowing down can make a difference, though you often want to slow by easing off the accelerator rather than by braking (see below).
Leave plenty of time to get to your destination so you don’t get frustrated. Pulling a trailer should be a smooth, leisurely experience (even if you’re using it for work).
Steer Less
Oversteering can be a real problem when you’re driving a trailer. Your tow vehicle will be far more sensitive to steering inputs than you’re used to. Windy conditions and larger vehicles can push your vehicle around.
If your trailer starts to “sway,” you’re steering too much! Try to steer only as much as you need to stay in your lane.
You can’t steer out of a sway if it happens. Engage the trailer brakes (not your vehicle’s brakes) to straighten out the sway.
Watch Mirrors
Your vehicle is now much longer than it used to be. That means you should spend a lot more time making sure you’re aware of who and what’s around your trailer.
If your car has automated blind spot detectors or other technological aids, be aware that they may not help you while towing your vehicle. These systems are not equipped to know when a tow vehicle is attached, and will not account for your Good Trailer.
Signal Earlier
Give cars around you plenty of time to understand that you’d like to change lanes. This gives them time to adjust and make room for you.
Be absolutely certain your blind spot is clear before pulling smoothly into the lane.
If possible, find the lane you need to be in early, and stay in that lane throughout the trip, even if that means acclimating to slower traffic on the trip. Reducing the number of maneuvers you’ll need to make can increase your safety, especially if you’re an inexperienced trailer driver.
Know Your Clearance
If you’re a commercial driver you’re probably not used to paying much attention to clearance. Now bridges, fast food lanes, and other obstacles can become an issue.
Remain conscious of your trailer height at all times, and pay attention to clearance signs! When in doubt, take another route.
Leave More Carlengths
Remember, you’ll take more time to stop than you ever have in the past. You’ll need more distance to skid to a halt.
Most people follow too closely, but now is the time to remember the lectures you received from your high school driving instructor. When you’re driving an unaltered vehicle, you should leave 1 car length per 10 mph.
When you’re towing a trailer you should double that. Which means if you’re going 60 mph, you should leave 12 car lengths between you and the vehicle ahead, if at all possible. If it’s not possible to leave sufficient distance, it’s a good idea to slow down until you can.
Adjust Braking
You may be surprised to learn the brakes aren’t always the right choice for slowing your vehicle when you’re towing.
Coasting down a hill? You may be used to riding the brakes a little to reduce speed. If you try that with a trailer, you’ll overheat your brakes and they’ll stop working. Slow down well before you reach the hill so you can maintain appropriate speeds.
If you’re on a curve, you should slow down well before you enter the curve, then apply power through the rest of the curve. This helps ensure your vehicle maintains control of the trailer.
Trailer swaying? Brakes won’t solve that problem either. You might be surprised to learn slight acceleration does a better job of stopping this problem.
Questions?
We don’t stop caring about you the minute you purchase a trailer from us. If you’re not sure how to handle a problem on the road, need guidance on how to use the trailer system, or need additional help, you can always contact our office at (360) 889-9789.
Our trailer experts are always willing to provide you with advice, guidance, and reassurance so you can make the most of your Good Trailer purchase.
Enjoy the road!
See also:
5 Signs Your Trailer Needs Repair
