Learn how to tow a trailer?
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It is Friday afternoon and you have planned a woodworking project this weekend. As soon as you get home you are going to get the trailer and head over to the local home improvement store / hard wood lumber yard. But do you know what you are doing when you are dragging all that weight around behind you?
According to recent studies, if you are like most drivers who use their vehicles to tow, you don’t. You are putting yourself and everyone else on the road at risk.
In 2004, the last year complete figures were available; there were 65,000 trailer accidents that resulted in thousands of injuries and deaths. The most eye opening observation from the study was that most drivers who towed trailers did not know how to properly setup or handle a trailer. Most felt that they did not need to learn critical safety basics such as the proper way to distribute a load on a trailer and how to drive it. About three fourths of all drivers learned via trial and error!
How to properly set up to tow a trailer?
Do a walk around inspection of the trailer and the towing vehicle. Look at and inspect:
· Vehicle hitch
· Trailer attachment points
· Safety chains
· Operation of lights
· Brake controls
· Tires inflated
· Load distribution on the trailer
· Tarp covers
· Tie down straps
How much can I tow with my vehicle and trailer?
Check your vehicle and trailer’s owners manual for the recommended towing capacities. Most manufactures provide specs for recommended gross trailer weights (GTW) that should not be exceeded. Tongue weight should typically be 10% to 15% of GTW. For most home use trailers you can use a bathroom scale to measure the tongue weight.
Loads should be evenly distributed from side to side and about 60% of the total weight should be forward of the axel. Use tie down straps to secure the load and prevent it from shifting or flying off.
Backing up a trailer is a pain in the rear to do. It takes a fair amount of practice to get it down. Assign a helper to help guide and watch out for obstacles.
Tip: Put one hand at the bottom of the wheel and move your hand in the direction that you want the trailer to turn.
Resources
National Association of Trailer Manufactures has a great search feature on their site.
Boat US and Recreational vehicle industry keeps up to date on trailer news, safety, security, and critical issues.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a comprehensive trailer towing guide.
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I read your article on trailer safety.
PLEASE GO TO MY WEB SITE FOR MORE.
What happens when a MANUFACTURED product is
produced in violation of FMVSS108. These utility trailers more often have non-working tailights
and the gate blocks the working tailights on the car or truck pulling it. HOW CAN IT BE YOUR FALUT IF YOU CAN’T SEE THE LIGHTS. In addition they also come unhiched and kill over 400 people a year. Why does the Federal Government and the Inusrance industry ignore this problem? Why paint the trailer black????? How can you see it if the lights do not work. In my state we are the only state to require REFLECTOR TAPE ON THE BACK BUT THE INDUSTRY TRIED TO KILL MY LAW.
Dear Political Leaders and our Government:
Do you still think we do not have a problem here???
What is it going to take for you to make a difference??????
http://www.click2houston.com/news/10291211/detail.html
Go to this link and click the video….. Our House of Delegates
including Delegate
Pollard think that voting 98-to zero to kill my law will do the trick.
IF A JET ENGINE FELL OUT OF THE SKY ONCE A DAY WOULD THE GOVERNMENT
DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT??
Then why do we accept this types of problems??? It happens at least
once a day in this country.
Ron J. Melancon
Please go to my web site http://www.dangeroustrailers.com. For more on this problem.
Please see my video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN_FZGSHukE
Help!! We have a problem here and I want to make a difference
Dear Concerned:
Please take a moment to view my video tape. You may open using any media player.
Web site http://www.dangeroustrailers.com
As you view the video please ask yourselves these questions.
If a JET ENGINE FELL OFF A PLANE AND KILLED PEOPLE ONCE A DAY WHAT WOULD THE GOVERNMENT DO? Then why
does these utility tralers keep comming unhiched?
Why are they painted black?
Why are they made so poorly that the lights do not work?
Why don’t they get inspected.
Why do we allow at least a failure rate of 50 percent?
Why does the industry choose to fight my law that requires the customer to spend
20 dollars to make a BLACK TRAILER VISIABLE AT DUSK AND NIGHT.
Why do they come unhiched and kill over 400 people a year?
Why don’t we require a class to learn how to tow before a person can buy one?
Why are companies in Virginia stll selling these trailers to the consumer in violation of state law?
I could keep going on and on.
Why?… (more) (less)