Any Tips for first time towing a travel trailer

[Tbeuler]

Hey everyone!! I will be picking up my very first TT on saturday and I was looking for some veteran advice from the pros on towing the TT. I have limited experience with towing anything. With all the great advice on my first thread I figured everyone could give me there own tips from just driving down the road to the dreaded backing up of a TT. Give me the goods please! LOL

Thanks

[RightYouAreKen]

I'm by no means a towing master and only have about 3500 miles under my belt towing a tt, but here are a few thoughts.

- take turns wide . You can often watch in your mirrors to watch the curb side wheels and ensure clearance.
- allow plenty of distance in front of you to stop. It's going to be frustrating as people swoop in front of you on the freeway because you're leaving so much space, but you've got more weight to stop now.
- be aware your tt is likely wider than your tow vehicle so be sure not to cut it too close to objects on the side of the road.
- when backing I find the easiest way for me to remember which way to turn the wheel is to put your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and move it in the direction you want the trailer to go. Move left to make the trailer go left etc.

Best advice is to just drive and practice. It won't be long till you start feeling comfortable. Good luck!

[Jason Biddle]

Make sure the windows and doors are shut and locked...check the hitch lock pin and the ball lock pin twice....yes I said twice....hook up the safety chains and e-brake line. make sure the hitch is at the right level before you move it and the tire pressure is what the manual calls for not the max on the tires. Check all your lights before you leave and the spare has the correct tire pressure as well. Tell your backup guide to give you the hand signal directions to move the trailer..... not the truck and always be aware of the highest point on the TT when you are towing it....Many AC units end up on the road and not the roof because people forget they are up there! Make sure you do not overload the camper with the weight of additional gear and that things inside are secure. Oh and if you are using sway control bars make sure someone shows you how to set the level properly. Make wide turns and leave early so you do not rush! Have a great safe travel!

[Boss Wagon]

Watch your mirrors and drive with more attention. Remember to allow extra distance between other vehicles and anticipate slowing or stopping traffic by looking further ahead. Drive like you have a full cup of hot coffee on the dash in front of you with no cup holder. Smooth and steady.

Remember every traffic light while towing will turn yellow as you approach. Be prepared for the idiots who will dive in front of you then slam on the brakes to make a right turn.

Keep your hands on the wheel in the 3 and 9 o'clock positions or lower. Don't try to correct for sway. If you're holding the wheel straight and you feel sway, you'll still be going straight. Try to correct for it and you either be in deep voodoo or feel like you are. If you old school it like Richard Petty and have that hand in the 12 or 1 o'clock position you can easily overcorrect and upset the whole apple cart.

Using your side view mirror you can sight down the side of the unit to determine your proper position on the roadway. If the left side is where it is supposed to be the right side will be too.

Don't brake in the curve. Brake prior to the curve if necessary and accelarate through to plant the front wheels of the tow vehicle.

When backing I still use the old rule of placing my hand at the bottom of the wheel and pushing the wheel in the direction I want the trailer to go. Try to make the cut on the driver's side for better visibility. Again if the left side is where it should be the right will be where it needs to be.

Practice with your helper in watching out for you while backing. My helpers always try to find the one or two spots where I can't see them or they typically watch the side I can see. It takes time to train them I guess.

It never fails, if you make the first cut backing perfectly, you have it made. If you don't you'll be aware of the audience in the campground and you'll start breaking out in those little beeds of sweat!

[tinlizzie23]

All the above advice is excellent. I have two other things I have learned over the years.

One is that if you are going along a fairly straight road and the trailer starts to sway, you can sometimes straighten it out by briefly gunning your engine, assuming that you have the room ahead. That usually will pull the trailer out of its sway. Hitting the brakes in that situation, however, will usually amplify the sway, and make it worse.

Secondly, if an animal, such as a deer, suddenly runs out in front of you, it is much better to remain straight and hit the deer than to swerve to avoid it and end up jacknifing and in the ditch or overturned.

[bigbird]

You know your in friendly territory at the campground. Others will always help you if you have trouble. Maybe some might jump in to fast to assist but remember they have good intentions and just want to help. We've all been there.

[Tbeuler]

Thanks everyone for your great advice I am taking it all in!!

[SmokerBill]

Practice using the braking lever on your trailer brake controller. It comes in handy if your trailer starts to sway or fishtail. And if you do have trailer instability problems (a lot of back and forth sway or a bouncing feeling) the tongue weight may be too light or too heavy. On a travel trailer it should be 10-15% of the total weight of the loaded trailer.

Mainly, just take it easy when you start out. Go only as fast as you feel comfortable, and don't go too fast when you get the hang of it. I usually keep it to 60 mph, even on busy interstates. Sometimes I'll go 65 if the road is in great shape and there's little traffic, but that's the exception. And often I'll go 55 because slower speeds really help with fuel economy. Whatever the speed limit is, I usually go slower.

Oh yeah, make sure your steps are tucked back into place when driving. I've left mine out a couple of times, once on a very congested multi laned (with narrow lanes) interstate. Man, that was tense!

[owenssailor]

For backing up we have started using small handheld 2 way radios. Makes instructions much clearer than handsignals.

[bayleightucker]

Don't wait until you are at a campground to learn to back up your tt. Find a large parking lot near you, and practice there. Practice pulling by a spot and then backing into it.Learn to do the swoop, pull up to your spot and as your tt is parallel to the spot swing your tv out at a 45 degree angle. This will angle the tt toward the parking spot reducing the amount of jackknifing you will have to do. Most important, back SLOWLY, it is far easier to correct while backing slowly. Remember, nobody backs it in perfectly every time, so relax all will be fine............happy camping!!!

[CruizinKim]

**Do your best to make sure you pick a gas station or restaurant with a large lot so entering, parking, and exiting is smooth. Make sure you always park as if you're ready to leave that way no one will block you in and will lessen your chances of having to back up and wiggle out of the situation. I learned that from both scenarios and my hubby had to take over for me in McDonald's lot but made me get out of the gas station lot on my own. I succeeded!
**Don't allow yourself to feel panicked or rushed. You'll just make the situation worse.
**When turning left, where there are two turning lanes, make sure that you are in the outside lane so you have room to make that extra swoop without being overcrowded.
**If it's any consolation, I am of the female variety and drove our TT for the first time only 9 months ago and I insist on driving all the time, which my hubby loves! I am still working on backing up and getting wheels on leveling boards, but I insist on trying every time and if I need help, then I'm never afraid to ask.

[Rustic Eagle]

Remember that when you depart the RV dealership on Saturday with your new TT that the WDH was adjusted under "unloaded" conditions. Your TV/TT combination under "loaded" conditions (ready to camp) will require that the WDH be checked and possibly re-adjusted.

Having a properly adjusted WDH under TV/TT "loaded" conditions will enhance your TV's handling of all the great advice given in this thread.

[wkc22fb]

WOW, great advice from JOF members. I even picked up a few tips. One single item that's helped me the most are side mirror extensions! 2-way radios are a good idea as well!

[mcfarmall]

All the above posts are very good advice. Heres another bit of advice. Do not EVER let yourself become rushed or hurried because of a vehicle waiting to get past on the CG road when you are hooking up or dropping off. They can wait. You have sunk a lot of your hard earned cash into your rig and to damage or break something while making haste is foolishness.

By the same token, be PATIENT when you are the guy on the CG road waiting for someone to back in, hook up or drop off. Camping is time to chill out and relax. Shut off your engine and talk about tonights Dutch Oven meal or how good it's going to feel taking that dip in Lake Michigan.

Tune out all the distractions and focus on your task at hand when driving & maneuvering and you'll do fine.

[tinlizzie23]

Originally Posted by mcfarmall

All the above posts are very good advice. Heres another bit of advice. Do not EVER let yourself become rushed or hurried because of a vehicle waiting to get past on the CG road when you are hooking up or dropping off. They can wait. You have sunk a lot of your hard earned cash into your rig and to damage or break something while making haste is foolishness.

By the same token, be PATIENT when you are the guy on the CG road waiting for someone to back in, hook up or drop off. Camping is time to chill out and relax. Shut off your engine and talk about tonights Dutch Oven meal or how good it's going to feel taking that dip in Lake Michigan.

Tune out all the distractions and focus on your task at hand when driving & maneuvering and you'll do fine.

You nailed it, mcfarmall ! And the vast majority of fellow campers WILL be patient and even helpful. I once got into a back-in situation where the combination of my crew cab long bed truck (22 ft) and a large tree just wouldn't let me put the 5er where it needed to be. Had to jockey several times because the tree was right in the only place that it could cause a problem. A fellow camper waiting to go by waited patiently for a few minutes, then got out and asked if he could help, maybe as a spotter. That's the kind of spirit we all should have.

[Seann45]

Find an empty parking lot and PRACTICE in it make turns and see how your trailer behaves.. practice backing up and as stated before put your hand at the bottom of the wheel and if you want to go left turn your hand to the left... when backing small turns of the wheel make a big difference. A stadium parking lot mid week is best for practice...

[Jagiven]

There has been a lot of good advise! I would recommend purchasing a good set of auxiliary mirrors. Being able to see is a wonderful experience. I also move my TV power mirrors so I can see the road lines at the front of the TT, so I know if I am wondering as I drive down the road.

In my option before backing into a campsite. Pull up to the site, park in the roadway, get out with our significant other, and walk through the site, talk about where you want the TT, look at obstacles and so forth. Then to back in is like a game of chess. Think about where you want the TT to track, as you back in. The one thing I had an issue with at first was pulling far enough forwards, before starting. So I would rub my heal in the gravel road and tell my DW to tell me when the rear of the TT was past that mark.

One more tip for backing in, I have the rule with the DW and kid. If you cannot see me in a mirror I cannot see you. I will stop backing up if they disappear for more than a few moments, as I really do not want to back over them if they would trip and fall.

I guess one more tip; discuss what you are going to use for hand signals, and be willing to change them up, after a few trips, as the driver may find them hard to see in the mirror.

Take your time drive slow, and think ahead.

[Ranger431]

Can't over emphasise what was stated above enough:

Be patient - haste makes waste, and damage.

Small corrections - sudden moves (as in the deer example before this) are not good while towing.

Practice backing up - to include looking up and down. Your TT is taller than your car, so trees and branches can cause issues that you normally wouldn't even thing of in a car. The same is true regarding the slope of the ground. It doesn't take much of a hill to grab your back bumper.

Mirrors - if your TV doesn't have towing mirrors, buy some. They make a huge difference. On my last TV I used McKesh mirrors and they worked great. The Excursion has good towing mirrors, so I sold the McKesh's.

Pay it back - once you've learned to back into a camp spot, keep your eyes open for people that need help, and politely offer your assistance. That's what makes our camping community great. But you also know how to spot the people that don't want help (and try to look and grin without being noticed ).

have fun!

[bigbird]

This is our second year towing our trailer so still fairlyl new at it. I've pulled boats and a small utility trailers for 30 years and backing in was a sinch. I never used the mirrors because i could always see which way the boat or trailer was turning by looking back through the rear window and not using the mirrors. I found out real fast that i'd have to start using the mirrors for the trailer because i couldn't see which way it was turning buy just looking through the rear window. Had no idea which way the rear end was going. I like the method as mentioned above where putting your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and turning in the direction that you want the rear end (trailer) to go.

[drfife]

You'll be fine. Just try not to hit anything. Everyone here has been in your shoes. Don't worry.