Author : Jeremy Johnson
As you prepare to head out on the open road, you’ll probably do a good job of hooking up your RV or trailer correctly You’ll probably check and re-check everything to make sure it doesn’t fall apart on you Most people don’t realize the majority of towing accidents don’t result from improper hookups – they result from improper towing practices
How many of you have ever used, or even considered buying towing mirrors? If you’ve ever been behind the wheel of a bigger vehicle you know how crucial having the right mirrors, and setting them up properly Many people do this wrong
Your biggest priority is maximizing visibility If you’re driving a normal vehicle, you can always just turn your head and look over your shoulder to see the hazards around you Other than turning your head, you can always use your rear-view mirrors
If you’re pulling a huge 5th wheel, turning your head or simply glancing over your shoulder isn’t going to be sufficient You don’t have that advantage with a large vehicle Your side mirrors are your only option They have to be set correctly so they’ll do the most good
My personal preference is to set the left mirror to point directly back of the vehicle By setting it up that way, I ensure that the right side of that mirror view follows the left edge of the vehicle I’m driving and the trailer I’m towing That’s where most traffic I’m concerned with will be This mirror setting also gives me an early view of traffic coming from a long distance behind me
I like to make sure the right side mirror is set to show the right side of the trailer I also make sure to angle the mirror down so I have a decent view of the right curb when I’m parking There isn’t going to be as much traffic approaching from my right side (because I generally drive in the right lane) That’s why the curb view is my bigger concern for the right mirror
Understand my perspective on why the right curb view is so important to safety I need to get the vehicle as close to the curb as possible to get it as far from traffic as I can when I’m parking
You always have to be conscious of the combined length of your towing vehicle and your travel trailer You’re not a commercial truck driver (probably) so I’m going to give you a couple pointers on how you can turn safely The biggest thing to remember is what happens when you turn a long rig
The trailer doesn’t follow the exact path of the towing vehicle, it cuts straight across that path So when you’re making a right turn, don’t forget to take it a little wider so you’re giving your trailer plenty of room to clear the right-side curb
My last thought about driving safe and smart when you’re towing is to brake intelligently It’s pretty simple folks You need to leave yourself more room to stop when you’re pulling a heavy trailer behind your truck
I’d allow about twice as much space between your vehicle and the next one when you’re towing, and give yourself twice as much time to stop at lights and intersections
As always, common sense is the biggest factor in being safe Give yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going, and take it easy
Jeremy is a towing enthusiast who loves to accent his truck with the best hitch covers and helps people find the right trailer hitches for whatever vehicle they use to haul their toys around.
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