RV Towing Safety Tips

Traveling with a towable camper gives you access to a comfortable place to sleep and eat that isn’t too cumbersome or difficult to drive. However, you do need to exercise care whenever you’re towing any kind of trailer, including a camper. Towable RVs present some challenges when driving that require some adjustments on your part, as well as heightened vigilance in order to keep yourself and other motorists safe. Check out these safety tips to tow your RV with confidence.

1. Be Prepared

You’ll want to check over both your trailer and towing vehicle to make sure both are in good shape before your trip. Inspect the interior and exterior of both vehicles and make sure that you fix anything that needs to be fixed. One crucial thing to check is the pressure and condition of every single tire: the tires on your trailer and towing vehicle maintain constant contact with the road, so they can show signs of wear quickly.

Also, take the time to make a checklist of all the supplies you’ll need to pack, including emergency gear, including some tools to help you make repairs on the road as needed.

2. Put in Some Practice

If you’re brand-new to trailer towing, it can be helpful to hitch up your empty trailer to your towing vehicle and take the whole setup to an empty parking lot. Practice driving around the lot, turning, reversing and braking with your trailer. Set up traffic cones and try to reverse the trailer precisely between them to mimic parking at a campsite. Take the setup onto city streets as you gain confidence, then try driving a few miles on the highway so you can learn to navigate exits. Your first journey will be much easier to complete if you’ve already built up some skills!

3. Know Your Limits

Both your trailer and towing vehicle will have weight limits in their owner’s manuals that you should never exceed. You can check the weight of your trailer as well as the truck at a local weigh station on the highway. Overloading the trailer or truck can result in a breakdown, a tire blowout or even a hitch detachment, all of which are serious issues at highway speeds.

4. Avoid Distractions

Finally, make sure that you have no distractions when you’re driving and towing your RV. Put your phone on silent, set the temperature and radio to whatever you want them to be before you start moving, and make sure you’re well-fed and well-rested and ready to go.

When you’re prepared to start shopping for a new camper, come to our Richland, WA, dealership location to view our current inventory of new and used RVs for sale, including towable models. Horn Rapids RV proudly serves the city of Kennewick, WA.