How To Pull A Trailer

Pulling a trailer, whether it is large or small, requires a regular review of the equipment, including the hitch and signals, as well as some extra safety and clearance precautions to ensure a secure drive.

Pulling a trailer with a truck or other vehicle does not require you to drive extra slow, but it does require extra stopping room, given the added weight of the trailer. It also requires forethought when changing lanes, making turns, and backing up. In general, you should be aware of where you are driving with a trailer, and avoid a situation where you might be stuck or have to back up a long way.

Pretrip Check

Before you hit the road with your trailer haul, you need to make sure the trailer is safely connected to the hitch, and the brake lights and signals are working properly. First check the hitch. For a regular ball hitch, make sure the tongue on the trailer is properly attached to the vehicle hitch, with the locking mechanism snapped and lock pin in place. A trailer connection to a vehicle should also have two chains, criss-crossing in an X shape, between the vehicle and the trailer.

When making sure the trailer is properly connected to the hitch, check by pulling up on the trailer to try to pull it off the hitch, which you should not be able to do. If you can pull the hitch off, it must be reattached. You should also check the clearance of the connection, and make sure any wheel or stand for the trailer is in the up or drive position.

Next, you are ready to check the brake lights and signals. Connect the electrical wires from the trailer to the vehicle. If no one is available to tell you whether the lights work when you apply the brakes, you might try using the reflection of another vehicle, window, or other reflective surface, or you can check in the dark, when you will be able to tell if the trailer lights are illuminated.

It is very important that the brake lights are working when towing a trailer. Otherwise, motorists are unable to tell when you are slowing (and in the dark, they won't be able to see you at all), and the odds of an accident are greatly increased.

If the trailer and hitch connection is good, and the trailer signals are working, you are ready to drive.

On the Road

Before you hit the highway, though, you should make sure you are familiar with driving your vehicle-trailer combination. A good way to get used to maneuvering, including some practice backups, is to drive in an open parking lot, or at least a familiar area.

You must also be aware of the size of your trailer―what is the clearance? Could you drive it through a 12-foot-high tunnel? Also be aware of whatever is on the trailer. It must be securely fastened down, to prevent debris and other safety hazards.

It is important to remember that the larger the load, the longer it will take you to stop. Keep an extra safe distance behind cars in front of you, and test the stopping power of your vehicle and trailer before you have to stop suddenly, so you know what you're dealing with.

This highlights why it is a bad idea to tow a trailer or load that is too heavy for a car or truck. Make sure you are within the vehicle's towing capacity. Some large trailers have a braking mechanism that helps slow the trailer along with the vehicle.

The bottom line is to use caution and slow down. Do not make erratic maneuvers or lane changes with a trailer. You should not be speeding ahead in the fast lane with a trailer. Unless you are passing, stick to the other lanes and the speed limit.

The most difficult part of trailer driving for many motorists is making turns. While it does not seem like there might be a need for it, drivers pulling trailers must overshoot their turns, taking them wide enough so that the trailer's path does not put it off the road or in contact with telephone poles or other street-side obstacles. Cutting a corner with a trailer will put the trailer, as well as pedestrians, other drivers, and yourself, in danger of collision.

If you start a corner too tight and get into trouble, stay calm and stop. Make sure the roadway behind you is clear, back up a little bit, and take the turn again wider. It will probably be the last time you cut a corner with a trailer!

Avoid Jackknifing

The other big thing to avoid when pulling a trailer is what is called "jackknifing." Named for the position of the vehicle and trailer, this is most common when backing up with a trailer. It is basically a situation where the angle between the vehicle and the trailer it is pulling is less than 90 degrees, or beyond an L shape to a V shape.

This can be avoided by never letting the trailer position get beyond the L shape. Jackknifing will damage the hitch and trailer, so be sure to be aware of it.

As stated, jackknifing is most common when backing up. When reversing with a trailer, just take it slow and get a feel for the trailer. Keep your movement of the steering wheel to a minimum, and remember, you can pull forward to straighten out, so if you are struggling, just start over.

References and Further Reading

• Trailer Tips from the California DMV