Know Before You Tow: Six Expert Tips to Get You Road-Trip Ready

Road trips are an American tradition, and there’s no better way to kick off the summer season than adventuring the wide open highways — especially with a boat or trailer in tow. Whether you’ve been hauling the family Airstream for years or are about to set off on your first journey with a new side-by-side, towing is a serious matter. Just ask Lucille Ball’s character from the 1954 classic “The Long, Long Trailer.” No one wants to end up hanging off the side of a cliff — especially your four-year-old who needs to use the potty. 

To be done safely, towing requires a whole new set of driving skills and preparation. As exciting as it is to hit the road, neglecting the proper procedures and precautions risks causing serious damage to your cargo or even harm to your family and others — and no one wants to ruin a vacation before it even starts. Luckily for you, we’ve put together a simple checklist to ensure you kick your road trip off right, and safe towing can become second nature once you learn the essentials.  

National GMC has hundreds of trucks and SUVs capable of towing whatever you need for the perfect summer road trip — from houseboats to trailers, even oversized meat smokers. But before you set off in your dream rig, make sure you know what you’re doing to keep you, your cargo and your family safe. 

To help, here are six simple things you can do before the trip to prevent problems while towing. 

Check the trailer tires

This might sound obvious but it’s all too common for a traveler to check their vehicle’s tire pressure and condition and completely forget about the trailer tires and brakes. Be sure to check the tire pressure and tire condition and make certain the lug nuts are torqued to proper specs. Keep in mind that even if there aren’t very many miles on your trailer’s tires, they may need to be replaced anyway if they are six years old or older, David Muller of Car and Driver reports. 

Match the hitch to the trailer

Of all the most prevalent mistakes when towing a trailer, having the wrong size hitch ball is among the most common. Kent Sundling, the founder of MrTruck.com, told Consumer Reports that “Incorrectly sized hitch balls are the number one cause of trailer accidents.” 

Ensuring the ball on your hitch is the same size as the coupler on your trailer is essential to avoid accidents while towing. Not sure what you need? Our professionals at National GMC are happy to help.

Cross the chains

This simple step in preparing your trailer for travel could make all the difference — should the worst occur. Most trailers come with safety chains that hook up to the hitch. Instead of running the chains straight, cross them before you attach them to the hitch. 

This creates a cradle in which the tongue of the trailer will rest, should it come off the hitch. Keep the chains loose enough to permit sharp turns but taut enough that the tongue won’t dig into the ground, John Ibbotson, Consumer Reports’ chief mechanic recommends. 

Make wide turns

If you’re planning on any sort of driving that requires going around corners and curves (dragsters need not apply!), you’ll want to be making extra wide turns. Your trailer’s tires will be much closer to the curb than the vehicle’s tires, so giving a wide berth is always a good idea when maneuvering while towing, Mike Monticello at Consumer Reports recommends. 

Give yourself some space on the freeway

Towing a trailer or boat means adding a massive amount of weight behind your vehicle. If this is your first time towing, you might be surprised at how much extra space you’ll need to accelerate and brake, writes Mike Monticello of Consumer Reports.

On the freeway, stay in the right lane. This ensures you’ll have extra stopping room should you need to brake suddenly and an easy turnout if you have a tire blowout or anything else goes awry. 

Don’t ride your vehicle’s brakes down hills

When towing a heavy load, the last thing you want is to lose your brakes, especially when going downhill. To avoid that, downshift to a lower gear and allow the engine to offer some relief. Most new trucks have a tow/haul mode that, when activated, will automatically change the gear for you. 

Once the vehicle has downshifted, pump the brakes periodically to keep your speed in check. Doing this will help ensure the brakes don’t overheat and cause you to be a runaway load. 

Get your next (safe) truck or SUV at National GMC

There’s a lot to towing, and these tips only scratch the surface of what you need to know — but none of these tips will matter if you don’t have a vehicle capable of towing your trailer or boat. Visit National GMC today to check out our vast inventory of trucks and SUVs ready to haul your rig. View all available inventory online at National GMC.