Get Hooked On Towing

Classy Chassis is always ready to help get your truck ready with equipment for a big haul, but that’s different from where the preparation stops. The actual drive is half the battle, so make sure you are ready for the trip. Let’s talk about a few ways you can prepare for a drive that involves towing.
First, ensure your vehicle, hitches, wires, and lights are tip-top. You won’t want to overload your vehicle either, so being sure that it’s rated to tow the weight you need is essential. Overloading is a common cause of towing-related accidents since it can lead to handling issues. Proper lighting will help you back up your load and help others see your trailer.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, it’s time to talk about you. That’s right… you, the driver. Practice driving with your trailer, camper, boat, or whatever else fun stuff might be involved. You should familiarize yourself with pulling in and out of a driveway and driving in reverse before the trip. Driving in different environments and making safe turns should also be practiced. You want to be comfortable with what you’re doing. Sharp turns can lead to jackknifing, but too short, and you could hit something. A key point to remember here is that you’ll need more time and space to accelerate and brake safely. This also gives you a good chance to know how you’ll need to readjust your mirrors and whether you need more lights.
When practicing, you should pass through parking spots and gas stations to ensure you are comfortable in close quarters. You should avoid busy parts of the parking lot and make sure you are ready before hitting up the gas station for fuel. You’ll have to pull close to the pump so that it can make for quite the beginner’s skill test.
As mentioned above, you’ll want to check out your light situation. Ensuring that the lights you do have work is essential. From there, you should make sure they produce enough life to travel and park the trailer in low light safely. Have someone stand behind you to let you know that brake lights and turn signals are in working order. Checking out your license plate light is a common miss, but it can be a costly fine.
Hopefully, you are feeling prepared to make your towing adventure now. While we can’t do it for you, we can still help you get your vehicle in top-pulling condition here at Classy Chassis.