Need To Know About Towing Heavy Trailers

If you are hoping for the best results of towing, buying a heavy car hauler trailer may not be the only solution. Before you go for the towing job while delivering heavy vehicles, you need to acquire firm knowledge about it.

What do manufacturers generally recommend for tow setup?

The answer is pretty simple. Subaru specifies the maximum towing mass for both non-braked and braked trailers as well as maximum tow ball down mass. Experts also advise against exceeding the maximum permissible weight (MPW) of the tow vehicle as well as the maximum permissible rear axle weight (MPAW) of the tow vehicle when towing. This is why, it is said to maintain a proper logbook to understand the weight and the hauling quantity.

This means that understanding the towing system is in your hand by maintaining the logbook on a daily basis. The data helps the car manufacturer a lot as they don't have any idea which trailer is required for what kind of weight. It is recommended to purchase a 4 or 5 car trailer as a basic step for transporting the vehicles.

The importance of tow setup

Most of the manufacturers don't have the proper knowledge of tow setup. The major problem is that all these different weights and figures are confusing. They do not consider it a vital aspect of transporting vehicles. Without learning much, they prefer to maintain the safety verbally from other manufacturers. Many would even quite happily pay without knowing the difference between GCM and GVM.

Unfortunately, there are very few manufactures who know proper rules about towing, as it involves understanding quite a lot of trailer regulations and dynamics. Dealing with these manufacturers can provide customers or dealers a platform of liability. In case there is an accident, dealers can understand the reluctance of experts to certify car trailer combinations.

So, if you are in the business of manufacturing cars, and you need to transport them to various cities and suburbans, car trailers are the only safest way to do so. There is unfortunately no shortcut to setting up trailers correctly, you need to fully understand the forces at play and the various limits related with it.

Knowing about the towing setup does not need to be a training. Just read useful stuff on the Internet, and research a bit to be the most educated manufacturer in Texas.

Trailering Tips That Can Help You Save Fuel

In the USA, there are many people who own a trailer and use it either for personal reasons or towing business. Whatever the reason may be, trailering is quite common in the country. Towing a fully loaded 5 or 4 car hauler not an easy job, requires great driving skills as well as regular consideration of several factors. The matter which concerns us here the most the amount of fuel used up in towing trailers. It is quite a significant amount, which is why this blog will focus on towing tips that can be followed to save fuel. Those tips have been described below in detail:

Checking Tire Pressure : 

Low pressure in tires can drag the trailer as well as the tow vehicle, thereby decreasing fuel mileage. It can also be responsible for tire failures caused due to heat. It is therefore, important to ensure that trailer tires have the pressure recommended in the manual. It is better to avoid the pressure rating posted on the tires.

Levelling The Trailer : 

In case someone needs to tow a trailer loaded with a boat, the former should be adjusted properly so that the latter is level on it. Proper leveling would help to reduce resistance from wind and thereby increase fuel economy. It will also ensure that the boat can be loaded and unloaded without much hassle.

Maintaining Tongue Weight : 

The tongue weight of a trailer should around 5-7% of the gross tow package, which includes weight of the load as well as the hauler. This can substantially help in increasing miles per gallon for the rig by decreasing fishtailing and swaying.

Lubricating The Bearings : 

Trailers generally come with protective bearings for keeping the hubs lubed properly. However, these also need to be inspected from time to time for making sure that they contain the required amount of grease. One can easily check the bearing protectors by pressing the piston loaded with spring. The hub will slightly rock back & forth if it has sufficient grease and not compress entirely.

Maintaining Consistent Speed : 

While towing it is important to accelerate steadily and slowly from complete halts. Driving 5mph slower than what has been posted on the speed limit sign can aid significantly in getting the most out of gas. Besides that, it is also one of the commonly followed tips for towing a car trailer safely.

Following the above mentioned tips can greatly help to save on fuel required for towing, irrespective of whether it is done regularly or once in a blue moon.

How To Ensure Safety While Towing a Trailer

Whether a car hauling trailer is used for commercial purposes, recreation or some private reason, it is important to follow certain measures as well as towing tips for ensuring safety of oneself and other drivers on the road. The foremost thing is to apply proper techniques for loading cars or other materials in order to maintain appropriate equilibrium. The bulkiest items should never be placed at the facade or rear part, as it may result in excessive tongue weight and unloading of the tires making it hard to control the tow vehicle. While loading cars, their front should be placed first in the trailer.

Next comes securing the loaded items properly to prevent them from moving while the trailer is being hauled. There are various ways for tying down loaded cars in a 4 car hauler. One can make use of ratcheting tie down straps for securing the cars, one strap at each corner of a vehicle. The tie down straps should, however, be of good quality. Another tool which can be used for securing cars to a trailer is axle strap. Axle straps will have to be tied around either the lower control arm or the front cross-member and the rear axle.

Trailers are notorious for swaying, especially when there is wind or the load is not placed properly. Distribution hitches can help in minimizing sway by spreading weight across the chassis rather than the single ball hitch point. Besides decreasing rear suspension drop, distribution hitches can also reduce chances of whipping. Some states have strict laws that make it mandatory to use these add-ons with particular weights and trailers.

While towing a trailer, it is also important to keep an eye on the driving speed. Towing affects various systems of a vehicle, including suspension, drive-train and brakes. People who are still new to trailering must not exceed the speed limit. But it does not mean that experienced haulers can drive at any speed they want. Keeping the speed low provides more room for maneuvering while changing lanes. Stopping takes about twice or thrice the time and distance comparatively. The most prudent thing to do would be driving within 65 miles per hour.

Last but not the least, one must use the right kind of tires on the trailer. Some people use cheap light truck tires which are not designed for handling loads that trailers have to carry. These tires can blow up after frequent usage and result in serious accidents. 

Maintaining a Hauler Trailer

If you have a vehicle towing business or own a private trailer at home, it is imperative that you make use of proper techniques for maintaining the hauler and keeping it in good condition. The task of trailer upkeep may not be too overwhelming, but it will definitely need some elbow grease to be done properly.

First of all, you must recognize the fact that bearings and brakes of a trailer undergo a lot of wear and tear. Therefore, these are the parts which require the most amount of maintenance. Dust particles can cause the brakes as well as drums to wear out prematurely. To prevent that from happening, rinse thoroughly with water for removing any dust particles that might be present on the brakes. When it is time to get them replaced, make sure that you change everything else as well, including hardware, shoes and wheel cylinders.

While greasing the bearings of your trailer, check whether the outer spring is fully compressed or not. Continue to grease if the spring appears or seems to be extended. You will have to do this by taking out the bearings from the wheel and pulling them apart to perform a meticulous inspection.

Be it a 4 or 5 car trailer, its electrical components need to function properly as well to prevent unwanted accidents or mishaps. Inspect the lights of your trailer carefully before taking it out on the road. If they are not working properly, check the connection of the plug. If you find nothing wrong with the plug, have a look at the bulb. If the bulb seems to be intact, there can be some problem with the wiring. Sometimes, wiring can corrode or become loose due to heavy vibration from regular usage.

The coupler of your trailer would not require extensive maintenance. But you will have to inspect it from time to time for ensuring that it is working fine. Check for wear and tear and grease occasionally to prevent the latch from becoming jarred or stiff. You may also need to apply lubricants to the locking mechanisms and tongue jack.

Just like every machine needs regular upkeep to last longer and perform well, a trailer is the same. By investing a few hours in maintaining the different components of your hauling equipment, you can easily ensure the safety of yourself, the goods you would be hauling and the other drivers on the road.