There are a few reasons why someone would tow another vehicle behind their RV. It may be because they need additional storage, especially if they’re living in their RV, or because they want to go explore nearby cities and/or hills and mountains during their trip and their RV just doesn’t fit the streets.
If you’re also considering towing a car or a trailer behind your RV, for any reason, you need to know how to tow it the right way for the best towing experience. Here are several tips to help you with that.
Have the Right Towing Gear
To prepare your RV for towing, you need to make sure you have the right towing gear. This includes towing straps, a towing bar, or a trailer hitch, depending on the type of towing, side/towing mirrors, and a tow dolly if you want to tow your car on a dolly, not on wheels.
If you tow a trailer, you should also have an anti-sway bar, weight distribution hitch, safety chains, and trailer breaks.
Watch Out for Your Surroundings
While on the road, make sure you use the side mirror and rear camera to have a good view of your surroundings, referring to the road and the vehicles in front of and behind you. They are your second and third pair of eyes on the road as they help you see everything around you. They are especially helpful when passing other vehicles or other vehicles passing you.
Drive Slowly
There’s no need for speed on the road when towing since you carry extra weight on your main vehicle. Having extra weight also means a great chance of toad swaying, which is best avoided by driving slowly.
How to Speed Up, Slow Down, and Stop the Right Way?
The most important thing here is to take your time. There’s no need to rush when speeding up, slowing down, and stopping.
When you want to speed up, consider the vehicles in front of you and whether you have enough power and time to pass them before you return to the same line. On the other hand, when you want to slow down, do it slowly and consider the vehicle in front of and behind you since it will take you more time to slow down.
When you want to stop, make sure there’s enough distance and time to do it properly. Don’t try to stop right away, but slowly decrease the speed and hit the breaks, both on your main vehicle and the towed one, once you’ve slowed down enough.
What About Turning?
It’s best to avoid making turns whenever possible because turning two vehicles is difficult. It takes a lot longer, requires a larger turning radius, and may damage your vehicles. So, don’t turn unless it’s really necessary.
Final Thoughts
Towing another vehicle may seem pretty difficult. But, if you follow the safety tips, use towing gear, and drive slowly and properly, there shouldn’t be any problems while on the road.