Q: I hope to soon be the owner of a new (to me) travel trailer, and as a first time RVer, would like to make sure I’m safe. What do I need to know before towing a trailer?
A: Washington is the greatest place in the galaxy for camping. Bold statement, I know, especially given the current state of astronomy. Recently astronomers announced that they estimate there are 36 communicating civilizations in our galaxy. But that doesn’t mean any of those civilizations like camping or have built campgrounds, so I think it’s safe to say that Earth has the best camping in the Milky Way, and Washington is the best place on Earth. Ergo, Washington is the best place in the galaxy for camping (at least when the weather’s good).
Why do we like camping so much when most every camping story we tell our friends is about what went wrong? The tent had a leak, the bears ate our food, the canoe sank, the bugs took over the campsite, the wheel fell off the trailer; maybe we get satisfaction from camping because when we have a successful camping trip it feels like a real victory. Towards that end, let’s consider some things to make the “getting there” part of camping safe and surprise-free.
Any discussion about how to safely tow a trailer should start with driving skills. The average length of a travel trailer is 20 feet and it’s not uncommon for the pickup towing it to be close to that length as well. If you’re opting for a motorhome instead of a trailer, you can find those in 40 foot-plus lengths too. The law actually specifies a maximum of 46 feet for motorhomes and travel trailers. (The travel trailer part is new this year; previously they were limited to 40 feet total.) Does anyone else think it’s crazy that you can drive a 46 foot camping rig around without any proof that you’re capable of safely maneuvering it? If you want to drive other people or their stuff around you have to go through training and get a commercial driver license. If you want to drive yourself and your own stuff around in a setup that’s as long as a commercial vehicle all you need is that license you got when you were 16.
Before you hit the road, consider going to RV driving school. It’s not legally required, but the cost of driving school is probably going to be less than the insurance deductable for the first crash in your RV. If you can’t find an RV school nearby, there are on-line training options. The important thing is to learn and practice so that you have the skills you need before you go on your first camping trip.
This article isn’t the place to provide a comprehensive explanation of everything you need to know to tow a travel trailer. Instead, I’d just like to acknowledge that there are things we don’t need to know when driving a car that are essential when towing a trailer. Here are a few of them: braking (yes, you need to know how to brake when driving a car, but it’s different when you’re towing a trailer and if your trailer brakes aren’t working right it can be catastrophic), hitching your trailer to your vehicle, visibility, how to turn, how to back up, how to deal with hills (both up and down), trailer sway, weight distribution, towing capacity, tongue weight, the list goes on, but you get the point. It’s your responsibility to know what all of those are and how they affect your safety before you start your adventure.
Along with honing your driving skills and knowledge, there are some laws that apply specifically to towing a trailer. Along with maximum length, there is a width limit of eight and one-half feet. Note that some roadways have lane widths as narrow as nine feet, so you’re really going to need to know how to maneuver if you have a trailer pushing the maximum width. Vehicle height is limited to 14 feet; even if your vehicle complies with the height limit, by law you’re still the one responsible for making sure it can fit where you want to go. You’ll fit under a freeway overpass just fine, but you might not make it through the bank awning. You already know to keep right except when passing; when towing a trailer you’re also prohibited from driving in the left lane when there are three or more lanes.
There is plenty to learn before setting out with a new RV, but if you become skilled and knowledgeable in how to tow your trailer you’ll avoid one of the major causes of camping trip failures. I can’t help you with the bears.
Two of the most common problems with RVs and campers for all traffic when campers are present can be expressed in two catch phrases. 1. If someone catches up to you, your probably holding them up. ( you can pull off , or over, where it’s safe to do so to let others pass.) and 2 . Keep right , pass left. Don’t hold others up, or force them to pass you on the right.