Every driver has been on the road at one point or another and passed by another vehicle that is towing a trailer of some type, leading to the intrusive thought of ‘what if that trailer came undone?’. Making the decision to attach a trailer to a vehicle seems like one that can be made easily, but it is a serious responsibility that should not be overlooked. 

The average, everyday driver should not assume they can simply jump into their car and tow a large trailer without taking preparatory action first. Learn everything there is to know about safely trailering and towing a vehicle of any type. 

Is it Legal to Trailer and Tow a Vehicle?

In most situations, it will be perfectly legal for the average person to tow their own vehicle, whether that be another car or a trailer. However, there are certain driver license restrictions in certain states that specify when a driver needs to have a specialized license to tow an item. This typically occurs when the weight of the item exceeds 10,000 pounds. To put this into perspective, the average car weighs around 5,000 pounds which is why nearly anybody can tow a vehicle. 

How Much Weight Can a Trailer Take? 

Whether you are towing a vehicle or something else, the most important safety measure to remember is not to exceed the max weight for a trailer. This max weight can vary drastically depending on the type of trailer, with smaller trailers such as a tow dolly only being able to tow 3,500 pounds, whereas larger car hauling trailers can carry as much as 7,100 pounds. This is why reading the fine print when renting a trailer is so important. 

8 Tips for Safely Trailering and Towing Your Vehicle

Whether you are towing a vehicle for the first time or are experienced at hooking your vehicle hitch up to a trailer of some type, learning safety tips is never a bad idea. The following eight tips can help a driver ensure they tow their vehicle safely and efficiently: 

Stay within the limits of the trailers

As indicated above, one of the steps to prime your truck for car trailer towing is knowing you aren’t exceeding the limitations of both your vehicle and the trailer. Do some research into the vehicle that will be towing the trailer in order to see what the max tow weight is, then combine the weight of the trailer and vehicle being towed to ensure you are good to go. Additionally, double check that the vehicle you are putting on the trailer is within the towing range for the trailer itself. 

Adjust the mirrors on your vehicle

One of the easiest mistakes to make when towing something behind a vehicle is not adjusting the mirrors of the vehicle. When you don’t have anything attached to your vehicle, it’s more than likely that your mirrors will be angled slightly tighter to your vehicle. Ordinarily, this would allow you to see alongside your car, but when you have an oversized trailer towing a vehicle behind you it may not work. Take the time to adjust your mirrors before taking off on the road. 

Check the connections to the lights

Remember that you are responsible for hooking up the light connection to your trailer so that when you press the brakes on your car, the trailer brake lights also light up to alert drivers behind you. Not making this connection can quickly result in an accident that you will surely be found to be at-fault for, even if you are rear-ended. 

Inspect your brakes before driving

Carrying a heavier load attached to your vehicle will naturally place a greater strain on your brakes as they have to bring a heavier weight to a stop. That’s why before hitting the road with a trailer towing a car, you should check your brakes to ensure they aren’t worn out. 

Double check the treads on your tires

Similar to the above point, the treads on your tires are more likely to wear down quicker if you are constantly towing something behind you. Inspect the treads on your tires, as well as the tires on the trailer towing the vehicle, to be sure that the tires can handle the stress of the job. 

Always slow down more than is necessary

Naturally, a heavier vehicle is a more dangerous one when an accident occurs on the road. Given this, it’s important to always go slower than the speed limit when you are towing something behind your vehicle. Keep in mind that in certain areas, there may be posted signage that states a speed limit while towing. 

Allow for greater stopping distance

An easy tip to forget when towing a trailer behind your vehicle is that you will need a greater stopping distance to bring your car to a complete stop. Remember to leave extra space between your vehicle and any vehicles in front of you, especially if there is traffic or other road hazards that could result in quick braking. 

Practice before hitting the open road

Finally, one of the biggest tips to keep in mind when towing a vehicle behind your car is to practice before hitting the open road. Your first time towing a vehicle should not also be the first time you are towing it on the open road with other drivers around. Practice maneuvering in a safe environment to ensure you know what you’re doing.  

The Bottom Line

While all drivers are certainly capable of towing a vehicle or general trailer, that doesn’t mean they can do so without preparing at all. This major responsibility requires handling a number of tasks that ensure both the vehicle being towed and the vehicle doing the towing are ready to handle the task. Only once both of these have been taken care of and the driver has practiced driving with an attached vehicle should they hit the open road. This is the best way to prevent an accident and potential injury on the roadway.