Towing Tips for Your Truck
Adjust your mirrors and get ready to tow! Ryan Family Dealerships is here to help you tow safely with these tips for your truck.
How to Properly Tow
Know How Much You Can Tow
It’s incredibly important to know the towing capacity of your specific vehicle. Make sure it’s capable of handling the weight of the trailer as going over the specified amount can lead to dangerous handling, poor braking performance and serious damage sustained to your truck’s suspension, engine or drivetrain.
Additionally, make sure your trailer hitch is capable of handling the trailer’s loaded weight – the hitch should be labeled with maximum trailer and maximum tongue weights it can support safely.
Don’t assume all trims of a certain model line feature the same tow rating – body styles, bed lengths, drivelines and other installed equipment can contribute to variances in towing capacities across vehicles.
Properly Pack Your Trailer
Make sure cargo in your trailer is positioned properly and weight is distributed evenly on the left and right. Ideally, you want about 60% of the trailer’s load placed over the front half of the trailer, and should be loaded in a way where the tongue weight on conventional hitch trailers is between 10-15% of the total weight of the trailer.
Check Tires, Lights and Brakes
Check tires on both your tow truck and trailer, as improperly inflated tires can negatively affect handling. Flat tires can also create more rolling resistance which forces the engine to work harder and consume more fuel. This also increases tire temperatures which could result in a complete blowout.
Check tail lights and marker lamps on your trailer as large trailers or loads may obscure the tail lights on your tow vehicle, and inspect your brakes, especially when towing a heavier trailer. Smaller and lighter trailers may not need trailer brakes though heavier ones generally have a trailer brake system.
Schedule Service with Ryan Family Dealerships
If your truck isn’t towing properly, be sure to schedule a service appointment with one of our service centers in Minot or Williston to help you address the issue. If you have any questions about towing or general routine maintenance for your vehicle, we encourage you to contact us online at Ryan Family Dealerships.
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