At Bulletproof Hitches, we’re continually talking to customers that tow with all types of trailers and tow vehicles and many times, they aren’t always educated on proper towing procedures.
We do everything we can to help our customers avoid costly and dangerous towing mistakes that could potentially harm themselves or other drivers on the road, which is why we created this list of the top five towing mistakes to avoid.
1. Don’t Overload Your trailer
Do blown-out tires or out of control trailer sway sound like a good time? If the answer is no, then it’s best to avoid overloading or incorrectly loading your trailer.
A poorly-loaded trailer can become a problem quickly. Check out at any towing guide, and you’ll see that proper weight distribution or sway control is a crucial part of the experience. If you’re looking for ways to avoid this problem, make sure you have a reliable sway control or weight distribution system in place.
2. Maintain Your Breaks
While the brakes on your trailer are one of its most important safety features, they’re also one of the most overlooked in terms of upkeep. Unlike the brake systems on your vehicle, a trailer’s brakes must be manually adjusted. Be sure to look them over each time you’re getting ready to tow for potential signs of damage or wear.
3. Always Cross Your Trailer Safety Chains
Here at Bulletproof Hitches, we’re constantly hearing customers complain about other drivers who don’t know how to use their trailer safety chains correctly.
If something goes wrong and your hitch or receiver fails, your safety chains are the only things holding your trailer to the back of your vehicle. To avoid catastrophic injury and further damage to your tow package, it’s important to have your safety chains crossed.
Not only does this ensure a better connection between your trailer and vehicle, but crossed trailer safety chains will act as a cradle to catch any parts of your hitch that could fall off.
Owning a BulletProof Hitch is a great way to ensure that your hitch is not the weakest link on your vehicle. As the highest rated hitch on the market, you won’t have to worry about your hitch failing any time soon.
4. Check Your Tire Pressure
Underinflated tires can cause a variety of problems for your towing system, including blowouts and rollovers. When you’re getting ready to tow something, you never want to forget to check the tire pressure for both your tow vehicle and trailer, especially if you haven’t used your trailer in awhile.
5. Make Sure You Have the Right Sized Ball on Your Hitch
When it comes to your ball hitch, the phrase ‘one size fits all’ doesn’t always apply. You’d be surprised how often we see drivers who are riding around with the wrong-sized ball for their truck or SUV. There are three different ball sizes you should be aware of:
- 1 7/8”
- 2”
- 2 5/16”
Each ball size comes with its own weight rating and using the wrong size ball for your trailer coupler can cause undue stress to your hitch and trailer.
This is one of the main reasons we developed the BulletProof adjustable trailer hitch. All BulletProof Hitches come standard with a dual ball mount with the two most common ball sizes (2” & 2 5/16”), so you should have everything you need for any towing application.
Learn More About Your Vehicle’s Towing Capacity and What Mistakes You Should Avoid
As the highest rated trailer hitch company in the country, Bulletproof Hitches has seen what can happen when people don’t follow the general towing guide lines.
If you want to ensure a safe towing experience every time you hook up your trailer, avoiding these top five towing mistakes is a great place to start.
Do you still have questions about how to tow correctly or which equipment is best for your vehicle?
Give our professional service technicians a call today for more information.
941-251-8110
