Pulling a Trailer: What Not to Do

Trailers are one of the most helpful vehicle additions you could possibly invest in, with their ownership opening up dozens of new avenues for convenience, fun, and saving money. However, they’re also a large piece that can be dangerous when handled incorrectly, especially when you’re out on the roads with other drivers. Because of this, there are numerous rules and regulations that come with using a trailer in Victoria and beyond, each enforced to ensure the safety of you, your passengers, and those outside the car.

With that said, beyond the legalities, a few things can be done to ensure your trailer experience is safe, and that’s what we’re here to discuss today. At Big Man Trailer Co, we offer an expansive selection of premium-quality single-axle galvanised trailers, tandem axles, and more. Because of that, we want to ensure that our customers are using them as safely as possible. So, to get you started, here are some things you shouldn’t do when pulling a trailer.

Don’t Slow Down or Stop Too Quickly While Driving

This one seems quite obvious from the outset, but it can be less apparent when you’re actually driving. After all, we often drive by feeling and muscle memory more than logic, meaning that we have an inbuilt idea of how to get our vehicle to do what we want. This is all well and good until you have a large number of heavy items packed into a gigantic trailer that is attached to the back of your car.

Stopping too quickly can damage your vehicle can damage your trailer and even run the risk of causing your trailer to jackknife. So, when driving with a trailer just make sure you’re paying close attention to your speeds and doing what you can to avoid gigantic, sudden shifts.

Don’t Use a Trailer With Improper Tyre Pressure

Pulling a trailer on the roads means having to make sure that your trailer is going straight ahead. After all, the last thing you would want is for your trailer to sway and cause damage or danger to another driver. This is why your tyre pressure is a surprisingly important factor in your trailer usage, as an imbalance in pressure can cause your trailer to become unsteady and sway out of your control.

Luckily for you, noticeably imbalanced tyre pressure is something that doesn’t appear particularly often, but it is something to watch out for, especially if you’re planning on driving through populated areas with your trailer. So, check your tyres, and make sure you’re keeping your vehicle happy and healthy to ensure it can keep hauling in the long haul.

Try to Avoid Driving With a Trailer in Extremely Wet Weather

Even without a trailer, extreme rains, hail, and flooding can wreak havoc on a vehicle’s ability to maneuver the roads and maintain stability. Now, add to that a large additional set of wheels, and things can get dangerous under the right circumstances. Whilst all of the situations we’re describing in this list are relatively unlikely, issues like slips and drifting do happen in wet weather, and it can only take a brief loss of control for things to get bad.

So, avoid going out in wet weather with a trailer. However, if you’re in a situation where you don’t have a choice but to drive in wet weather with a trailer, remember:

• Avoid making any sharp turns to mitigate potential risks while driving.
• Go relatively slowly, as this will provide you with more control over your vehicle and the trailer.
• Be mindful of your vision limitations in the rain, and make sure you’re paying close attention to the vehicles around you.  

Rain can be quite difficult for drivers, but if you make sure that you’re driving carefully and keeping your trailer in mind, you should be okay.

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Are you interested in learning more about the big wide world of trailers? Want some tips and tricks about how to get the most out of your trailer? Visit the Big Man Trailer Co trailer blog today for a wealth of news, information and insights.