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When
towing a travel trailer behind a car or pickup with a bumper hitch
you always know its there. One of the great things about a 5th
wheel RV trailer is that it tows so easily it is easy to forget you
have that huge object behind you. But there is a feel, especially
through the steering wheel (even with power steering) that you need
to learn to recognize.
Learn to judge specific
distances
You need
to learn to judge specific distances. How far must you be from the
curb to make that turn without creaming the side of the 5th wheel on
that telephone pole. You need to know if the vehicle beside you is
too close so your rear end will take out its front fender. You need
to learn how 'wide' a turn your towing vehicle must make to assure
the trailer stays on the road throughout the turn. How high is your
5th wheel including your roof-top air conditioner. Trying to
squeeze through a low overpass can cost many thousands of dollars
besides ruining the trip.
Know the limitations of your
side mirrors
You need
to learn how to use your side mirrors and to always be aware of what
is reflected in them. You need to realize that, when the towing
vehicle is not in line with the towed vehicle, the side mirrors are
almost useless. Hence you must take notice of all possible
obstructions before going into a turn
especially if backing up.
When you put it in reverse
Backing
up a 5th wheel is very different from backing up your car. Not only
do you turn your steering wheel oppositely, you have to know WHEN
to turn it and by how much. It took you years to learn to drive your
car safely; it is going to take a while to learn to tow your 5th
wheel safely.
Anticipate, anticipate,
anticipate
You need
to learn to anticipate movement and, especially, changes in movement
of other vehicles. As you will be driving a pickup (or a medium size
truck) you will be sitting higher than in a car. This will allow you
to see over the roof of many vehicles. In any case, you need to be
aware of the motions of the vehicle in front of the vehicle directly
in front of you.
Avoiding rear enders
We had a
flasher circuit installed in our 5th wheel brake lights' wiring.
This makes the trailer's brake lights flash like a strobe for the
first 8 to 10 seconds of applying the brakes. If you're going to
slow down, press lightly on the brakes to trigger the brake lights
to give the vehicle behind you plenty of notice. It doesn't matter
that the other guy is 100% at fault in an accident, it is going to
cost you, too. Collision repairs are primarily cosmetic; your
vehicle will never be the same again. By the same token, you can't
stop on a dime with all that weight. You need to anticipate when
your leader is going to stop in time to avoid your being guilty of
rear ending him.
Safe driving can boost fuel
mileage
You can
improve fuel mileage by 2 to 4 miles per gallon by maintaining an
even speed. With all that weight, it takes a lot of fuel to
accelerate even slightly Deceleration is just setting you up to
waste more fuel. Try to avoid heavy traffic
especially rush hours. Pull into a rest area, take a nap or enjoy a
bite to eat and some relaxing time. When you are in traffic, leave
plenty of space in front of you. Yes, there are always those
inconsider-ate drivers who will try to squeeze into 18 feet of space
with a 19 foot car. Let them. You will get there; they may not.
Check your weight
The first
time you have your 5th wheel loaded up have it weighed, axle by
axle. Most larger truck stops have scales and will do this for you
for a small fee. It is urgently important that your truck-trailer
combination be properly balanced and the not exceeding the listed
limits for each vehicle. So many accidents are caused by overloading
or out-of-balance loading. Every one of those accidents was
avoidable and many caused the loss of life.
Finding an expert instructor
Some dealers have
someone who is capable of instructing 5th wheel driving techniques,
especially the art of backing up. If your dealer doesn't or you
bought your 5th wheel from a private individual there are many
good 18 wheel semi-truck drivers around who would be happy to teach
you for a little extra cash. $50 for this education is probably the
most worthwhile investment you'll make when you buy that 5th wheel.
I have seen many 5th wheelers circle the RV parks looking for a spot
they can back into because there are no available pull-throughs. You
don't want to be one of them. |