5th Wheel Towing Tips For Beginners
Of all the different types of recreational vehicles on the market, fifth wheels are some of the largest and most amenity-laden trailers you’ll find. If you want luxurious, residential-style comfort, it’s hard to do much better than what a fifth wheel can offer.
One reason why you might be hesitant to own a fifth wheel is that they may seem difficult to tow. In actuality, the security of their unique two-part coupling system makes 5th wheel trailers extremely secure and easy to tow, provided you follow a few pointers for the safety of yourself and those around you.
Schwab's RV World in Leduc is your Alberta fifth wheel dealer. Here are some tips for safely towing your fifth wheel so you can feel more confident when it’s time to hit the road.
1. Stay Under Your Weight Limit
While your average fifth-wheel hitch can haul anywhere from 7,000 to 13,000 kilograms, you won’t want to overburden that hitch or your towing vehicle with too much cargo weight. Be mindful of how much you load into your fifth wheel and use a truck-stop weigh station to weigh your fifth wheel if you have concerns. Keep weight balanced from left to right and try to place 60% of your cargo weight up front and 40% towards the rear of the trailer.
2. Be Ready For Mountain Driving
Our fair province has mountains in more than one direction, including the Canadian Rockies to the southwest, so you’re bound to run into some high elevations on your travels. Fifth wheels can be hauled through mountain passes and up inclines, but you do need to be on your guard. If you know you’re going to head into the hills, do everything you can to keep your fifth wheel’s load light and lower your truck’s gears as you climb inclines. Take things slow and when you’re coming back down, know where the emergency pull-offs are on your route in case you can’t get your brakes to activate when needed.
3. Keep Your Tires in Good Shape
Driving on bad tires is never ideal, but you’re going to put yourself at extreme risk if you try to drive with bad tires on either your fifth wheel or your towing vehicle. Use a tire-pressure gauge to check all your tires and air them up to the psi levels recommended in your owner’s manual. Make sure each tire is in good shape with sufficient tread depth and no embedded objects or bald patches. If you want, you can install a tire-pressure monitoring system that will help you keep tabs on your tires’ condition so you can address issues promptly.
4. Practice Makes Perfect
It may sound tedious to hitch up your fifth wheel and practice driving in an empty parking lot, but this will give you more confidence and ensure that you know how your trailer moves and where your blind spots are. Have someone stand outside and guide you as you practice reversing, turning and parking with your towing set-up until you feel sure that you’re ready to travel.
5. Double-Check Your Hitch
You should always double-check your fifth-wheel hitch before you start your truck. The coupling system is secure, but it’s good to check that and make sure everything is locked down and that your kingpin is snugly in place with its latch on it.
6. Take It Slow
Even if you’re in a big rush to get somewhere, it’s not going to do much good if you try to speed there, only to end up in an accident. You’ll want to drive a few kilometres below the speed limit at all times and allow other vehicles to pass you on the highway.
Remember that you’ve got thousands of kilograms of weight behind you and you need to exercise more caution to ensure the safety of you and other motorists.
Signal well in advance of any manoeuvre you intend to make so that other drivers can make space for you, and increase the following distance between the front of your truck and the vehicles ahead of you.
When you’re ready to check out some 5th wheels for sale, visit our website. You’ll see our vast inventory of new and used fifth wheels available for sale at our dealership in Leduc, AB. We can even assist you with financing options if you need them. Schwab’s RV World serves the greater Edmonton metropolitan area as well as the entire province of Alberta.