Trailer Tips

This is the time of year for camping trips and boating adventures and you may find yourself pulling a trailer along behind your vehicle as you travel.

We would just like to share these safety tips from the California Department of Motor Vehicles to help keep you safe as you tow that trailer.

• First check your vehicles owners manual to verify the gross vehicle weight and towing capacity for your car or truck. You will need to know this information to make sure your vehicle is up to the job.


• All vehicles handle differently and this is even more true while pulling a trailer. Even if you have pulled a trailer with your car or truck before something as little as the hookup, used to attach the trailer to your vehicle, can make a big difference in how you drive. So make sure to practice some turns and basic maneuvers around your neighborhood or another slower traffic area before hitting the road for the big trip.


• Please know the height of your trailer so you don't get stuck under a bridge or tunnel. Remember, just because your car made it doesn't mean that the big box you're pulling will.


• Do a final test on all electrical connections and make sure all your brake lights and signals are working on your trailer. Also, do a final check and make sure that the hitch is still hitched correctly. You never know who may have bumped into things as the car was being loaded up before that big trip. Watching your trailer roll away in the rear view mirror is not a good way to begin a vacation.


• Drivers pulling trailers need to overshoot their turns to make them wide enough so the trailer's path won't pull them off the road. Think of how you see a semi-truck make a turn.


• Allow EXTRA room when changing lanes. Don't forget your vehicle is suddenly longer than it was the day before.


• Make sure to test your brakes and get a feel for how they will respond with that extra weight pushing you forward.

We hope these tips help keep you safe this summer and if you happen to be looking to get insurance on that new trailer you just bought or the toys that you may be towing with it, please feel free to contact us at www.marsinsurance.com with any questions.

As always have fun but please stay safe.