First, a few technical tips. First of all, accustom yourself to carefully connect the trailer to the car and often check the reliability of the hitch on the road. Before the trip, every time you should check the tire pressure, increasing it by 0.2-0.4 atm compared to the usual one on the rear wheels of the car. The pressure in trailer tires, depending on their design, ranges from 1.4 to 2.3 atm, so carefully read what the instructions for the trailer you purchased say about this. Make sure that the same pressure was in the tires on the left and right sides of the road train. In this way, not only will it be possible to avoid increased wear of the rubber, but, more importantly, it will ensure a more stable movement of both the car and the trailer. If a trailer is towed, then rear-view mirrors should be installed on both sides of the car. Do not neglect the safety cable or chain.
The reliability of the tow hitch is essential for safe trailer driving. The rules of the road prohibit further movement with a defective coupling device. Tow hitch company «Trailer» the only one that has passed certification in the State Standard of Russia, and with «AvtoVAZ» coordinated attachment points of the device to «top ten».
The cargo in the trailer is securely placed and fastened as close as possible to the front side, in this case an additional downforce acts on the coupling device. In open trailers, it should protrude as little as possible over the sides: after all, the higher the center of gravity, the greater the likelihood that the trailer may tip over when cornering. Low and streamlined stowage of cargo in an open trailer, tightly covering it with a rubberized tarpaulin, also contribute to saving gasoline. Finally, before starting the movement, you should check the technical condition and operability of the direction indicators and brake lights on the trailer.
Now about the ride itself. The dynamics of the road train is changing significantly. It accelerates longer and slower stops, which is explained by the increase in the total mass of the vehicle (for 300-600 kg). This implies a different driving tactic than when driving a single car: to do everything with a large margin of space and time. You should not, say, overtake cars moving at a speed of 60 km/h or more. Indeed, on ordinary roads, the speed limit for a car with a trailer is 70 km / h, and therefore the maneuver can be too long and lead to a dangerous situation. In addition, when overtaking, you need to return to your lane much later than on a single car, and more smoothly, making sure through the rear-view mirror that it is safe and does not interfere with the overtaken.
Emergency braking of the train takes a few seconds longer than usual, so in all cases, increase the distance in the stream by at least 15-20 m.
Before a long climb, shift to a lower gear in advance, avoiding shifting on the climb itself. When going downhill, use the engine brake to prevent the trailer pushing behind you from accelerating.
With oncoming trailers and large cars, buses, leave a gap when passing more, otherwise the air flow from them may affect the stability of your road train. For the same reason, be on the lookout for strong side winds, most of all on bridges and overpasses, especially if the trailer has a large side surface, such as a caravan trailer.
When maneuvering at crossroads, one should take into account the displacement of the trailer in the direction of the turn, therefore, when driving on the right, the car is first driven closer to the left side of the movement and the steering wheel is turned at the moment when the rear wheels of the car seem to be approximately at the border of the carriageway of the crossed road. When making a left turn, the opposite is true: the car is directed closer to the right side of the lane, and the steering wheel is turned only after the car has approximately approached the center line of the intersection.
If the trailer starts «to chat», be sure to stop and check if the load has shifted due to loose fastening, if the pressure in the tires of the trailer and car has changed, what is the condition of the suspension. In these cases, do not try to stretch the road train by increasing the speed, such a technique is ineffective and can only aggravate the situation.
Before reversing, especially with a caravan trailer, be sure to go around it from all sides and make sure it is safe to maneuver. If you want the trailer to turn left at the same time, then the steering wheel must be turned in the same direction, and only after it has moved, turn the steering wheel back, controlling the movement, turning over the right shoulder.
In general, there are not so many specifics in driving a car with a trailer, the main thing is not to forget for a second that there is also a trailer behind the car, and take this into account when making any decision.
To tow the vehicle, attach the cable only to the front and rear eyelets provided for this purpose.
The towed vehicle must have the ignition on, the ignition in position 1, the hazard warning lights on, or a warning triangle attached to the rear. It can carry passengers. The driver must be very attentive, the braking system is serviceable and efficient.
The towing vehicle must have low beam headlights or fog lamps on. With such a hitch, the towing cable must be at least 4 and not more than 6 meters and it must have at least 2 red flags. The driver must tow the car smoothly, without jerks, brake also more smoothly, take into account the trajectory of the towed car when turning, and do not turn the steering wheel sharply.