Tips for Towing Your Trailer in the Rain
If you’re not used to towing your trailer in the rain, then it’s important to prepare yourself for the task with the right gear and the proper skills. The experts at Countryside Trailer Sales have gathered some useful tips to help you safely manage your towing setup in wet weather. If you’ve any questions or you want to check out our wide selection of trailers for sale, visit our dealership in Spring, Texas.
Invest in Some Useful Gear
Your first step should be to equip your trailer with some helpful accessories that will improve your safety while towing in the rain. One option is to install tires that have deeper treads for improved traction. You can even get specific rain tires that are designed to accommodate wet conditions. It’s best to talk to a pro about the type of tires you may need.
Another important factor in rain driving is your visibility. It’s vital that you be able to see well, and towing a trailer means that you won’t have use of your rear-view mirror, so your windows become even more important. Keeping your windshield clean will help a lot, so make sure your wipers are in good shape, and consider using some rain-repellent windshield spray to help the water slide off more quickly.
Perform a Safety Check
The next step is to look over your whole towing set-up before you head out into the rain. Make sure that your lights on your trailer and towing vehicle are functional and fully secure the hitch and towing chains. Remember to check that your tires are correctly inflated to the recommended psi levels in your owner’s manual and inspect them for signs of damage or embedded objects.
Drive With Caution
Once you’re on the road and find yourself driving in bad weather, you’ll need to pay attention and remain vigilant. Increase the following distance between your towing set-up and the vehicles ahead of you. Turn on your lights and make sure that you signal all lane changes well in advance of making them. Stick towards the middle lane of the highway if possible, since water will tend to pool towards the edges of the road due to roads being slightly peaked in the middle.
Avoiding hydroplaning is your top priority, particularly with thousands of pounds of weight behind your vehicle. Obey speed limits and reduce your own speed significantly to ensure you aren’t likely to lose traction. Try to avoid oil patches and puddles where you can.
If your vehicle does happen to begin sliding, you should try to steer as straight as you can and apply your brakes with care. Never be afraid to simply pull over and wait out a particularly bad storm if conditions are really bad and show no sign of improving soon.
We hope that this guide to towing your trailer in rain has been helpful. If you need some professional maintenance assistance or help to install rain tires on your trailer, you can contact our service department in Spring, TX. Countryside Trailer Sales proudly serves all those in Houston and The Woodlands.