A towed trailer may be hooked to a medium or small duty vehicle by a trailer-hitch. This is just one instance of towing among others. To ensure safety, many countries and industries have their own regulations for trailers, lighting and coupling for vehicles and trucks. To be on the safe side, below are some of the factors to look out for in towing trailers.
Types of Trailers.
There are three categories of trailers:В small trailers, tractor trailer and specially designed trailers that require specialized vehicle. Small enclosed trailers enclosed on all sides and often have a roof are generally used when protecting the contents being transported from the weather. The cargo can be animal, furniture, or boxes. Vans or recreational vehicles are fitted with living facilities best used for road trips and camping. In some countries, they are called caravans. Most vehicles and trucks are designed with trailer hitches. Boat trailers are designed for easy loading its specific type and style of boat which is unique. They are usually open and shaped to secure and hold boats. Tractor-trailers come in many configurations specifically designed to be towed by the 18 wheeler. The trailers are opened with a flat bed and no sides, which works well for transporting large objects with no shape. Some are even small enough to be towed by minimum sized or small vehicles. Container trailers can be fitted with wheels then used as a tractor-trailer combination that is standard. However, this is not as common as the non-containerized tractor- trailer but both works with the same principle. For liquid cargo such as fuel or water, tank-trailers are best suited for the job. Personnel carrier, tank or military truck and tractors require trailers designed specifically for their need.
Equipments
First things first, make sure that the vehicle in use is suitable for towing. Appliances such as load distributing devices, suspensions and a braking system are installed by the dealer or manufacturer if need be. In some cases they can be fitted by industries that deal mainly with installing towing equipments. The equipments used vary to best suit individual trailers depending on its size and type as in the case of couplings and tow bars. For towing large trailers, extra mirrors to aid in better vision are required as well as individual brake connections from the vehicle, not to forget electrical sockets for lighting. Do not exceed the capacity of towing apparatus that are fitted to the vehicle and trailer. For safe towing, a properly designed and fitted towbar suitable for a specific type and capacity is very essential. The loaded mass of the trailer should be at least equal to the load capacity indicated on the towbar.
Reading manuals and Warning Labels.
Manuals come in handy especially when it comes to fitting equipments for the first time. They contain a lot of vital information empowering the driver with additional knowledge and a better understanding of towing trailers. Things like weight limits, the vehicle type best suited for the trailer, information on when and where the equipment was manufactured are some of the information found in manuals.
Maintenance.
Ensure that the trailer and vehicle are in good safe condition making sure that the suspension, brakes and wheel bearings are in good working condition especially when hiring from dealers like bike rack installers. This applies to the trailers that have not been dormant for a while and the boat trailers. In such a case, the trailer should be serviced and inspected before it can be considered road worthy again.
Laws and Legal requirements.
Each country has important laws regarding towing trailers which one must abide to.The trailers should be inspected before its considered road worthy. For instance the towing truck and the trailer must be licensed and registered relevant to the countries or state requirements. They also need to be insured just in case of an accident. Trailers are strictly for transporting cargo or animal prohibiting the transportation of human beings. People should travel in the vehicle hooked to the trailer. The rear number plate on the trailer should be visible always. Some laws prohibit towing more than one trailer. Speed limitssame as in the regular vehicle. By abiding with these regulations, it guarantees both the driver and the other road users as well.