Before setting off with a trailer in tow for your weekend desert or Mountain escape, cross country road trip or weekend boating adventure, GMC offers a few tips and reminders to help ensure your experience is safe, fun and easy.
1. Under pressure
Proper tire inflation is essential when trailering for optimal handling, driver control and fuel economy – and that doesn’t include only the vehicle pulling the trailer. Check the trailer’s tires, too and don’t exceed the manufacturer’s speed rating for them. It ranks with under-inflation as a major cause of trailer tire failure. While you’re walking around the vehicle for inspection, it’s a good time to check the lights, signals and hitch connections.
2. Spare me
Your vehicle has a spare tire, but does your trailer? A flat trailer tire and no spare in a remote area can quickly ruin your day. Make sure you’ve got a spare and that it’s properly inflated.
3. A view un-askew
The regular position of your vehicle’s outside mirrors may not be suitable when you add a trailer. Adjust them so that the rear of the trailer can be seen at a glance, for a clearer view of what’s behind the trailer or beside it when changing lanes or turning a corner. You may also want to consider adding temporary trailering mirrors for a wider view. For trucks already equipped with trailer tow mirrors, pull them out to the extended position and adjust the lower mirror to view the trailer tires, to help judge clearance to curbs or obstacles.