SO, YOU WANT TO TOW A TRAILER, EH?

[The Real Maverick]

"I have had a truck tire blister the same way on the sidewalk..."

Well, maybe don't drive on the sidewalk.

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[SafetyGuy]

"I have had a truck tire blister the same way on the sidewalk..."

Well, maybe don't drive on the sidewalk.

Dang fat thumbs...can't blame that on auto correct!

Thanks, I fixed the typo...and excellent attention to detail!

Andy

 

[Tom 71 Maverick 24]

Good morning!

Today's towing tip is a pretty simple one...a good quality thermometer gun! (Bonus info below that, which can make this job even easier!)

Please keep in mind I am not selling or representing anything, just relating personal purchases and experience to try and help others.
...

Any questions, feel free to ask.

Have a good one,

Andy

The Thermo-gun is a great idea. And I just happen to have one that I got a few years ago with a multimeter. Good one too. Keeping tabs on those brakes and bearings is important.

 

[Maverick123]

This mornings topic is your Mavericks SPARE TIRE SIZE!

Towing requires you to have a matching diameter spare tire, so, same as what you are running.

So there you see my spare and normal tire, as well as Fords info regarding towing. The math is easy on this one.

I was going to make this another thread but decided to put it here for another reference/knowledge item.

You need a properly sized spare for your truck and trailer both!

Just think of the difference in rotations between the 2 tires sizes in 1 mile...a huge difference and your drive train will need to absorb the difference. I feel is not a good idea at any time, but especially when under load when towing.

My thoughts on it, will report on, when I find resolution with Ford, or my local tire shop...just depends how it goes. I will have a properly sized tire for my truck shortly.

Andy

If I'm towing "once in a while" and the spare isn't identical diameter to the other tires, I'll usually swap one of my winter tires & wheels as a spare for the trip. It's the same diameter as the summer tires ...

 

[SafetyGuy]

The Thermo-gun is a great idea. And I just happen to have one that I got a few years ago with a multimeter. Good one too. Keeping tabs on those brakes and bearings is important.

I have used mine on every trip, and I now use it on my Class B camper van...same reason.

I believe in prevention, not wait for bad things to happen before taking action.

I have helped others as well...in Nipigon, ON a brand new Chevy truck pulled into the gas station where we were fuelling all worked up. He could smell hot brakes. So I whipped out my thermo gun, checked his trucks brakes, hubs etc...all was good.

I figured it was just maybe anti corrosion coating on his brake discs scrubbing off...it literally was a brand new truck. So, all good!

Cheers

Andy

 

[SafetyGuy]

If I'm towing "once in a while" and the spare isn't identical diameter to the other tires, I'll usually swap one of my winter tires & wheels as a spare for the trip. It's the same diameter as the summer tires ...

Yep, I would do same and have done same with previous trucks.

Don't have winter tires yet, may switch to all-weather tires so will buy a properly sized tire to go on the spare...just have to do all the due diligence to make sure it will fit under the truck with that tire-flattener there to deal with!

Cheers

Andy

 

[Maverick123]

Regarding mirrors mentioned earlier, I haven't towed anything wide enough that the side view mirrors on the truck aren't adequate for spotting vehicles. I did add a small convex mirror to the driver's side mirror to see what's right next to me, even though i have the warning system.

What I do not like, and this is basically on all vehicles today, are the right hand mirror not being flat. "Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear" is a disclaimer, but backing using the right mirror is really difficult because it is very difficult to judge how close you are to anything. I've taken to setting things up, if possible, to back into driveways using my drivers side mirror only because it is much easier to see exactly where the trailer is going.

I may look into towing add-on mirrors for that specific reason.

I knew the basics of how to tow and how to control a trailer when backing up, but when I started towing my camper I asked my "ex truck driver" neighbor if he had any advice for me.
1) He taught me how to jackknife the trailer if I need to turn around in a narrow spot, and
2) told me "if you need to back up into a tight spot, ALWAYS try to back the trailer to your left". It's way easier to see what's going on in the driver's mirror, and you can also just look back and see the side of the trailer

 

[SafetyGuy]

I knew the basics of how to tow and how to control a trailer when backing up, but when I started towing my camper I asked my "ex truck driver" neighbor if he had any advice for me.
1) He taught me how to jackknife the trailer if I need to turn around in a narrow spot, and
2) told me "if you need to back up into a tight spot, ALWAYS try to back the trailer to your left". It's way easier to see what's going on in the driver's mirror, and you can also just look back and see the side of the trailer

So very true, thanks for contributing!

Andy

 

[Ranko Kohime]

The manual for the scale is much appreciated, as it contains valuable information, though the pictures are a bit hard to read, so here is a link to the PDF version

 

[SafetyGuy]

The manual for the scale is much appreciated, as it contains valuable information, though the pictures are a bit hard to read, so here is a link to the PDF version

Thanks for adding the link for the pdf download file, that should help others who want to learn a bit about towing properly!

Way more easily read and also a copy of the pdf for any future reference as well!

Have a good one,

Andy

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