Tips for Loading Your Car Trailer
Not everyone wants to hire someone to do a job they can do themselves. That’s why many of you might be looking to use your own car trailer to move your vehicle from one place to the next. This can be especially true if work or a hobby requires you move a vehicle fairly often. But if you’re new to this, then you might be a little nervous about loading that kind of special cargo onto a trailer. That’s why we here at True Value Trailers & Power Equipment have provided some tips for getting you started. Check them out for yourself and then stop by our location near Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Fountain, and Cañon City, Colorado if you have any more questions.
Finding the Right Car Trailer
First things first: you need to be using a trailer that can actually handle the weight of the vehicle you’re transporting. No cutting corners here. You’ll be hauling enough weight that if you overload any part of your towing unit, you might be creating serious driving hazards and increase your risk of trailer sway and damage.
This also means making sure your tow vehicle can handle the weight of both the trailer and the second vehicle. Odds are, you’re going to need a pickup of some kind to accommodate that kind of weight. If you’re not sure, there are some important numbers you need to know. Your Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) will tell you how much total weight your towing unit can be without overwhelming your tow vehicle. Your tongue weight is the downward force applied to the tongue of the trailer, and should probably be around 10-12% of the trailer’s weight once it’s loaded. And of course, you must know the trailer’s own carrying capacity. These numbers will help you find the right tow vehicle and trailer to get you to your destination efficiently and safely.
Prepping the Loading Zone
When you’re getting ready to load your vehicle, there are a few things you’ll need to make sure are in place first before getting started. Make sure you’re on flat ground when you do this. Also make sure your tow vehicle is secure, with the vehicle in park, the parking brake on, the trailer brakes on, chocks in place if necessary. If the unit starts moving too much, you can lose your alignment and drive off the ramp.
And speaking of which, make sure that ramp is in place, it’s secure, and it’s straight. No driver wants to find out your loading ramp is out of whack and you don’t want to mess with the consequences. For similar reasons, measure once, twice, three times if needed to make sure your vehicle can fit on the ramps.
The Team
If at all possible, try to get a team of people to help you with this. Of course, someone will need to be driving the vehicle onto the trailer. This person should be fairly confident behind the wheel of whatever vehicle you’re loading, as one excessive push of the gas can make for a big problem. And in this case, slow and steady wins the race.
A second and third person can help direct the driver using established hand signals and let them know when they’re fully on the trailer, or when they need to adjust their direction. One person will do just fine, but a second person can help guide you from a different angle. Make sure these people know to stand off to the side and never between the trailer and the tow vehicle.
Once the vehicle is on the trailer, you’ll just need to use ratchet straps to tie down the wheels and you’re ready to go. This is probably going to take some practice, so consider doing it a few times before your first real trip out with the trailer. If you’re still looking for car trailers in Colorado, then stop by True Value Trailers & Power Equipment and let us show you what we have available right now. We proudly serve Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Fountain, and Cañon City.