Tow Bar Safety
Use a tow bar when towing another vehicle, hauling a trailer or any other utility vehicle behind a recreational vehicle, car or truck, but keep in mind tow-bar safety to ensure no accidents occur.
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Types
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Tow bar safety includes matching the tow bar to the type of towing that is to take place. Use a self-aligning receiver mount (the most common), the A-frame tow bar or the self-aligning vehicle mount depending upon what is being towed.
Weight Classes
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Match the tow bar's weight classification to the weight of the vehicle being towed. Tow bars are classed by the weight of the towed vehicle. Class I tow bars are capable of towing vehicles up to one ton of weight, or 2,000 pounds; class II tow bars include towing vehicles of up to 3,500 pounds; class III covers vehicle weights of between 3,501 and 5,000 pounds and class IV covers vehicles weighting 5,001 to 10,000 pounds.
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Safety Tips
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Never back-up while towing a vehicle, always park in areas that allow pulling out. Remember that stopping takes longer because of the additional weight, keep a safe following distance, at least twice that of the vehicle and towed vehicle's combined length for every 10 miles of speed. Because of the added length while towing a vehicle, leave room for turning and lane changes. Locate a large parking lot to practice stopping and turning to get the feel of pulling another vehicle behind you. Never exceed the rating of the tow bar's towing weight capacity.
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References
- Photo Credit lake mead national recreation area 8 image by Jim Parkin from Fotolia.com
