Tips for Using a Trailer

Video Transcript

"Hi, I am Albert Headsmith with Expert Village. We are going to talk a little bit about basic trailering. Driving a vehicle with a trailer this large can be really overwhelming especially in cities and near boat ramps. This trailer here is only thirty feet long. Actually legally in the United States you can have a trailer on the road that is up to forty-eight feet without going with a tractor trailer. Once you go over forty-eight feet it has to be a tractor trailer, usually at that point you need a CDL. Basic driving techniques include backing up, making turns, and doing just general motions including stopping the trailer. It is best to go into a parking lot especially if you don't feel uncomfortable or some other wide open area to go ahead and give your self a chance to go ahead and practice these skills. In the end backing up a trailer just works on geometry, one point is the axle, one point is the tongue of the trailer and another point is just the obstacle that you are trying to avoid. If you just go out and practice that usually you can back the trailer into most positions with just a little bit of practice. When in doubt swing it wide, in other words pull forward past the turn you want to make, much further than you normally would with the car so you don't end up hitting curbs, signs, or medians maybe or people or other cars. You also when you are backing up want to go ahead and walk behind the vehicle go ahead and take a good look to make sure you are not going to hit anyone or anything."