Prepping the trailer: Make sure
3. your battery is fully charged and
that you have all the necessary set up
tools required: an electric cord, a clean
water hose, a grey water outlet hose
and black water hose and tank if you
have a toilet, wheel chocks, a slab or two
of timber for unhitching and a bucket
(if there is no grey water outlet), your
awning and poles, ropes and pegs in an
easy to get to position with easy access
so you can set up easily upon arrival. I
use my side locker under the rear bed for
these things.
Hooking up. I think it’s funny that
4. American vintage trailers only have
those wind up posts for unhitching and
that everyone has to carry chunks of wood
around to support them. In Australia and
New Zealand we have “Jockey wheels”
that attach to the side of the A-frame and
a handbrake to the trailer wheels also
mounted on the A-frame (so our caravans
don’t roll away!) and these are great for
me when hooking up too as if you are
an inch or two off on either side you can
just tug on the A-frame and roll the trailer
across (if it’s a little one like mine are). I
found a version of this at Napa that bolts
(or can be welded) on to the A-frame and
lifts upright into position or horizontally
when traveling with a simple crank. I
have put it one on my “Rosie” and it’s
great, although because my car sits very
low I still do sometimes have to use the
old post to give me the height to allow
the wheel to spin down into position.
When travelling, use a piece of wire to
strap the handle to maintain it in the
horizontal position whilst travelling.
Turn off your Propane!
In Australia I had a little acronym
5. to remind me of the process of
hitching and unhitching that I’d count
off across my knuckles: JCHE. It stood
for Jockey wheel, chains, handbrake,
electrics. Now I don’t have a handbrake
I’ll have to come up with another one!
Make your own up and be methodical
about the process, EVERY TIME. Try
not to let anyone else help you or get
chatting to you while you do it the first
few times so you get that system in
your head.
Make sure the chains are crossed so if
the hitch jumps off the ball the chains
will catch it. Use properly rated chain and
shackles.
Unhook one terminal of your battery
whilst travelling.
Make sure your electric plug is locked in
place and test the indicators and brake
lights are working on the trailer before
setting off anywhere. Every time.
BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES!
Walk all around the trailer and touch each
window and give it a little push to make
sure all windows and the roof hatch are
super secure before driving. Air getting
inside a trailer whist driving can be
catastrophic. (See tip #6 below!)
Driving whilst towing: I’ve heard
6. more than one woman talk abut
this experience as giving them white
knuckles at first. Here’s a few tips to make
the experience a little less stressful: Take
YOUR time. Don’t feel pressure to keep
up with anyone else on the road, travel all
the way at 55mph if you feel best doing
that. I know I do. It’s safer in wind gusts,
when being overtaken by huge trucks
and when unexpected obstacles appear
on the road in front of you. There’s a very
valid reason most states make that the
legal limit for anyone towing.
If the GPS says the trip is going to take
3 hours, allow for 4. Stop often and rest.
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