Tips for Towing a Vehicle with an RV Safely

Before departing in your RV you should Inspect the tow bar, dolly or trailer for loose bolts and worn parts. Tighten loose bolts and replace worn parts before hooking up. If you have bolts that are consistently coming loose, use Loctite or put on a double nut to keep them tight.

During hook up:
1. Hook up on a flat smooth surface.
2. If you have a coupler style tow bar; check the fit of the coupler on the ball. Adjust the coupler if necessary.
3. Hook up the tow bar.
4. Set up the towed vehicle’s steering and transmission to tow.
5. Check your parking brake to ensure it is disengaged.
6. Latch the legs on a self-aligning tow bar.
7. Attach the safety cables. Cross the cables between the vehicles and wrap the cables around the tow bar legs to keep them from dragging.
8. Attach the electrical cable.
9. Check the function of all lights on both vehicles.
10. Locate your spare key and lock the towed vehicle’s doors.
11. Drive with care and remember your vehicle will be about 25 feet longer while towing.

Each time you stop, check the tow bar, base plate and cables to make sure they are still properly attached. Check the tires of the towed vehicle to make sure they are not going flat. If you are using a dolly or trailer, check the wheels to make sure they are not hot to the touch. If the wheels are hot, it may indicate a brake or bearing problem.
Each day before you start check the lights to make sure they are working properly.
Between trips clean the tow bar and cables to keep them in good shape. Also, clean and lubricate the tow bar as recommended by the manufacturer’s instructions.

Have a checklist

It's just too easy to get distracted and forget something (like ignition position, emergency brake, break away hook up, transmission in wrong position, etc.,). good practice is to have a checklist avalible at all times in a place eaisly seen. One good exaple is to slip your checklist in a plastic cover, and a twist-tie so you can tie it on the steering wheel. Make sure you have a second key to the tow vehicle. That way you can leave the rig parked for a while, hooked up, and not have to worry about unlocked doors. Check all the connections every time you fuel up, or make a rest stop.

TIP: for your lugnuts on your RV is an easy to take a black marker, make a black mark across the nut, bolt, washer. That way a quick look will reveal if that mark is aligned. If not, something is loosening.

Make sure that the road emergency brake is off before you leave. And probably more important, be sure that you set the emergency brake before you start to disconnect. Put that on your list.
Never let yourself be interrupted when hooking up. Keep your mind on your work.

Refueling

As far as refueling is concerned it's best to look for corner gas stations with gas bays parallel to the street. These are easier to get in and out of . Because it may be difficult to locate the ideal refueling setup, when you gauge gets down to about half full you start looking for stations that offer an ease of entry.

Backing Up
sometimes you'll find that you can't back up. Learn to watch like a hawk for "blind alley" situations that you can't get out of...or you'll have to unhook and turn around and then re hook up everything.
Backing up is a problem and is something to be avoided. However,- in rare cases you may find yourself in the position of having to back up a little, three to six feet because of an awkward situation.
Refueling should never be a problem when towing. The biggest trick with a Class A is to get the back of the RV stopped at the pump, as the gas fill is at the rear. Many folks have the co pilot get out and give signals when the fill pipe is aligned with the pump.
Finally, one of the biggest concerns and an issue you should pay close attention to is being sure, before you pull in to a fuel stop, make sure you can easily pull out without any backing up. If that forces you to pass up cheaper fuel, so be it. Nothing worse than 40' - 50' of motorhome and tow vehicle trying to back out of a convenience store gas station.

Arriving at Campgrounds

When arriving at campgrounds we have found it more practical to unhook just before, or immediately after pulling in. It's best to do this because you can use the tow vehicle to check out and pick out a campsite, then go back to the registration office and sign in. This seems easier than driving all around with a vehicle in tow.
In Campgrounds, You should ask when registering if there is room to unhook at the site. Most do, but a few are tight and the CG folks will tell you the best approach.

TIP: Look for pull through sites if possible.

Occasionaly you will find that a campground ony offers a back-in site. For just an over night stop, is can be a pain, so it's sometimes a good idea to pass and opt for another location.

Driving and Maneuvering

One comforting thing to remember is that the trailer is narrower than the RV, so it's always "inside" the RV's turning circle. In other words, if you get the RV through, the trailer will follow.
Learn to use the rearview camera. It'll show you when you have the trailer far enough past the car you're passing to able to pull back in.

TIP: BE CAREFUL - the lens is a real "wideangle" and the distances look different than they are, but you'll get the hang of it.

Also, there should be a plastic overlay for the rearview camera monitor that has a distance scale on it. Often this is never installed by the dealer. Look in the info package for the backup camera that came with all the new rig information.
Be aware of the possibility of a flat tire on the Trailer. You should make a habit of checking on the backup camera, looking for abnormal vibrations on the trailer. It would not take too long to start a fire with a flat on the trailer!