Augie Dog is right, we all missed that. At least I experience the same pull from passing rigs. Sometimes catch myself looking in the mirror as they come up, not wanting to be too close, but take your eyes off the road too long and that's exactly what you'll do, get too close.

 

Stopping distance,
look car farthest ahead and watch for there brake lights.
Don't let the dummy doing 80+++ make you think your not up to the task. remember you have to stop that thing before it gets stopped by something else. the whole ideal if to have fun out there.


john

 

After dropping your trailer on your ball and locking it in place raise your trailer and make sure it's latched. Fifth Wheel pull forward. Even though it's home make sure your ball is the correct size for your trailers hitch.

Don't trust anybody when hooking up make all the connections yourself. Put the trailer brakes on and pull forward a bit to make sure the trailer brakes are working.

Pack the bearings yearly, more if you are towing alot. Pull the drums and check the brakes. Check for rust in the brakes. Rotate the trailer tires.
Whoever recommended the E brake is your friend, get one. Get a GOOD jack and check your spare tire on both the truck and trailer.

Check the brake away switch on the brakes a couple of times a year.

Just because you have lots of tread left on your tires doesn't mean they are good tires. Tires have a date code on them, old tires with with good tread are dangerous and will blooooooooooooow out. Check the date code and believe it. Your trailer is new don't make the mistake of thinking your tires are new too. I've seen them a couple of years older than the trailer they were on.

Leave the beer in the fridge until you get where you are going. Better yet put the beer in an ice chest. Opening your fridge kills it's cooling. Always have ventilation otherwise you can wake up with it raining inside. Mostly in cold weather.

Use dilectric grease on your connections. When unpluging your trailer cover your light plug. Get a solar trickle charger or better yet get a big one and keep your battery charged up when not using your trailer. If you have room for another battery get one, you'll thank me later if you dry camp. Good solar and a couple of good batteries will save you running the truck. If you buy a generator get a Honda not some cheapo Home Depot unit. Quieter, reliable and will last a long time.

Get some spare fuses and blubs for your truck and trailer. Get a 12 VDC tester and a DVM they don't cost much and will make tracing an electrical problem possible.

Lube your ball. Others will say no grease this will be debated forever, I grease mine.

Leave some water and chemical in your black tank even when hooked up in a park. If you don't you run the chance of building turd mountain in the tank then your chemical has alot more to do to break it down. Dump the black water first then the grey water will help wash out the clingons. Keep a couple of pairs of rubber gloves or a box of disposables to keep your hands from touching all that plumbing stuff. Be prepared for some water to leak into the final trap and watch out for high surf when you open it.

Use a white hose for fresh water filling and hook ups.

Most of the jacks around the trailer are more for stability than leveling.

 

a small toolbox can go a lllooonnnngggg way. socket set, screwdrivers duct tape, electrical tape etc. most jacks are for stability ( less sway and rocking when parked ) carry leveling boards to put your tires on to level side to side. cut the board in 12" sections then screw together with nylon webbing. this way they are easier to carry and they "conform" to irregular terrain. also, cut some 2x4's down into 6-8-10" pieces. if you go to a state park that has picnic tables on sight, you need to level/ stabilize them. i hate a rocking table. if you plan on running alot of outdoor 110v stuff, dont run it off the outlet on the side of the trailer, instead, run a heavy ext. cord from the power supply to a surge protector and then plug them all in. this will help save the breaker panel inside the camper. get a good spring loaded awning tie down kit. if its blowing hard, put that thing up now! for chilly nights, get a small ceramic heater, they work well and dont burn your lp. the first time you fire your furnace, it might smoke a little and stink, thats cause its new and burnubg off the " newness" . i would suggest that on a nice day at home, open all windows and doors and fire up the furnace for about 10-15 minutes to break it in and get aired out. you dont want to sleep in there after initial fire. it stinks! the more you camp, the more you will see what you need. if you forget something, dont worry, i dont know a single camper who has or remembers everything! have fun!

 

hey you will be fine everyone is giving great advice. Slow and steady wins when toweing something for the first time

 

towed the new toyhauler 3 times since I bought it. Everything went great and I appreciate all the advise you guys gave. Just wanted to drop a line and say thanks.

tom

 

thats what the DTR family is for. . ..