The first question you should ask is …. What am i capable of towing? 

So often I hear of people purchasing trailers that are simple too heavy for their tow vehicle. It is a common mistake to read the specs of a trailer and believe that they are within the prescribed towing specifications. This is usually not the full picture. It also doesn’t help that the sales person at the dealership is trying to sell the trailer on minimum spec, and needs your signature on the dotted line. So not to bore the crap out of you I have listed some of the things you should consider:

• What is the towing capacity of my vehicle?
• What is the GVWR of the trailer in question?
• What is the estimated “fully loaded” weight of the trailer?
• Have you considered the added passenger weight in your tow vehicle?
• What is the hitch tongue weight?
• If all these specs seem to look good does my vehicle have enough power to truly safely tow the trailer?
• Would I require additional weight distribution and anti-sway products?
• What are the specs of the trailer tyres?
• Does the trailer have brakes?
• Does my tow vehicle have trailer brake control?

The above are some of initial questions you should be checking before making this exciting purchase. It’s very easy to get caught up with the size of the refrigerator and fancy foot flush toilet. 

While it’s not my intention to scare anyone out of RV’ing, it’s certainly important to ensure your safety, never mind those sharing the road with you.