Knowing how to tow vehicles is extremely beneficial knowledge that can come in handy anywhere, any time. If not for yourself, you can help countless people with your knowledge since vehicles are unpredictable and can break down anytime. However, towing is not simple and requires several precautions and preparations to be followed to tow vehicles from one location to another successfully. Here are five essential tips to keep in mind when towing:

Check your temperature:

For towing rigs, it is extremely crucial to manage the coolant, EGT and transmission temperature gauges. The towing trailers themselves are heavy and towing another vehicle adds on to the weight. To pull that much load, your transmission might exhaust itself and heat up, which leads to further issues like warped heads, cracked or melted pistons and other engine damage. To avoid facing these problems, always ensure your transmissions are kept below 210 degrees and are not heating up.

Check your tongue weight:

For towing purposes, weight distributing bars and chains are available in various strengths depending on your tongue weight. These bars are extremely tunable, leading people to assume that they can buy bigger weight distribution bars and tune them according to the vehicle. However, that is an incorrect technique that often leads to collision of the two vehicles, and loss of steering effectiveness. Bigger weights can also damage the vehicle’s hitch and frame, so you should always purchase the weight distribution bars according to the tongue weight.

Check your brakes:

Have you ever witnessed smoking trailer brakes or brakes bursting into flames? This happens when brakes are overlooked and neglected. To avoid such accidents and successfully tow vehicles, always ensure that, similar to tires, your brakes are replaced and adjusted as well. Trailer breaks do not self-adjust and need to be manually looked into, unlike truck breaks. Reverse braking strength is a valuable thing to have in times of emergency. Having performance rotors and pads for a tow rig is an ideal investment and gives you peace of mind and ensured safety.

Do not overload your vehicle:

Although most diesel trailers have plenty of reserve power to pull vehicles and other loads, it can still take a toll on the trailer if the weight is too much. Overloading the trailers might cause rapid depreciation of the engine health along with broken hitches, worn bushings and blown-out shocks. To avoid this, inspect your suspensions, frames, ball mounts, and other parts of the trailer for any signs of excessive stress.

Hire a towing company:

You might have all the knowledge about towing in the world but when it comes to practical situations, experience is still quite necessary. If you find yourself or anyone you know stuck in need of towing services, always call the towing company near you for assistance. These companies have the right expertise and equipment to transport your load from one place to another without causing further damage to either vehicle.