Fifth Wheel Towing Tips

Fifth wheels are one of the most popular types of RV and for good reason. They often feature spacious floor plans, the most luxurious trim packages, and the latest technology. But if you’re new to fifth wheel ownership and you don’t have other towing experience, you might be intimidated by the prospect of towing by yourself. 

While it’s true that driving with a fifth wheel is a different experience from your everyday work commute or a trip to the grocery store, it doesn’t have to be a scary process. Read on to learn our best fifth wheel towing tips.

Make Sure Your Vehicle is Equipped to Tow Your Trailer

Before you ever head out with your fifth wheel, it’s important to make sure your vehicle is actually equipped to handle the job. The most important thing to look for is your vehicle’s gross combined weight rating. This is the upper limit on the weight that your vehicle can haul, and it includes the cargo, passengers, weight of what you’re towing and the weight of the vehicle itself. You’ll need to make sure your vehicle is allowed to tow the RV in the first place. 

Second, you’ll want to make sure your vehicle has an engine that is powerful enough to haul the trailer. If your engine isn’t powerful enough, it will struggle to pull the RV up hills and it will probably overheat and have a problem. The brakes and transmission are important, too, although you might be able to tell if they’ll work until you actually take your RV on the road. 

Finally, you’ll want to make sure you have big enough mirrors to be able to have some level of visibility all the way down the side of your RV. 

Make Sure Your Vehicle is in Good Condition

Before you hit the road, you’ll want to make sure your tow vehicle and fifth wheel are in good shape for driving. 

Start at the bottom with the tires. Tire pressure is extremely important, so make sure the tires are inflated to the manufacturer's specifications. Your tires should also be free of obvious damage and should have tread that’s in good condition. 

Next, make sure your engine fluids are topped off and in good condition. Walk to the rear of your fifth wheel and make sure the turn signals and brake lights work, then walk all the way around it and make sure nothing is out of place. 

Practice Basic Driving Skills

It’s helpful to practice your driving before you get on the road with a fully loaded fifth wheel. Try heading to an empty parking lot. These are helpful because a parking lot mimics many of the conditions you’ll find in a campground. You can follow the same turns and corners that are lined out on the ground, but you don’t have to worry about doing damage if you don’t cut a corner wide enough or if you mess up while reversing. 

Are you in the market for a fifth wheel? Check out the selection at Pete’s RV PA. Our dealership is located in Mountville, Pennsylvania, and we also serve those in Hershey, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and York.