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Toby's Towing Blog: Advice and Information

Hey! My name is Toby, this is my blog. Have you ever considered what you would do if your car broke down on the side of the road? I hadn't given this much thought until it actually happened. I was driving into Sydney on the highway when my car started to make a very strange sound. Then the vehicle began to shake. Next, the engine cut out and I found myself stranded at the side of the road. Thankfully, my dad had signed me up with a towing service. I called them and they came right out and helped to recover my car.

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Toby's Towing Blog: Advice and Information

Three Maintenance Tips for Preparing Your Towing Rig

by Tracy Fox

If you are planning on towing a trailer using your truck, you should be diligent in preparing the rig for the trip. Poor preparation of your truck and trailer elements could lead to unexpected incidents such as disconnection of the rig and toppling of the trailer. As a result, you could lose your cargo, and numerous road users could be injured. If you are towing for the first time, you should consider these practical maintenance tips to help you improve the condition of your rig.

Change the Brakes

You should inspect your brakes before your towing trip. In general, the rig will require more stopping distance than an independent vehicle. Therefore, if your brakes are work out and cannot respond appropriately, you might end up in a bad incident. Therefore, it is advisable to install perform repairs and replacement of components such as brake pads in your vehicle. You should also have someone ensure that the brake lights on your trailer are performing as expected. If you have an older trailer, you should look into the possibility of installing independent trailer brakes for improved stopping efficiency.

Check the Hitching Devices

You should examine the hitching devices for your rig when preparing for your towing trip. If these components are not in ideal condition, unexpected disconnection of the rig could occur. You should check the hitch ball and make sure that it is not loose or damaged. The coupler should also be in top condition. When you connect these two elements, they should fit snugly together. You should examine the tow bar; this component is in line with the ground after setting up the rig. It is important to remember that the towing devices or elements have weight capacity rating. You should double check the specifications before proceeding with your journey.

Purchase Safety Chains

Finally, you should purchase some safety chains to ensure the stability of your rig. The safety chains are suitable for linking together the trailer and the towing vehicle for extra security. Typically, the connection between the hitch ball and the coupler will keep the rig together. However, if, by some unfortunate occurrence, the rig becomes unhitched, your safety chains will prevent the separation of the two units, allowing time for appropriate response. Therefore, you should not overlook the importance of these chains. When shopping for your safety chains, you should look for chains which match your rig. For example, a light-duty truck can use lightweight chains whie heavier rigs will require thick and resilient chains.

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