Make sure you've got a full set of towing accessories before you hit the road.
Many drivers head into towing with the time to be fully prepared, there are plenty of occasions when you might be presented with a need to tow at very short notice. Please avoid the temptation just to hook on the trailer and drive... make sure you've got all the correct towing accessories.
The towing accessories you need & why.
To understand what towing accessories you need, is to understand how trailers and the towing vehicle is connected. The connection is known as hitch, mounted to the vehicle's chassis. Permanent hitches have a fixed ball mount, while temporary hitches have a removable one. The ball mount enables the trailer to turn with the tow vehicle, while the ball mount lock keeps a temporary ball mount in place within the hitch.
The tongue goes over the hitch's ball mount and takes the force given by the trailer (i.e. the tongue weight). The trailer coupler and tongue lock fix the trailer's tongue to the ball mount. Safety chains fix the trailer to the tow vehicle and give a secondary attachment should the trailer hitch have an issue. The wiring harness attaches the electrical wiring of the trailer to the tow vehicle's wiring.
The towing accessories you know will fall into these four main groups:
- Tools and loading ramps for installing and connecting the trailer
- Straps, bungee cords, chains and antitheft devices for securing the trailer and its contents
- Alarms and cameras for warning drivers of theft or obstacles
- Mirrors, brakes and antisway devices for safely operating the trailer
Top 10 Towing Accessories
- Wrench
- Load-minimizing Liftgates & Ramps
- Tie-downs to protecting valuable loads
- Alarm systems to deter would-be thieves
- Camera systems to deter / catch would-be thieves
- Side Mirrors & Tow Lights for safety
- Antitheft securing devices
- Scale to measure Tongue Weight
- Supplementary Brakes for safety
- Antisway Bars & Weight Distribution Hitches for safety
