Woodall's is a website dedicated to camping safety and they suggest if you have never driven a vehicle with a camper trailer on it before, you should take the time to practice driving with one before you head out on your trip. Pulling a camper offers hazards that low-lying trailers do not have. It is difficult to maneuver a camper trailer, it is more difficult to see around one and it can be difficult to gauge the flow of traffic as well. Find an open parking lot and practice hauling the camper and looking in the mirrors to see traffic behind you, practice backing up and making sharp turns and practice moving the camper into position.
Auburn University suggests before you head out on your trip, you make sure items in the camper are secured. When items are not properly secured in a camper trailer, they can start to shift around and make driving difficult, even dangerous. The sudden swerve caused by a large item falling over on a turn can cause you to lose control of the vehicle. Make sure installed items are firmly in place, and gather loose items in the middle of the camper and secure them together in one solid bundle. Do not allow people to ride in the camper when you are driving.
Always consider the relationship between the weight of your camper trailer and the speed you are traveling. A camper trailer adds weight to the overall vehicle, which means the faster you go, the more momentum you are creating. When you exceed the speed limit, you begin to create momentum that could be difficult to stop. Always obey the posted speed limits, and if you need to drive a little slower to feel safer while pulling a camper trailer, do so.
