Heading down the road for the very first time with a pickup pulling a fifth wheel trailer is an exciting yet fearful experience. Consider that counting the length of the tow vehicle and trailer, you may be driving a rig with a total length of 50 feet or more, and a combined weight of 23,000 pounds or more. Your safety check should begin by using a fifth wheel and tow vehicle combined-weight calculator to know just exactly how heavy of a rig you will be required to control on busy streets and highways.
The start of the long anticipated family vacation has finally arrived, and everyone is up early rushing around to get the truck and trailer loaded with everything you need to have a wonderful vacation. In the excitement of planning for a trip, it can be easy to forget to check all of the items on the vehicles that can cause trouble. A detailed safety checklist for the tow vehicle and trailer enables you to ensure that every essential item and component has been looked at, so you and your family can safely head down the road at 70 miles an hour. In the rush to get on the road, it is easy to forget important items that will keep your family safe.
A thorough safety check begins before the tow vehicle backs up to the trailer. Look at the tires for proper inflation and condition. Check all of the taillights and clearance lamps for cracked and broken lenses. Trailer wiring that plugs into the truck connection must not be frayed, cracked or broken in any manner. Finally, make sure that all access doors, windows, vent openings and covers are closed and secure. When you go through your safety checklist, make sure that every item you inspect is in proper operating condition.
After making sure the trailer is ready to go, it is time to couple the tow vehicle to the trailer. One of the next steps after everything is hooked up will be to check that all trailer lights are operational. At this point, it would be a good idea to move the trailer a few feet and make sure the electric trailer brakes are operational. All 50 states require operational trailer brakes on fifth wheel and travel trailers. Walk around the trailer and look for anything you might have forgotten before heading out on the highway.
A safety check inside your fifth wheel trailer includes ensuring the fire extinguisher is serviceable, the smoke alarm is operational, all loose items are secure and emergency equipment such as flares are in place. Make sure all foldout rooms are properly stored and secure. Once you have looked at everything on the safety checklist, please remember that no one should ever ride in a fifth wheel when it is being towed down the road. Fifth wheel trailers have no provision for passenger safety in case of an accident.
