Prior to hooking up your trailer, it is important to perform a complete inspection to ensure safety. If you have any manuals for your hitch or trailer be sure to read them! They could contain important information you may overlook. I worked for a company many years ago that had a fatal accident involving a trailer. Know the limits of your trailer and if you do not have a manual, try to contact the manufacturer to obtain one.

The first thing to do is to inspect the hitch and trailer. Check for loose bolts, attaching pins, etc. Check the hitch on the tow vehicle. Check the ball for proper torque and size to match the trailer coupler. When a receiver hitch is used, check cross pin and safety pin. Check the electrical connector plug on the vehicle. Check for loose or frayed wires hanging from the plug and where it is connected to the tow vehicle wiring. Using a test light or test stand, check for electric current at the proper pin location in the plug. Check the marker lights, left turn, right turn, brake, ground and auxiliary hot wire, if applicable. Be sure to check all tires for proper inflation. Refer to the tire side wall for recommended pressure. Check all lug nuts for proper torque. During the life of the trailer, it is recommended to periodically check lug nut torque.

When all inspections are complete, you are ready to hook up the trailer to your vehicle. Check for proper ball size to match the trailer hitch coupler, verify that the coupler is securely attached to the ball and insert the safety pin. Attach safety chains to the tow vehicle. Chains must be hooked to a permanent member of the tow vehicle. The addition of eyes or loops may be necessary to accommodate the safety chain properly. Check the trailer for proper towing altitude. A loaded or unloaded trailer must be towed with a positive hitch height for safe towing. When the hook-up is slightly higher compared to the leveling of the trailer, a smoother performance is given.

Now its time to check the lights. Connect the electrical plug and verify the lights on the trailer are working. Check the marker light (running lights) with only park lights on. If the interior dome lights are applicable, they should be tested now to see if they are wired in conjunction with marker lights on the trailer. Now turn off the tow vehicle park lights, then turn on the left and right turn signals to verify they are working correctly. With the turn signals and park lights at the off position, apply pressure to the brake pedal on the towing vehicle and verify that the brake (stop) lights are working.

Some trailers have electric brakes. If you do, check the electronic brake control for the proper setting. Set the control’s level adjustment and adjust the gain control as needed. Consult the brake control manual for proper adjustment procedure. After setting the brake control, start the tow vehicle and pull the trailer forward. Apply the trailer brakes manually using the brake control only. Repeat this several times adjusting the gain control until smooth braking action is achieved. Check the emergency break-away system with the break-away battery installed. Pull the emergency break-away cable pin from the emergency break-away switch. Start the tow vehicle and try to pull the trailer forward, the brakes should now be engaged on the trailer only, causing a dragging pressure against the trailer. As soon as this procedure is tested, reapply the emergency break-away pin back into the switch. While the pin is removed a depletion of energy is occurring from the battery.

Before you take off, check all gates and latches. All gates should be closed and latched during towing. Demonstrate proper methods of latching all gates and doors. Happy trailing!