Towing Your New TrailerWritten by W. H. Ingle
You have bought a new trailer and have your first trip all planned out. Are you ready to start out on your trip? Assuming you have done all inspections for your trailer and cargo, then here are a few tips for being on road and towing your trailer safely. Remember, there is a big difference between just driving your vehicle and hauling a load behind it. Handling characteristics will be startlingly different. Practicing on roads with little traffic or even in empty parking lots will help to give you a feel for how your vehicle will handle in different situations. And while in a deserted parking lot, it is a good time to practice backing and parking. To back a trailer, turn your wheel right to back right and turn your wheel left to back left. Oversteering can cause trailer to turn sharply, so do gradual movements. If you get in a bind, just pull forward and straighten everything out and try again. Don't forget to consult your vehicles's owners manual for information on correct driving gear when towing. If your manual is unavailable, call dealer for your make of vehicle. Usually service department has all information you need and may have a few tips on do's and don'ts that may be useful to you. Always drive at moderate speeds when towing. Some states even have laws and regulations for driving a certain speed below posted limit when towing a trailer. Just be sure to leave plenty of time for your trip and don't get in a hurry. This will also put less strain on your towing vehicle and may help in avoiding breakdowns. Also, driving at moderate speeds can avoid trailer sway . While driving, it is essential you stay alert for potential problems ahead. Lane changes and braking are best when planned. Heavy braking can cause great problems such as sliding or even jack knifing, not to mention extreme strain on your trailer, cargo or animals. A good rule of thumb on following distance of vehicle in front of you is one and a half to two car lengths for every ten miles an hour of speed when towing. If people pull in front of you, drop back. Better safe than sorry. Try to anticipate having to stop for lights or traffic and begin slowing ahead of time. Remember, your braking time and distance are going to increase with a heavy load behind you. Try to avoid sudden steering maneuvers that could put you out of control when towing a load. If road you are traveling is bumpy or even gravel, you will need to travel at much slower speeds to maintain control. Gravel or "rutty" roads can even cause your vehicle and/or trailer to "float" and cause you to face disaster. Road and weather conditions will have an even greater effect on how you drive when towing. When you make your first turn towing a trailer, you must remember to compensate for a much wider turn. The trailer's wheels will be much further to inside of a turn than towing vehicle's. The trailer will ride up on curb, or into a ditch or, on left turns, even sideswipe vehicles. There are other problems on highway in dealing with other traffic and wind conditions. Large vehicles can cause wind shifts as they pass you. Just keep your hands on wheel firmly and avoid over compensating. If winds start your trailer swaying, do not hit brakes. Instead, use trailer brake activator to lightly apply brakes on your trailer. Try shifting into a lower gear and decreasing speed of your vehicle. Just hitting brakes on tow vehicle can make sway worse as centrifugal force pushes trailer forward.
| | Support Group for Performance Challenged EnginesWritten by Dee Scrip
The heart of circulatory system in vehicles is engine. Your engine could be performance-challenged if it exhibits one or more of these symptoms:·Chronic Fatigue ·Listlessness or Sluggishness ·Difficulty Maintaining Former Miles Per Gallon ·Hemophiliac Emissions ·Irritability ·Octane Deprivation As primary caregiver of your engine, you’ve accepted responsibility for maintenance, e.g., purchasing fuel, changing spark plugs, lubricating valves, changing oil, etc., but in spite of meticulous nurturing, your engine continues to be unreceptive. According to Fuel Doctor, problematic symptoms are indicative of a common eating disorder known only to vehicles, e.g., automobiles, trucks, boats, RVs, motorcycles, etc. The eating disorder is a direct result of gasoline or diesel fuel feedings. This vehicle food produces sulfuric acid reflux in engine. Sulfuric acid (created from union of fuel and water – which is present in all fuel), never completely burns off during engine combustion, and end result is grotesque carbon deposits clinging to spark plugs, valves, etc., choking away its life. When these toxic carbon deposits fester in engine, its performance noticeably diminishes, even after nourishing with higher octane fuel.
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