Bracket finals for IHRA and NHRA E.T. racers will be here before we know it. Many of us are used to towing long distances, but for some of you a long-distance tow to an out-of-state track might be a new experience. If that's you then this info might come in handy.

Dragtime News - Towing Basics

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dragtime Dodge,

Good info but didn't see anything about length. Way to many tow with not enough truck then wonder why they end up in the ditch. Also consider where the center of the tow vehicle is.

Good point Don; thank you!

It's almost time for many of us to be hitting the road (especially us former Etown racers who are looking for a new home), and getting to the track is just as important as staging 1st round. Whether you're new to towing a trailer or just want to brush up on your knowledge, this article on Towing Basics might be useful.

Keep in mind what Ferndale says above about tow vehicle length and center.

Simple tip, stop early and often and do a walk around and open an enclosed trailer. I always stop and open the back door and ck and tighten straps.

In trailer camera's with monitor in truck or motor home works great for keeping eye on things.

Really good article. Straps and strapping down info would be good for a newbie too.

I get a lot of input from Racers towing experiences, some great some not so good.
Here are the common "stories" I get.

Ball mount cracks where the trailer ball is attached to ball mount, especially on Chinese-made weight distribution hitches. Check often.

I have seen three trailer balls snapped off. Do yourself a favor and get a 25,000 - 30,000 lb rated trailer ball. They cost about $25.00.

I have heard of several "receiver pins" snapping. A standard receiver hitch retaining pin is 5/8" Chinese-quality steel. They cost about $2.00. We suggest our customers use the best high-quality grade08 5/8" bolt they can find and use a nyloc-nut or self-locking nut as an added safety measure. Personally, we install the hitch drawbar in the receiver then drill out another hole (1/2") and add another bolt so there are two attachment bolts on the receiver hitch.

Trailer brakes fail and results are not pretty. Check wire connections, use shrink tubing to prevent corrosion and take the connector apart on trailer and tow vehicle to make sure connections are tight and not corroded.

Trailer tires fail and damage trailer. In my opinion, trailer tires are a two-year to three -year piece of equipment. Always check tire pressures and we recommend Trailer Toad customers stay with 5 to 10 lbs maximum recommended pressure with cold tire. Check them during your trip and see if one of them is getting hotter then the other ones..potential problem spotter.

Tie-downs breaking. Old webbing, rubbing on metal can cause issues.

Unhook the battery in a golf cart.

Be safe out there and if you want to take the weight off your coach or pickup take a look at the Trailer Toad.
Jok

I experienced the ball shearing off on the hitch many years ago on a trip from Baltimore to Farmington going 70 MPH----I was lucky, tri axel trailer and experience as the trailer was side ways but retained by safety chains, I mashed the throttle to get it straight then locked up the brakes and let it run into the back of the truck and got it stopped. Damage was minimal and I had another hitch. But imagine--this was a Friday before the 4th of July on I-85. I'll bet traffic was backed up 20 mi. I tow a lot --went to Belair MD yesterday to get a rolled 2017 Mustang. Left a 6am back around 10 last night. 800mi in that awful NE traffic. Jok is right about tires and checking them---I use Wal Mart tires, check them every time I go and every time I stop and change all 6 when they are a couple of years old---no tire problems. I have read all the wives tales about tires but I have been towing 50 years maybe so I like what I do. Be SAFE

That list is severely flawed. Example in NC it is 90ft for anyone involved in motorsports...

I thought Illinois was 65'.