Towing a Travel Trailer in the Rain

Now that summer is here, it's time for you to get your travel trailer ready to go on all your travels.  Here in the Midwest, we tend to experience heavy rain and thunderstorms that can make driving while towing more challenging. Follow these tips when driving in the rain to keep yourself and those around you safe on the highway in wet weather conditions.

Check Your Wipers

Being able to see clearly through your windshield is crucial when you're driving in reduced visibility. Check your windshield wiper blades and replace them if they look worn. Also, top off your windshield-wiper fluid so that you can keep your windshield clean and clear while you drive. You can use glass cleaner and a paper towel to clean the interior of your windshield to remove streaks that can reduce your visibility as well.

Perform a Safety Check

Before you depart, walk around your towing vehicle and travel trailer setup to make sure that everything is as it should be. Carefully check the hitch so you know it’s secure. Use a tire-pressure gauge to check the pressure in all your tires on both your vehicles and air them up as needed. You can even install a tire-pressure monitoring system on your travel trailer so that you always know what the condition of your tires is.  

Finally, climb into your travel trailer and make sure that all your cargo is secure and that it is evenly balanced between the left and right sides of your trailer. This way, you aren't driving with an unbalanced load, which can make driving through the rain much harder.

Exercise Caution on the Road

Once you're on the road, you'll need to be more vigilant than usual to avoid getting yourself into an accident. Monitor traffic conditions ahead of you so that you can react in advance if there's congestion or road construction. Also, increase your following distance to several seconds to give yourself time to bring your towing setup to a complete stop, since the increased weight that you're hauling will make braking more difficult.

If you need professional assistance in maintaining your travel trailer, visit the Herold Trailer Sales service department by contacting us to schedule an appointment with our team of mechanics. We will be more than happy to help you address any issues you're having with your travel trailer.

When you're ready to check out a great selection of new and used travel trailers for sale, visit our dealership in Indianola, IA, to see what we've got in stock. We also offer travel trailer financing options to help you find your purchase. Herold Trailer Sales proudly serves the metro areas of Des Moines, IA, and Omaha, NE.