How hard is it to pull a travel trailer?

Question

My husband and I have been considering buying a travel trailer. Is it really hard to pull one? Is it white-knuckle the whole time? I have seen a few flipped on their sides on the freeway. Living in So Cal with so much traffic and fast drivers, is the stress of pulling the trailer worth it?? I drive a new Suburban. Any suggestions to make it easier to pull?

Answer 1

They are not hard to pull at all. Your suburban will handle one with no problem at all. I don't see any stress from pulling one if you are a good driver, its always the screwball driver that causes problems. The only thing I would tell you to watch out for is try not to drive when the wind is really blowing hard, pull into a rest area and try to wait it out. Just use common sense and you will be just fine.

Answer 2

It's only a 'white-knuckle' thing on dirt roads. To make things easier on yourself try and drive at lower speeds, and make sure to swing wide when turning because a trailer effectively doubles the length of your vehicle.

Your Suburban should pull this just fine. Be sure to check the weight limit for your trailer and for heaven's sake don't EVER go over that.

Answer 3

Try this site it is for people that live in California.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/dl648/dl648pt...

Answer 4

If your truck and trailer combination is set up correctly, you won't really know it's back there.  You have a good tow vehicle in the Suburban.  You will just have to change your driving habits to compensate for the length and weight of the trailer added to the Suburban.

You will need more stopping distance and you will need to pay attention turning corners so your trailer does not climb the curb (or take out the front car in the left turn lane).  To my knowledge, any trailer 19feet long or over must be equipped with it's own braking system.  Most of them use electric brakes that work in conjunction with the brakes on the tow vehicle.  Even with the extra braking power, you will need to leave a minimum of 4-6 seconds between you and the vehicle in front of you.

I have driven LA traffic for the last 30+ years in a tractor/trailer.  The key to surviving CA traffic is timing...   either leave before the rush, or after it.... but being on the freeways during rush hour will not only fray your nerves, but is not conducive to good fuel economy.  If you can't get out of town before rush hour... pull out the grill and have a tailgate party until rush hour is over.... then go.  It's safer and you will still have fun in the process.

Good luck to you...