Introduction to Travel Trailers
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Current
Name for Current Century
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The
trailer coach has been around since the thirties. "Coach"is
an old term used to describe a vehicle for carrying people
and supplying limited accommodations. Both conventional
travel trailers and class A motor homes are often referred
to as a "coaches". The trailer coach is also called a
travel trailer or tagalong. We prefer trailer coach.
Trailer coaches are not always easy to control. The main
thing to remember about pulling a trailer coach is that
there is no forgiveness involved. If you don't balance
the trailer correctly, you could lose control easily.
If you don't hook up the hitch correctly, you could lose
control easily. If you don't use the sway controls correctly,
you could lose control easily. Trailer coaches are the
least forgiving of wheeled RVs.
A trailer coach can be a very safe RV if you follow specific
rules. A number of rules (often violated) are as follows:
- You must have a weight-distributing hitch adequate
for the job.
- The brake-controller lever must be easily reached
without taking your eyes off the road.
- When hitched on level ground, the trailer floor
must be fore-aft level.
- Any friction type sway-control bar must be released
when on gravel or slippery roads and should be reduced
on all curvy roads.
- Your towing vehicle must have a wheelbase adequate
to control the size of the trailer.
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Poor
Design Can Be Dangerous
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There are some trailer coach manufacturers who have a
history of building untowable travel trailers. Lawsuits
have been won against manufacturers because the trailer
model involved had a propensity to cause accidents. These
lawsuits prove that trailer coaches aren't as easy to
design and build as it might seem.
Use the RV Ratings Guide CD
to study the variety of hitch weight percentages. Notice
that some manufacturers have weights all over the board.
We have seen some brands with percentages ranging from
7% to 16% of the trailer's gross weight. This is totally
unforgivable! An RV manufacturer should be able to keep
those hitch weights between 10% and 12% the acceptable
range for most coaches whether dry or wet. However,
sloppy design that results in unacceptable hitch weight
percentages can cause fatal accidents.
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A Trailer
Coach Can Work For You
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A trailer coach can be a good instrument for doing all
the things you want to do as an RVer. A poorly-hitched
and out-of-balance trailer coach is not forgiving to adverse
road conditions and lack of concentration on driving techniques.
We hope this section will stress the importance of preparation
whenever you take your RV onto the highway or into the
wilderness. Be sure to review the information available
in our How to Tow Safely CD-ROM.
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