A Beginner's Guide to Towing a Fifth Wheel

Before you can enjoy an RV adventure, you will need to get your fifth wheel to the campground. This requires safely and effectively connecting the camper to the tow vehicle. If you are new to RV towing or want a refresher of best practices, read on! We cover the essentials below.

For more tips or to shop for fifth wheels for sale, visit JR Motors. Our dealership is based in Lake Havasu City and Parker, Arizona.

Know the Weight Limitations

You will need to find out the weight limit for your tow vehicle, fifth wheel, and RV hitch. Going over these limits can cause damage or even safety risks.

You can find out how much weight the setup can tow by doing some math with the empty weights from the various owner's manuals. This will give you a baseline so you'll know how much cargo and passenger weight the towing unit can safely accommodate.

Avoid Using Overdrive

The overdrive setting on a tow vehicle can be helpful. It makes the car use less fuel and makes less noise. But it is not ideal to use overdrive when you are towing a fifth wheel. The weight of the RV can put stress on the transmission and can even lead to it overheating.

Check the Tires

It's important to regularly inspect your tow vehicle's tires and the fifth wheel's tires. There are three things you should do to maintain your tires.

First, check the air pressure and adjust it if necessary. This is important because if the tire pressure is too high or too low, it can be dangerous. 

Second, check the tread depth. The tread will wear down over time. When it gets too thin, the tires won't grip the road as well. You can find out how thin the tread needs to be before you need new tires in the owner's manual. 

Third, look for damage to the tires and fix it if you see any problems. For example, there shouldn't be cracks in the sidewall or objects stuck in the tire.

Practice, Practice, Practice

If you are new to towing a fifth wheel, don't try it on the day of your vacation. Practice in low-stakes settings first. Drive around an empty parking lot and practice speeding up, slowing down, stopping, reversing, and parking. Remember that the added weight and length of the fifth wheel will affect how the tow vehicle handles. Once you are comfortable with these changes, then you'll be ready for a safe road trip.

Want more towing tips? Want to explore fifth wheels for sale? Whatever you need, the experts at JR Motors are here to help. Reach out or stop by our dealership. We are located in Lake Havasu City and Parker, Arizona, and also serve those in Blythe.