Anyone else terrified to tow?

Only time I was ever scared was my first time towing. I was young, trailer was loaded all wrong, and I was in too much of a hurry to get to the desert. Almost lost it coming down into Buckman springs. Speeding down the hill and went to pass a slower vehicle in the fast lane. When I switched lanes I hit a bump and the trailer started swaying. I had no trailer brakes on my truck so all I could do was hammer down to pull out of it. Got off at Buckman and put more weight on the front of the trailer. Drove white knuckle til coming down the grade. Got comfortable and coming around the last bend at the bottom of the grade I passed a slow truck and the trailer went to chit again! Almost hit the dirt shoulder a few times. Pulled over at the bottom and let the girlfriend drive the rest of the way! After that, nothing scares me when towing!

 
wesinls said:
up isnt an issue...coming down with a 20k 5th wheel is a different story...and you'll only go up Tioga pass if you actually drive into Yosemite park.
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I don't mind towing up or down. What pisses me off is having to pay the entrance fee to drive through.  

 
Terrified? Nope, after growing up in the lumber business driving undersized, stupendously, ridiculously overloaded trucks, I am lucky to be alive, and it's a pleasure for me to tow today.

 
Bldrinker said:
If you have anxiety towing, you shouldn’t be towing.  

Your inner self is telling you that you don’t know what your doing. 

Oh my bad I thought that was a responsibility. 
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You are soooo wi$e wow!! thank you sir. your smart a$$ contributions to this thread have enlightened us all bravo!!!  :classic_biggrin:  

there's always one......

 
Doonit said:
You are soooo wi$e wow!! thank you sir. your smart a$$ contributions to this thread have enlightened us all bravo!!!  :classic_biggrin:  

there's always one......
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Everyone was born knowing how to to tow a trailer and should just be comfortable from the jump. Unless of course you are less than a man. 

 
Big_Daddy_Jp said:
Only time I was ever scared was my first time towing. I was young, trailer was loaded all wrong, and I was in too much of a hurry to get to the desert. Almost lost it coming down into Buckman springs. Speeding down the hill and went to pass a slower vehicle in the fast lane. When I switched lanes I hit a bump and the trailer started swaying. I had no trailer brakes on my truck so all I could do was hammer down to pull out of it. Got off at Buckman and put more weight on the front of the trailer. Drove white knuckle til coming down the grade. Got comfortable and coming around the last bend at the bottom of the grade I passed a slow truck and the trailer went to chit again! Almost hit the dirt shoulder a few times. Pulled over at the bottom and let the girlfriend drive the rest of the way! After that, nothing scares me when towing!
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My first time towing was with my 04 Suburban and an 11 foot flatbed with quads on it. Didn't know about weight distribution and but the adult quads in the back. That thing fishtailed everywhere even at 50mph. Stopped and rearranged the load to put the big ones in the front and had no issues, duh. I had no idea what I was doing.

As many have mentioned, having the proper truck, set-up, safety and good tires with proper PSI is a mandatory 'start.' Without those covered, you're bound to have an 'unpleasant journey.'

abc

 
wopachop said:
Looks like the equalizer. Did a patent run out? Or was Husky the original? Mostly just curious. 
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i am not sure to be honest man.  I bought mine about 4 years ago.  A friend of mine was trying to find one a couple years ago and they were out of stock for a really long time during covid.  Looks like they have them now again. 

 
ANGRYBUTTCRACK said:
My first time towing was with my 04 Suburban and an 11 foot flatbed with quads on it. Didn't know about weight distribution and but the adult quads in the back. That thing fishtailed everywhere even at 50mph. Stopped and rearranged the load to put the big ones in the front and had no issues, duh. I had no idea what I was doing.

As many have mentioned, having the proper truck, set-up, safety and good tires with proper PSI is a mandatory 'start.' Without those covered, you're bound to have an 'unpleasant journey.'

abc
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I met a guy in Dumont years ago, took awhile to actually camp together after knowing each other a few years here on GD.

One of the first things he told me was...

Your lack of preparation will not become my emergency. I camp with folks who have their shit dialed in, I'll just visit all others and drink their beer.

@BaBaBouy
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post-9932-1230908262.jpg

 
I had a situation once towing a 5th wheel. I had tripped over the brake away safety cable and pulled the plug out. I reinstalled it and thought all was good. Had a very sudden stop of traffic on I-17 and I was traveling at 65mph. Hit the brakes and knew instantly I wasn't going to stop. Swerved over a lane and by time I stopped I was even with the 5th car up in line. Figured that was how many I would have taken out if I hadn't swerved. Discovered when emergency brake away cable got pulled, it back feeds power to brake controller and fries them, leaving me with no trailer brakes.

If you ever pull that plug, make sure you test for trailer brakes. 

 
Yeah, I get a bit white knuckled, always on alert, especially coming over the grade; wind and fog are a bit scary…but I have been told that I drive like an old man, 70 mph max even when not towing.  

 
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onanysunday said:
This. If I am on that road when it is dark I just slow way down. As you're going up and big trucks are coming over the rises those lights are straight in your eyeballs. You simply can't see. 
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leaving palo verde for the last 30 mile run on the 78 with no shoulder to escape to and the pavement in poor condition, that part of the trip scares me the most. 30 ft. class c/towing flatbed loaded with jeep/quads. I try to never be on that road at night do as not to deal with oncoming headlights.

 
richard h said:
Discovered when emergency brake away cable got pulled, it back feeds power to brake controller and fries them, leaving me with no trailer brakes.

If you ever pull that plug, make sure you test for trailer brakes. 
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Not quite how it works.  The brake away has a separate, trailer mounted, battery only to engage the electric brakes in the event the cable/key is pulled out of the socket...like if the trailer leaves the tow vehicle...  When the "key" is re-installed the brake away battery is just charged by the tow vehicle, similar to the house batteries

Chances are you didn't get the key fully in, and the brake away battery engaged your brakes while you were driving.  What you were seeing as a back feed was the break away energizing the shared wire with the controller.

 
Kraut_n_Rice said:
Not quite how it works.  The brake away has a separate, trailer mounted, battery only to engage the electric brakes in the event the cable/key is pulled out of the socket...like if the trailer leaves the tow vehicle...  When the "key" is re-installed the brake away battery is just charged by the tow vehicle, similar to the house batteries

Chances are you didn't get the key fully in, and the brake away battery engaged your brakes while you were driving.  What you were seeing as a back feed was the break away energizing the shared wire with the controller.
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Older unit with aftermarket brake control unit. It did work to fry controller. Twice! This was an rv type trailer, yes car, enclosed has separate battery. 

 
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richard h said:
I had a situation once towing a 5th wheel. I had tripped over the brake away safety cable and pulled the plug out. I reinstalled it and thought all was good. Had a very sudden stop of traffic on I-17 and I was traveling at 65mph. Hit the brakes and knew instantly I wasn't going to stop. Swerved over a lane and by time I stopped I was even with the 5th car up in line. Figured that was how many I would have taken out if I hadn't swerved. Discovered when emergency brake away cable got pulled, it back feeds power to brake controller and fries them, leaving me with no trailer brakes.

If you ever pull that plug, make sure you test for trailer brakes. 
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Every time I get into my truck with the trailer attached, I reach down & hit the slider & make sure the trailer brakes are working.  just a quick tap @ 2 MPH to make sure they are connected & working. 

 
I enjoy it. Except when it is a larger bumper pull without sufficient tongue weight then it can be a bit stressful. I've towed everything from a car dolly to a 45' gooseneck hauler with my Dmax, let's go! Yeah, people are idiots and I bitch and moan when they do stupid chit but whatever. Now with the 40' pusher that is over 30k lbs on it's own and has a nice long wheelbase it doesn't feel what I put on the hitch and life is pretty damn nice. The big air horns up top usually get the messages across pretty decent too.

 
First time I ever towed more then a little flat bed with one three wheeler on it was home from the dunes one trip. Trailer was to big for my truck for sure. It wasn't the towing part that made me nervous it was the fact the reason I had to tow.  

The guy who towed it out to the dunes grenaded his transmission leaving Quartzite.  Another guy in the group who had a bigger truck then mine went and picked up the trailer and towed it into Glamis but his trailer was bigger so he had to tow his home, leaving me to tow that one back.

Knowing that the truck with the grenaded transmission was newer then mine had less miles then mine and was needing $3K in repairs was more on my mind then stopping ( oh and no brake controller) had to re-wire my flat plug to accommodate the round one. 

Worst part was driving along and everytime the transmission would shift I thought it was going to blow up, then I have the guy sitting next to me who already knows how to blow one up saying, "Just gas it" .

 
onanysunday said:
This. If I am on that road when it is dark I just slow way down. As you're going up and big trucks are coming over the rises those lights are straight in your eyeballs. You simply can't see. 
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Why does it seem like every car, truck or Semi driving down that road have HID or LED lights that seem like they are on high beam. 

Oh and don't make the mistake of giving them the little flash of your high beams  to remind them to turn down thiers.  You usually find out they were not on high beam and your going to spend the next mile or two seeing spots.

 
Big_Daddy_Jp said:
Only time I was ever scared was my first time towing. I was young, trailer was loaded all wrong, and I was in too much of a hurry to get to the desert. Almost lost it coming down into Buckman springs. Speeding down the hill and went to pass a slower vehicle in the fast lane. When I switched lanes I hit a bump and the trailer started swaying. I had no trailer brakes on my truck so all I could do was hammer down to pull out of it. Got off at Buckman and put more weight on the front of the trailer. Drove white knuckle til coming down the grade. Got comfortable and coming around the last bend at the bottom of the grade I passed a slow truck and the trailer went to chit again! Almost hit the dirt shoulder a few times. Pulled over at the bottom and let the girlfriend drive the rest of the way! After that, nothing scares me when towing!
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Big daddy was this you? 🤣

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjBnGw4MU6P/?igshid=ZWFiZDJlMTg%3D

saw this earlier and kept thinking about your experience. You did the right thing as a young guy. I’ve always told my kids to do the same thing. Hit trailer breaks first second throttle out get control and slow down and never ever slam on the truck brakes. 

 
CampfiresNbrews said:
Big daddy was this you? 🤣

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjBnGw4MU6P/?igshid=ZWFiZDJlMTg%3D

saw this earlier and kept thinking about your experience. You did the right thing as a young guy. I’ve always told my kids to do the same thing. Hit trailer breaks first second throttle out get control and slow down and never ever slam on the truck brakes. 
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Ya bro I came home from the desert and installed a brake controller. Learned quickly how to properly load a trailer!

 
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