Hitching a trailer to your tow vehicle is a one-man job, usually, but it is easier if someone helps.

Here are the basic steps: Back your tow vehicle as close as possible to the trailer; its easier - and safer - to do this than to pull the trailer to your car or truck. Release the coupler locking device. Raise the front end of the trailer, place coupler directly over the hitch ball; and then lower it until it is seated on the hitch ball, covering it completely. Visually check under the coupling to ensure the ball clamp is below the ball and not riding on top of it, (be careful not to pinch your fingers). Latch the coupler to the hitch ball. Make sure it's locked in place by lifting up the trailer tongue. If the coupler comes loose from the ball, unlatch it and go back to Step 3. Make sure your jack is fully raised. If you have a weight-distributing hitch with spring bars: Follow the above procedures. Then attach the spring bar chain to the trailer and tighten it until your trailer and car are in a normal, level position. If your trailer has a surge brake breakaway cable or chain: Attach the cable or chain to your tow vehicle, allowing enough slack for you to make tight turns. Attach the safety chains (as described in the previous section). Connect the trailer wiring harness to the lighting system of your tow vehicle and check its operation.

With a trailer in tow, you're operating a vehicle combination that's longer, heavier - sometimes wider and taller - than you're used to. So you'll have to make some compensating adjustments in your normal driving practices.

Take a "Shakedown Cruise": At least one short trial run before your first trip will help. Familiarize you with your trailer's operating characteristics. It also will let you know that the lights, brakes, hitch, etc., are working properly.

Slow Down: Moderate to slow speeds put less strain on your car and trailer.

Allow Extra Time and Space: You'll need both when passing and stopping, especially if your trailer has no brakes.

Check Rear View Mirrors: Doing this frequently will let you know that your trailer is riding properly. We recommend outside rear view mirrors on both sides of your tow vehicle.

Swing Wider: You need to make wider swings at curves and corners because your trailer's wheels are closer to the inside of a turn than the wheels of your car or truck.

Pass with Extra Care: It takes more time and distance to get around a slower vehicle and return to the right lane when you've got a trailer in tow.

Watch the Wind: To avoid swaying, be prepared for sudden changes in air pressure and wind buffeting when larger vehicles pass from either direction. Slow down a bit and keep a firm hold on your steering wheel. Aim straight down your lane.

Conserve Fuel: You'll go farther on a tank of gas at moderate speeds. Higher speeds increase wind resistance against the trailer and reduce your gas mileage significantly.

Avoid Sudden Stops and Starts: This can cause skidding, sliding, or jackknifing, even if your trailer has brakes. Avoid quick stops while turning. Smooth, gradual starts and stops will improve your gas mileage.

Signal Your Intentions: Let surrounding vehicles know what you intend to do well before you stop, turn, change lanes, or pass.

Shift to a Lower Gear: A lower gear will help ease the load on the transmission and engine when going over steep hills, sand, gravel, or dirt roads. If your tow vehicle has an "overdrive" gear, shifting out of overdrive to a lower gear may improve your gas mileage.

Always Be Courteous: Make it as easy as possible for faster-moving vehicles to pass you. Keep to the right of the road and prepare to slow down if passing vehicles need extra time to return to their proper lane.

Don't Tailgate: Allow at least one car and trailer length between you and the vehicle ahead for each 10 mph on your speedometer. Three seconds should be the minimum distance.

If a Problem Occurs: Don't panic, stay cool: Say you experience a sudden bumping or fishtailing. It may indicate a flat tire. Don't jam on the brakes or mash the accelerator in an attempt to drive out of it. Instead, come to a stop slowly as you keep driving in as straight a line as possible. If conditions permit, coast to a very slow speed and try to avoid braking, except when your wheels are straight ahead and your trailer and tow vehicle are in line with each other. If your trailer begins to fishtail as you accelerate to highway speed, back off the accelerator a bit. This should stop the fishtailing. If it begins again as you increase speed, stop and check your load. It probably isn't distributed evenly from side to side, or it's too far back to put a sufficient load on the hitch ball. It is recommended that from 5 to 10% of the trailer load be on the hitch. Redistribute the load as necessity dictates before continuing.

Trailer hitches come in a variety of shapes and sizes for various applications. Generally speaking, trailer hitches are classified either weight carrying or weight distributing. The type best for you depends entirely upon the tow vehicle and trailer size and weight. The weight-carrying type of hitch is used in applications where trailer weight is up to and including a maximum of 3,500 lbs., and where the weight and suspension of the tow vehicle can accommodate that load. Weight-distributing hitches are normally used for heavier trailers up to 10,000 lbs. They are also used when the weight and suspension of the tow vehicle in relation to the trailer weight requires redistribution of hitch weight. They can also be used as a weight-carrying hitch with up to 5,000 lbs. gross trailer weight.

Characteristics of the Weight-Carrying Hitch: With a weight-carrying hitch, all trailer tongue weight, plus approximately 50% additional weight, must be carried by the tow vehicle's rear axle and tires. With heavier trailers, this causes the vehicle to lower itself over the rear axle, causing a weight shift from the front wheels. This weight reduction causes front wheel camber to change and affects steering performance. Overload springs or air shocks added to the rear of the tow vehicle won't help the situation. Although springs raise and level the vehicle, the entire vehicle now rides higher over the chassis; therefore, steering and handling characteristics may be affected. Furthermore, because front-end weight is now transferred toward the rear, it adds to the tow vehicle rear axle load. Calculations have proven this additional weight to be about 50% of the original tongue weight. For example, a 400 lb. original tongue weight, in effect, increased to 600 lbs. additional rear axle load. The front-end load is reduced by 200 lbs. This extra load increases tire wear appreciably and may contribute to handling problems.

For these reasons it is important that the tow vehicle not be overloaded to the point of causing safety problems.

Characteristics of the Weight-Distributing Hitch: Beginning in the 1950's, trailers grew larger and heavier. To overcome the inherent problems of weight shift encountered in towing these heavier units, the weight- distributing hitch was developed. Today, we have "down-sized" tow vehicles and trailers that also require redistribution of hitch weight. The principles used originally to develop weight-distributing hitches continue to be applied today, with little change. To help explain how a weight-distributing hitch works, let's imagine a pair of wheelbarrow handles rigidly attached to the rear of a car in such a way that they parallel the car's very movement. With the car unloaded, the wheelbarrow handles are parallel to the ground and level with the car. Now, put a 400 lb. weight in the trunk. The rear of the car will drop a few inches, causing the wheelbarrow handles to point at the ground and the front of the car to raise several inches. Now if one were strong enough, they could lift up the wheelbarrow handles and bring the car back to level. In so doing, they transfer weight from the rear wheels to the front wheels and their feet. If they continued to lift until the rear wheels were off the ground, then all the weight would be distributed between the front wheels and their feet. If a weight-distributing hitch is substituted, spring bars on the hitch become the "wheelbarrow" handles. The spring bars attached to the ball mount have no vertical movement but they are free to swing side to side as the car and trailer turn corners. Chains and snap-up brackets attached to the spring bars become the lifting force when positioned and tensioned from the trailer frame. Since the spring bars are pulled up by the chains attached to the trailer frame, tongue weight is distributed to the tow vehicle's front and rear wheels. Also, because the spring bars are pulling down on the trailer frame, a portion of the hitch weight is transferred to the trailer wheels.

Weight-Distributing Hitch System is composed of three major elements called:

1. The hitch receiver
2. Ball mount
3. Spring bar assembly.

They work in unison to provide complete towing system compatibility.

Hitch Receiver: This part of the hitch system is located under the tow vehicle. It's an assembly that's either welded or bolted to the tow vehicle's frame. In the case of a bolted assembly, it is referred to as a Hitch Receiver. An open-end box-beam (hitch box) is tucked under the rear bumper of the vehicle to accept the hitch bar. A hitch pin through the box-beam securely fastens the hitch bar and the tow vehicle together. The receiver is constructed of steel that is selected to withstand trailer towing stress and strain. Each hitch receiver is tested under simulated road use conditions and is developed to fit specific vehicle requirements.

Ball Mount: This is that essential part of the towing assembly that ties the whole thing together; it's the unit that mates the hitch receiver with the trailer coupler. Constructed of rugged, heavy-duty steel, Reese's ball mounts are designed to deliver a lifetime of hard usage in any approved application.

Spring Bar Assembly: These are the "wheelbarrow" handles for the weight-distributing hitch systems. They fit into sockets on the ball mount where they swivel and turn as necessary to meet changing road demands. At the trailer end, the spring bars are attached by means of snap-up brackets and chains. The chains at the trailer end are actually the "levelers" that are used to distribute the trailer tongue weight. The spring bar is constructed from spring steel to deliver required performance coupled with long service life. And, because of the wide range of trailers and trailer tongue weights, spring bars are produced in differing sizes to meet specific towing requirements.

The Reese system's operational principles are identical to the early weight-distributing hitches. The chief differences are in construction materials, welding, manufacturing processes, and hook-up. Adjustment is simple because of the easy-to-operate snap-up brackets that allow spring bar tension to be adjusted by changing links in the support chains. This lets you adjust for various trailer tongue weights within the spring bar weight range by applying tension on the spring bars until the car or tow vehicle is level.

Trailer Sway: This must always be considered in trailer towing. Unwanted sway turns a pleasant towing situation sour. Many factors can contribute to trailer sway the design of the trailer, the suspension, tire inflation pressures, configuration of the tow vehicle, towing speeds and hitch weight. Therefore, manufacturers have devised various methods to resist or temper trailer sway.

Sway Control: There are two popular methods of sway control. The older, more common form of sway control is a friction device called Friction Sway Control. A more contemporary approach is the Reese-developed device controlled by cam action. Known as Dual Cam Sway Control, it's an innovative and effective technique to help control trailer sway before it starts. Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of both types.

Friction Sway Control: The Friction Sway Control does exactly what its name implies, it uses friction to resist pivotal movement and thereby works against the effects of included sway. It operates on the principle of "stiffening" the coupling between the tow vehicle and trailer. The degree of "stiffening" or friction is adjusted to suit various trailer weights and towing conditions. Its operation is simple and uncomplicated. It doesn't prevent the generation of sway; it simply works to resist the forces once they have started.

Dual Cam Sway Control: This patented product is Reese's main technique for controlling trailer sway. Unlike the friction sway control, this approach works to control sway from the start rather than just resisting sway once it's begun. And it works only when needed. When towing in a straight line, the cams on either side of the trailer A-frame are locked in position. This essentially creates a "rigid" connection between tow vehicle and trailer and minimizes the effects of induced sway caused by high crosswinds or passing vehicles. Usually the cams ride in a detent, locked-in position, even on fairly sharp curves. However, when cornering maneuvers are required, the cams automatically slide out of their detent to permit full radius turns. Yet when the maneuver is short and abrupt, like that encountered in the event of a sudden swerve or a wheel dropping off the road, the cams seek a straight-line towing angle that helps the tow vehicle retain control. the advantage of the dual cam system is its ability to forestall sway in addition to sway resistance. It works to hold down the start of swaying activity while at the same time allowing free and easy vehicle and trailer interaction. Another advantage of the dual cam system is that it's installed on the trailer and therefore doesn't require adjustment every time the towing vehicle and trailer are hooked up, unless hitch weight or tow vehicle loading are changed.

Safety Chains: Safety chains on your trailer provide added insurance that the trailer will not detach from the tow vehicle when underway. Crisscross safety chains under the trailer tongue. We strongly recommend that you crisscross the chains under the trailer tongue. Attach the chain on the left side of the trailer tongue to the hole or ring on the right side of the hitch ball. Attach the chain on the right side of the trailer tongue to the hole or ring on the left side of the hitch ball. This prevents the tongue from dropping to the road if the trailer coupler separates from the hitch ball. Rig the chains with just enough slack to permit tight turns.

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