If you have decided to tow something, you might worry about getting the vehicle or all of your personal possessions to the correct place without anything being damaged. Here are some tips for making sure that your towing process is as smooth and efficient as possible.

1. Keep Sixty Percent of the Weight Near the Front

Your first step is to load the car. If you are not towing another vehicle and are instead towing a trailer that is filled with your personal possessions or some other item, you need to make sure that you load it correctly. First, load all of the heavier items. Be sure that you tie each of the heavier items down so that they don't move around. Once all of the heavy items have been loaded as far front as possible, start filling in the gaps with smaller items. This will naturally allow you to make sure that sixty percent of the weight that is in your trailer is near the front of the trailer, allowing you to have slightly more control but still keeping the trailer relatively balanced.

2. Get Extended Side-View Mirrors

Temporarily install extended side-view mirrors on your vehicle in order to make sure that you can easily see behind you and minimize blind spots. The effective size of your vehicle is going to be the normal size of your vehicle plus whatever you are towing. In order to be able to drive safely, you will need extended mirrors that will capture the bulk of your effective vehicle size. You can find these at an auto supply facility that specializes in towing.

3. Don't Speed

The additional weight of the trailer is going to make it harder to stop. If you are towing anything, make sure that you stay underneath the speed limit slightly and that you give yourself plenty of time to stop for any lights. Do not put yourself in situations where you would need to slam on your brakes.

4. Increase Transmission Cooling

Finally, sine you are going to be pulling more weight, you will be putting more stress on your engine and on your transmission. This is going to cause it to get hotter, faster. You can resolve this by adding more active cooling methods, such as a higher capacity radiator or a transmission fan. These will keep your transmission cool and make sure that it doesn't wear out prematurely.

For more information, talk to a company that specializes in heavy duty towing. To find out more, speak with a business like Crouse Body Shop Inc.