towing advice for a towing newbie

[rforsyth1984]

Just after some general advice about towing really?

After driving a corsa for the last 6 years, I am picking up my new car on Friday, which can tow!

There are trailers I can borrow, lots of people on the yard who will *help* etc.

What have you found to be most helpful when learning to tow? I need to take the new towing test before I can legally tow on my own, and would prefer to do it with minimal costs.

Thanks for any comments/advice

 

[nick3216]

I've a couple of good reversing tips...

If you're trying to reverse in a straight line and the trailer starts to turn, turn slightly towards the side you can see most of in your mirror and you'll straighten up.

When you're trying to reverse in a turn, turn the wheel in the direction that you want the nose of the trailer to go and then follow it around with the car. If you keep saying 'knock the nose and follow it round' as you're doing it you sound like a twit but you get it right

Other than that, the publisher who does all the photo guides (can't remember who they are) do a really good guide.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

To learn to tow on the cheap probably the best advice is to find someone who knows a lot about towing & can manoevre a car & trailer well to sit with you & help you. Preferably don't use a family member or boyfriend as this is a recipe for arguements & falling out.

Oh....& get used to your new vehicle on its own before you think about towing withit

 

[OiskiPoiski]

was going to say, think youll need to take a trailer test, but seems you have already planned that!

find the biggest empty field/car park you can find, put up some markers/cones etc, and practice reversing around them. i took the test a year or so ago, has been a fantastic freedom but i failed twice- on the reversing. the task you are given is to go from where you are parked into a set out parking bay, ahead of you and steeply to the right or left - you have to pull forwards out of your bay to line up with the other parking bay (but not too far if you want to avoid minors) then reverse straight in without touching a cone or hitting the back of the bay. harder than it sounds, takes a lot of confidence with the reversing but if youve nailed that, then the test is yours!

 

[cmartin1980]

Hi,

I would just recommend getting as much practice as possible. I was always offering to pick up shavings and haylage so that I could practice.

The other thing I would recommend is getting a one or two lessons before you take your test. I did mine about a year and a half ago and they are very picky about making sure you do things in the right order, oh and about your observations. These need to be 10 times more obvious that when you did you driving test! The test itself is quite expensive so its probably worth spending the money on a few lessons to get some pointers rather than failing on something silly and having to pay for a retest.

Good Luck!

 

[rforsyth1984]

Thanks everyone, really very helpful!

I had planned on having some proper lessons before the test, but wanted to get the basics sorted first so I can focus on the harder stuff on the lessons.

I will practise with the cones and look for the picture guide, thanks again!