Loading an ATV/UTV Trailer
Looking to explore new nature trails or travel to a nearby ATV park? Then you’ll need to be able to load your vehicle into an ATV/UTV trailer. While this process can be a little tricky, it’s fairly simple once you get the hang of things. To learn how, just take a look at the helpful instructions in our article below.
Preparing to Tow
Your first task is to make a plan for loading up and towing your powersports vehicle. Determine whether your towing vehicle and your trailer are in good shape and capable of handling the weight of your side-by-side. When you load up your powersports vehicle, you’ll need to make sure that the weight is evenly distributed from left to right and from front to back. A good rule of thumb is to place 60% of your cargo weight towards the front of your ATV trailer/UTV trailer with 40% towards the rear. Finally, you’ll want to find a piece of flat and even ground to use for loading up your vehicle into the powersports vehicle trailer.
Hooking Up Your ATV Trailer/UTV Trailer
Now you’re ready to hook your ATV/UTV trailer up to your tow vehicle. You can start by raising the trailer’s tongue up until it’s seated directly above the ball hitch. Next, back up slowly until the latch is under the tongue. Lower the tongue carefully onto the ball joint and make sure it’s securely set in place. You’ll then want to take the tow chains and form an X beneath the tongue and connect them to the tow vehicle. This will prevent losing your trailer should it become unhitched. Lastly, set up your brakes and lights accordingly and test them out to ensure that they are working correctly.
Loading Your Powersports Vehicle
Lower the ramp of your trailer and set it on flat ground. Drive your vehicle far enough to allow yourself time to get up to a speed that’s sufficient to get the vehicle up the ramp. However, be careful and don’t go so fast that you overshoot the ATV trailer/UTV trailer. Maintain that speed as you head straight for the ramp, then park inside the trailer. Now you can use ratchet straps to compress your vehicle’s suspension system and hold it in place. Shake it once you’ve lashed it down to make sure that it doesn’t shift around.
Safe Driving While Towing
It may seem like common sense, but you must practice safe driving while towing your ATV/UTV trailer. Use extra care once you reach the open road and keep your cargo in mind, especially when you’re making turns. Don’t travel at speeds over 60 mph because trailer tires aren’t designed to handle very high speeds. Always keep a safe traveling distance from cars in front of you so there’s plenty of time to come to a complete stop. Make good use of your mirrors and avoid passing drivers on the road unless it’s absolutely necessary. Remember that you should go slowly whenever you change lanes or make turns.
Looking for a handy ATV & UTV trailer to help you haul your powersports vehicle? Then stop by Rivercity Motorsports & Trailers to find exactly what you’re looking for! We have a convenient location right here in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and proudly serve the nearby city of Sudbury, Ontario as well.