How a travel trailer works
A travel trailer hitches to a ball on the back of your pickup or SUV. Sizes run from small teardrops for two to family bunkhouse floor plans over 30 feet long, many with slide-outs. Unhitch at camp and your tow vehicle is free for trailheads, town and groceries.
Because the hitch sits behind the bumper, the trailer pivots well behind the rear axle. That makes setup and gear important: correct tongue weight and, on most larger trailers, a weight-distribution hitch with sway control.
Matching the trailer to your vehicle
Start with your vehicle's towing capacity and payload, found on the door sticker and in the owner's manual. Compare them with the trailer's loaded weight, not the empty "dry" weight in the brochure. Tongue weight, usually around 10 to 15 percent of the trailer's weight, counts against payload.
Colorado's mountain grades are hard on engines and brakes. Leave headroom below your limits, and make sure the trailer's electric brakes work with a brake controller in your vehicle.
Wind, grades and backing up
Bumper-pull trailers are more sensitive to crosswinds and passing trucks than fifth wheels. Proper loading (heavier items low and over the axles), the right tongue weight and sway control make a big difference. Slow down in gusty conditions.
Prefer not to tow? Book an RVRents trailer marked Delivery available, and we bring it to your campsite and set it up.
