Don't know which trailers to rent?

Let us help your choose

We offer a variety of trailers to fit your needs. Ask our friendly staff to assist identifying the right trailer for the job.

Several key points to consider before choosing a trailer to rent:

1. What will you be towing?

First, you should know what kind of trailer you plan to tow. Will it be a small language trailer, small mesh trailer for garbage removal or maybe something heavier, such as a Car trailer. The first point to consider is the Gross Vehicle Rating (GVR).Knowing your trailer weight is essential for safe towing. The GVR combines the weight of the empty trailer and the weight of the load. The GVR increases with the trailer's size and assumes equal distribution of weight across the trailer. The heavier the trailer plus the load, the higher the GVR.

2. How will you be towing?

What kind of vehicle will you be driving? Will you be towing with a 4x4 or a small passenger car? Does your vehicle have a factory fitted tow bar? Each vehicle has different capacities, and each may require different equipment to tow safely and legally. Very important, the driver must know if his vehicle can tow the weight of a particular trailer. If you're not confident this is the case, have a professional inspect it before the trip to ensure it's in the proper condition.

3. Where will you be towing?

Are you going out of town or just around the corner to drop garden refuse? Successfully towing a trailer also depends on the distance and road conditions along your route.

For example, towing a small garden refuse trailer across town is one thing; towing a large double axel trailer to a remote destination on dirt road is something else. Most important, the driver must have the necessary driving licence, experience and knowledge to tow a trailer. The final responsibility lies with the Driver.

First timers and Inexperienced Drivers:

Tips for Towing a Trailer

Towing can be a dangerous activity so be sure you are prepared and confident before setting off. Towing a trailer can be easy and safe as long as you know what you’re doing and have the right equipment.

1.Towing vehicle and towbar.

The vehicle must be road worthy and must have an engine capacity that consist of the required capacity to tow additional weight. Please refer to the specifications and requirements next to each trailer.

The golden rule is that the vehicle must be heavier that the load it is pulling.

The weight capacity of your vehicle and equipment must be enough to handle your trailer and cargo load.

The vehicle must be equipped with a towbar that is installed by an accredited Towbar specialist, and aftermarket, self-build towbars must be avoided by all means. There is the usual towbar connection, and then there is the backup connection, which is the safety chain or safety cable. You should make sure that these mechanisms are working properly.

2. Inspection & Safety check

The driver of the towing vehicle must personally do the safety check. Check that the lights are working, if not, check that the connection to the towing vehicle is properly connected including the coupler and wiring, and make sure your safety chains are crossed under the trailer tongue and securely connected.

The hand brake lever should be loosened before you move. The driver must be confident that everything is fine. Should the driver be concerned about something, rather ask for assistance.

Before towing, make sure you have followed the proper procedures for hooking up your trailer.

Make sure that you know the tyre pressure needed when you are loaded and when you drive without a load. On long distances, you may release the tyre pressure to a lower pressure so that the trailer will be smoother on the road when it is empty. See that there is a spare tyre. Make sure that you have the correct size wheel spanner to fit the trailers wheel nuts

3. Avoid swaying of the trailer

Trailer sway can be quite scary and dangerous. When it happens, you will feel that the trailer is pulling the vehicle and that you might lose control over the steering of the vehicle. The good news is that it can be stopped. Generally, the trailer will sway when the. Wind, large trucks, and high speeds can all lead to trailer sway. If you are not careful, your trailer can start swinging back and forth like a pendulum behind you. The best way to address this problem is with some kind of hitch stabilization device.

If you experience trailer sway, you can also take your foot off the gas and manually apply the trailer brakes with a brake controller. Press the button once and your trailer should align with your tow vehicle. When you feel the swaying happening, you should avoid instinctively pressing on the brakes and instead slightly accelerate before slowing again.

4. Think before you load 

Always ensure that the bulk of the weight is packed in front of the axle of the trailer. You should look to pack your heaviest items in front. Keep in mind, if you have got too much load up towards the front, then you risk putting too much weight on the vehicle causing it to lower at the connection point. If you have too much at the rear, then you risk of swaying is higher. Be cautious with what you decide to load and try to rather do more trips with lighter load than one trip with heavy load.

5. Practice reversing with a trailer

Practice makes perfect! If you are not doing it often, reversing with a trailer is going to test your patience and skills to the limit. The only way you can get used to reversing with a trailer is to practice. And if you are really nervous, plan the routes you will be taking in your mind and think carefully about where you might have to reverse and where you can do it safely. Always analyse the area you are entering before you go in with a trailer. Don't drive in if there's no way out. It is easy to get stuck or blocked in with a trailer. Make sure wherever you pull into that there's plenty of space to make a complete turnaround.

6. Beware of overtaking

Be patient when passing. If you need to pass a vehicle, you should do so slowly and carefully, keeping in mind that your vehicle is double the length depending on the trailer you are towing.

Changing lanes on a highway is a challenge, especially when you’re towing a trailer, your blind spots increase, and you can't accelerate as quickly. When changing lanes with a trailer, make sure you have plenty of space and move slowly from one lane to the other. Passing on a two-lane road should almost never happen. When being passed by another driver, be patient and remain calm. You'll reach your destination soon enough

7. Allow plenty of stopping distance

Allow considerably more distance for stopping. You need to increase the amount of space between you and the vehicle in front of you when towing a trailer. It takes longer to stop with a trailer than it does with your vehicle alone. Stop gradually whenever possible. Towing a trailer requires extra work from your brakes. Don’t speed and always begin braking sooner than normal.

Also, it will help prolong the life of your vehicle if you can avoid sudden acceleration, braking and manoeuvring.

8. Anticipate problems ahead

When towing any trailer, you will need to be conscious of your cargo. Never drive when you are tired. The leading cause of accidents both in towing and in normal driving situations is driver error. Some of the main reasons people get into accidents is because they are not paying attention, they are driving too fast, they are tailgating the person in front of them and so on.

Always be aware that you are towing extra weight behind you. It takes longer to accelerate, longer to stop, more difficult to change lanes and turn with a trailer. Always scan the road ahead farther than you normally would. You can see many problems developing a long way off. Observe traffic flow and be ready to react if needed.

 

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