5 Essential Vehicle Features if You Want to Tow

Whether pulling a boat to the lake, a 5th wheel to a campsite, or a load of furniture to friend’s new home, it’s essential to have the right features on your vehicle in order to be safe, comfortable, and stress-free while you are on the move. If you are shopping for at a Ford truck dealer for a vehicle that can help you tow and carry heavy loads, there are some available features aimed at making pulling a trailer more manageable that you should keep an eye out for. Let’s take a look at what exactly these features are:

#1 Extendable Mirrors

One of the most unsettling aspects of pulling a trailer is the limits it imposes on your vision. On the interstate, tailgaters can disappear into the blind spot behind you. While maneuvering into a parking spot, you may find yourself relying on instructions shouted out by passengers. Alleviate this problem by selecting a vehicle with extendable side-view mirrors. At the push of a button, these mirrors extend outward, compensating for the bulk of the trailer and allowing you to better see what is beside and behind you.

#2 Cameras

The increasing ubiquity of rearview cameras has been a boon to those who regularly wrestle with a trailer. A rearview camera can make backing up to a trailer hitch less stressful, while the dedicated hitch camera found on some models makes it downright easy to hit the mark every time. Birds-eye-view 360-degree cameras can take the place of hand gestures and shouts when it comes to getting a trailer into or out of a tight spot.

#3 Trailer Parking Assist

One of the toughest challenges when it comes to maneuvering trailers is being able to smoothly and safely back up. Avoid the zigzag method, or repeatedly having to pull forward to straighten your trailer out, by choosing a vehicle equipped with trailer parking assist. This system uses a driver-controlled knob and electronic steering to make guiding a trailer backward far less of a mental effort for the driver which is a blessing at any crowded campsite or boat ramp.

#4 Trailer Sway Control

Occasionally, a trailer will begin to sway back and forth while underway due to wind buffeting, crosswinds, bumpy roads, and drafts caused by other vehicles. It can be difficult to get under control quickly, particularly if there is little space to do so. Trailer sway control works much like the traditional traction control that is familiar and on most cars today. The exception is that trailer sway control uses these systems to keep not only the vehicle but also the trailer under control.

#5 Integrated Trailer Braking

Larger trailers that are equipped with onboard brakes can lighten the demands on the tow vehicle’s braking system, but improperly setting these brakes can lead to difficulties and danger. Integrated trailer braking allows the tow vehicle to send signals to the trailer’s brakes. These then apply just the right amount of force, working in tandem with the amount of pressure applied by the tow vehicle’s brake system. This brings both to a stop smoothly without the trailer’s brakes locking up or not assisting sufficiently.

There are more features available today than ever before to assist in making light work out of trailering heavy loads. Contact us at Pearson Ford and we will help you get into a trailer-friendly vehicle today.
Image via Pixabay