Introduction
Hello, and welcome!
Towing an RV is not as difficult as the size of some of them would make you believe.  
Whether it be a pop-up tent trailer, a travel trailer, or a fifth wheel, all you need is a little 
patience, a little practice, and a lot of planning and shopping for the perfect setup for your 
needs and your budget. 
 
There are many topics here that should help you select the right tow vehicle and RV 
combination, or, if you already have purchased one half of the combination, there are tips 
on what you will need for the other half.  If you have any questions about anything here, 
be sure to send me an email. 
 
Let me break down the different pages for you a bit.
Read this first!  Please!!!
About Me is just that, a little story about me and my family and how we got 
started RV'ing.
Warning!  Here are some things to look for and to watch out for when shopping 
for a tow vehicle or trailer.
What can I tow?  If you already have a tow vehicle or are looking for one, here 
you will find out just what you can really tow!  (Forget those "tow ratings"!) 
 
Can I tow this?  You have selected a trailer and need to know if your vehicle is 
up to the job.  Find out here. 
 
Horsepower.  See if your engine has enough power for the job at hand. 
 
How long of a trailer?  There are guidelines for how long of a trailer you 
should tow with your tow vehicle.
How to weigh.  Learn how to weigh your RV at a local commercial scale to find 
out how much it weighs.
Towing Laws.  Need to know what the laws are in your state (or province) are, 
or for  the ones you plan on visiting?  Check here to see what they are.
Hitches.  Weight distribution and fifth wheel hitches are covered here.
Brake Controllers.  Which of the three types of controllers is best for you?
Hitching Up.  How to hitch up (and unhitch) your trailer or fifth wheel
Loading Up.  How to balance the load.
Ready to roll.  Time to hit the road.  Are you ready for this?
Favorite Links.  Some of my favorites.
Email.  Is there a broken link in this website?  Got any questions about your particular 
situation?  Do you have any comments or suggestions about this site?  Do you have a 
favorite link you think should be added to this site?  Just send me an email and I'll see 
what I can do.

Okay, now what? 
Here are some more topics that cover some of the things you will want to know after you 
have picked out your tow vehicle and RV. 
 
Hitch Setup.  More specifically, a weight distribution hitch setup.  How do you know if 
you need one and how do you set it up?  Check here.
Leveling / Stabilizing.  These are two separate but similar functions, explained here.
Holding Tanks.  Where to dump.  How to dump.  Chemicals to use.  Hoses and 
connections.  Toilet paper.  All are discussed here.
Mirrors.  Do you need special mirrors for towing?  Probably!  Find out what types and 
how much they cost here.
Bicycles.  Want to take along some bicycles?  Find out how here.
Odds & Ends.  A place for those little pieces of information that don't need an entire 
page devoted to the subject.  Current subjects: Weights of Liquids.
And more topics will be added soon!



Read this first!
First of all, thank you for visiting my website!  I hope you find the information contained 
here to be useful.  If you have any comments or suggestions, be sure to send me an 
email. 
Second, let me say that I am not an “expert” on any of the subjects I’ve chosen to cover 
here.  But then again, I’m not sure if there really are any “experts” on RV towing.  In all 
the research I’ve done, I haven’t found any type of government project or study, or tests 
conducted by private companies that would support or disprove anything I’ve included 
here. But if you happen to find any or know of any, please let me know.  Also, if you 
disagree with anything I have written here, I'm always open to constructive criticism and 
suggestions.
What I have done here in this website is to combine all the research I’ve done along with 
comments and experiences of myself and other RV’ers that I’ve “talked” to online.  
Although there are state and federal laws concerning the height, length and width of RV’s 
on the road, there are no other laws that I can find concerning towing.  The majority of 
what you’ll find here has been developed through “trial and error” for the most part over 
several years by hundreds of people.  There are things that work, and there are those that 
don’t!  Guidelines (some call them “rule of thumb”) have been developed to help those 
that would like to join the ranks.  These guidelines are a good place to start from, but as 
you do your research, you’ll find several people operating outside of the guidelines and 
doing just fine.  There are rarely two situations exactly alike.  What might work okay for 
one person could spell disaster for another.  So, be careful!!! 
Consider what you find here to be more information to ponder in your selection of either 
a tow vehicle or RV trailer.  You must make your own decision based on the information 
you find in all the sources available.  Don’t let the salesperson make up your mind for 
you.  Too many times I’ve heard something like, “The salesperson/dealer said I would 
have no problem towing this trailer with this truck!”  Don’t take their word for it!!!  Do 
your own research and come to your own conclusions. 
The towing guides put out by the manufacturers are only as good as the fine print that 
goes along with them.  Make sure you read and understand any and all of the fine print!  
Look for things like, “base model with 150# driver”.  That puts a whole new meaning to 
the published “towing capacity” numbers. 
Okay, enough with my disclaimer-type of language here.  It’s time to explore the rest of 
my site.  Click on one of the links to the left to get started.  If you’re new to RV’ing or 
are looking at getting started, try starting with, “What can I tow?” so you understand all 
the different weights that you’ll need to know.  Then just proceed down the rest of the 
links to get a complete view of what you’re getting into.  If you feel overwhelmed by the 
amount of information here, that’s okay.  Let it settle for awhile and come back and read 
it again later when it might make a little more sense.  Towing an RV trailer is not 
difficult, but it is important to understand what is involved and to have a safe 
combination of tow vehicle and trailer.