Trailer driving on slopes and inclines
Driving on a mountain, i.e. uphill or downhill, is still a challenge for many drivers even after driving school. With the trailer, it can be even more difficult, not least because of the additional weight. In this article we explain to you which points you should pay particular attention to when driving with a trailer on roads with slopes or inclines and how you can master these hurdles well.
This is how you drive your trailer on an incline
If you are traveling with a trailer and have to pass an incline, the towing vehicle – especially with a fully loaded trailer – is subject to greater stress. The engine has to work on a higher level. This is easier if you shift down a gear and thereby increase the engine power. If the gear is too high, your team will slow down. You may even have to stop and start on the mountain. Although this is not impossible, it leads to unnecessarily heavy wear on the towing vehicle. If it can be avoided, then you should drive with enough foresight, shift down a gear and still not exceed the speed – this is the only way you can still be proactive. If it is necessary to start off on the mountain with a trailer, then it is essential to use the handbrake for support, as you once learned in driving school.
Trailer driving on sloping roads
Roads with gradients hold a few small pitfalls for your journey with the trailer. On the one hand, your trailer always pushes your team on journeys that go downhill. So you have to keep in mind that the entire weight of the (loaded) trailer will push from behind. On the other hand, this means that your team is a little faster than you intended, and thus, the braking distance is also longer.
So you should act early on roads with a gradient, keep an eye on the possibly higher speed early on and reduce it. At the same time, it is advisable to engage a lower gear, as you can then use the engine brake to assist. If you only brake with the brakes of the towing vehicle, it is possible that these will overheat due to the higher load and their effectiveness will decrease. Important: Never switch off the engine when driving downhill with a trailer. Switching off would cause aids such as power steering and brake booster to fail.
