Toy Hauler Loading Tips

Before you can take your powersports vehicles on an epic adventure, you'll need to transport them to the trail. Your toy hauler is a great resource for this. Loading up your trailer isn't hard, but there are quite a few steps and things to keep in mind. We've created a beginner's guide to loading everything up below.

Get Your Toy Hauler Ready

Your first step is to ensure your rig is ready for the journey. A little preventative check-up can help you optimize your towing experience as well as catch any performance issues before they manifest on the road.

Begin by measuring your tires' air pressure. When tires aren't inflated properly, you face faster tread wear as well as a higher risk of a blowout. Your owner's manual will tell you the ideal pressure. Use a tire pressure gauge to measure your tires and adjust as necessary.

Next, ensure you have proper visibility. Hitch up your toy hauler and hop into the driver's seat of your tow vehicle. Look into your mirrors and check that you can see the whole length of the trailer. You'll also want to ensure others can see you properly. Enlist someone to help you test your brake lights and turn signal lights. They should all be bright and visible. If any of them have burned out, you will want to replace them before your next drive.

Strategically Distribute the Weight

You'll want to be intentional with how you place the weight in your toy hauler. This helps make the towing process much easier. When you have too much weight too far in the back, you'll encounter a big imbalance at high speeds.

Aim for placing 60% of your cargo in front of the front axle. Then have 30% behind it and 10% on the trailer hitch. You'll want to place as much weight shifted forward as possible to help balance out the weight of the powersports vehicles you are hauling. 

You'll also need to make sure that the weight is even from left to right. This helps put equal pressure on the tires so you can get better control while you drive. It also helps avoid putting too much pressure on one side of tires and causing them to wear out disproportionately faster.

Load Your Powersports Vehicle

Place your tow vehicle in park and chock the wheels. Lower your gate to turn it into a loading ramp. It'll be easier to load if you can do this on level ground and with your ramp at a low angle. 

Slowly drive your powersports vehicle up the ramp. Once you get inside the bay, turn your engine off. When you combine fumes in a small space, there is a threat of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Finally, you'll need to secure your vehicle. This prevents it from shifting around too much and getting dinged up. Use ratchet straps or D-ring tie-downs. After you secure it, be sure to test that it is fully secure. Give your vehicle a few shakes from different angles. If everything is snug and secure, then you are ready to head to the trail! 

Are you looking for your perfect toy hauler? Check out the selection at Lakeside RV Sales. We are located in Anderson, SC, and also serve those in Charlotte, NC, and Greenville, SC.