Summer is upon us and we are heading out. If you happen to be one of the many RVers who also tow a car, boat or trailer, there are some things you should know.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has some rules and regulations:
• The vehicle being towed must be licensed and displaying current registration.
• It must be electrically connected to the tow vehicle and equipped with clearance lights, running lights, turn signals, brake lights and a license plate light.
• The vehicle or trailer being towed must be secured to the tow vehicle by a pair of cables or chains with a rating of twice the GVW (gross vehicle weight) of the vehicle being towed.
The towing vehicle must have exterior mirrors on both sides, and must be able to see both sides of the vehicle or trailer being towed. The towed vehicle cannot be in a blind spot. Backup or rearview cameras are not sufficient.
• Any vehicle towing another vehicle or trailer is required to follow the same lane and speed restrictions as the large semi-trucks and trailers. That is to say, you are restricted to the two far right lanes of any multi-lane road in California, and the maximum speed limit is 55 mph. Using the high-occupancy or diamond lanes while towing a vehicle or trailer is a big ticket offense.
California’s laws concerning towed vehicles are pretty much the same throughout the United States. They are DOT (Department of Transportation) laws.
Just because you have never been pulled over for doing 70 while pulling your Samurai, doesn’t mean you were not breaking the law. It just means some CHP officer gave you a break. But when the weather gets ugly, or the traffic gets heavy, the chance of getting pulled over goes way up.
Planning ahead, checking road conditions and leaving plenty of time to reach your destination will, in the long run, make the whole trip safer and more enjoyable.
Remember, the rules of the road are designed to get all of us from point A to point B as quickly and safely as possible. To ignore them, is to put all of us at risk. Enjoy the RV Life!
Final Touch Coach Works is located at 28532 Livingston Avenue in Valencia. For more information, please call 661-775-8375 and visit www.finaltouch-usa.com.