Safe ATV Towing

You never want to be without a place to ride your ATV. If you live in the middle of a city or peaceful suburb, though, you’re not likely to find anywhere nearby where ATVs are permissible. That means you’re going to have to go on more than one adventure -- you will have to tow your ATV out of town to a suitable trail, track or off-roading paradise before you can climb on it to seek those thrills.

At Peak Powersports of Sheridan, Wyoming, we know how important it is that you get to wherever you’re going safely and expediently, so we’ve created this brief guide to towing your ATV so you can prepare your trailer and towing vehicle accordingly.

If you need to get your ATV serviced or want to ask our staff some questions about the best towing practices, call our dealership or stop by to see us. We’re happy to help however we can!

Form A Plan

Prior to loading your quads into your trailer, you’ll want to take some time to plan out how you’re going to do it. You want to make sure that your trailer’s weight is balanced both from left to right and from front to back for optimal towing conditions. Balancing the weight will decrease the strain on your trailer’s tires, too, which is highly beneficial. You should put 10 to 20 percent of your cargo weight over the hitch of your trailer, which you can do by putting most of the weight ahead of the front axle. Balancing your cargo weight from left to right requires centering your cargo as best you can and tying it down so it doesn’t shift as you drive.

Hitch Your Trailer

Now that you know how to load your trailer, you’ll want to hook it up to your towing vehicle. Lift up the tongue of your trailer until it’s above the height of the ball hitch. Back your towing vehicle up until the hitch and tongue meet, then park and lock them in place. Check that the securing latch is locked in place on the ball joint before getting out your tow chains. Cross these in an X under your trailer’s tongue and connect them to your towing vehicle. If you have lights and brakes to anchor to your trailer, now is the time to attach the wiring harness and see that everything functions correctly.

Level Out & Load Up

Drive your towing vehicle and trailer set-up to a piece of flat and level ground on your property. Ensuring that your trailer is leveled out before you load it will assist you in getting the weight balance right and also make it easier to drive your ATVs up the ramp. Speaking of that, it’s time to start the loading process. Lower and secure your trailer’s ramp. Get in your ATV and drive far enough from the ramp that you have enough time to speed up and slow down as necessary to get up the incline. This process might take a few tries, so be patient with yourself. You want to gather just enough speed to scale the ramp without blowing through the front of your trailer because you can’t stop, so exercise caution. Once your ATV is loaded up and centered, you should secure it with ratchet straps torqued through the suspension to keep it in place. Load up the remaining ATVs in the same way if you have more, making sure to leave space between them in case they do shift on the road.

Drive Safe

Once you’re all loaded up, you’re ready to head out. Whenever you’re towing a trailer, you should drive more slowly and carefully on the highway. You’ll also need to make use of your side-view mirrors because your rear-view mirror will be useless. Signal well in advance of any moves you make, such as turns or lane changes. Try to avoid passing other vehicles as this will force you to speed up too much, putting strain on your trailer and towing vehicle tires. Allow other cars to pass you and leave more following distance between yourself and the cars in front of you. Try not to go over 60 mph. Your turning radius will be dramatically altered with a trailer, which means you’ll have to exercise caution and give yourself more space to avoid hopping the curb. If you need to practice braking, turning and reversing with your trailer in an empty parking lot before you head out, then allow yourself the time to do that so that you’re confident on the highway.

Think you want to upgrade your current ATV? Come down to our showroom to see the models we have in stock, including used styles as well as the latest offerings from top brands. If your ATV needs service or parts, our maintenance department is ready and willing to take care of any concerns you may have. Call ahead to schedule a service appointment. Peak Powersports serves the Sheridan, Wyoming, metro area.