Three Mistakes To Avoid When Hauling A UTV

Purchasing a utility task vehicle can be a costly investment. In order to get it from one location to the next, you will need to load it up on a trailer. The last thing you want to do is load it up onto the trailer and then damage it during transfer. This takes much more than driving it up onto the trailer and securing it down. You have to understand how to maneuver the vehicle and trailer, secure the UTV properly, and maintain the trailer so that it functions correctly. By doing all of this, you can ensure your UTV gets home safe and sound. To avoid common issues, here are some of the biggest mistakes you could make hauling a UTV. 

Overloading the Vehicle

Before hooking up the UTV trailer to the vehicle, you want to make sure it has enough capacity to haul it. You can check out the specifications for hauling equipment with the vehicle's owners manual. This will tell you how much weight it can pull without enduring problems. Should you end up hauling much more weight than your vehicle can handle, you will encounter problems like worn bushings, blown out shocks, and broken hitches. To replace a broken hitch, you could end up spending upwards of about $300 to $700 for a receiver ball hitch. 

Not Checking Tire Pressure

Many people leave their trailer sitting for long periods of time with no use. When this happens, the tires start to lose air pressure. Tires that sit for long periods of time are more prone to degrade faster than tires that are used regularly. When hauling a UTV with underinflated tires, you could be putting yourself and other drivers at risk. You are more likely to experience a blowout when you do not have enough air pressure in them. You can figure out the amount of pressure needed in your tires by checking the owner's manual. By having the right tire pressure, your tires will run cooler and use less gas. 

Neglecting the Load

You could spend hours ensuring that your load is secured properly, but once you get out on the road, you have no clue what you may encounter. Every bump or pothole you hit could loosen the tiedowns on the UTV. It is crucial that you check the load routinely to ensure that your load has not adjusted too much. If you choose to neglect it, you could end up losing the load altogether or it could put your vehicle off balance. As a result, you could find yourself in a wreck. 

For more information, contact companies like Ace Trailer Sales.