First-timer guide

First time towing? Start here.

Most people who rent from us have never towed a trailer before. This is the whole rental, start to finish, in plain English. About a 5-minute read.

Step 1 · Before you book

Check your vehicle

Find your tow rating. It's in your owner's manual or on the sticker inside the driver's door. It has to cover the trailer plus everything on it.
Car haulers and the Deckover need a 2-5/16" ball, a 7-way plug and a brake controller. Bring your driver's license and proof of insurance.
Utility trailers need a 2" ball and a 4-way flat plug, plus your driver's license.
No ball? Add one to your booking for $10. Your vehicle still needs a receiver hitch.

Step 2 · Before you book

Car, truck or SUV: a car hauler. The Gravity Tilt is best for low cars and non-runners.
Equipment, a shed or a container: the Deckover Tilt.
Furniture, yard waste, bikes or a side-by-side: a 5x10 or 7x14 utility trailer.
Know roughly what your load weighs and stay under the trailer's load capacity. It's listed on every trailer page.

Step 3 · Pickup day

Nobody has to meet you. Your pickup link opens 30 minutes before your reservation.
At 1750 Franklin Way in Sparks, answer the check-in questions and take the photos. Then you get your lock code.
Give yourself an extra 15 to 20 minutes the first time. Hooking up goes faster when you're not rushing.

Step 4 · Pickup day

Back up until the ball sits under the coupler, then lower the coupler onto the ball.
Latch it and put the pin in. Lift on the tongue: it shouldn't pop off the ball.
Cross the safety chains under the tongue and hook them to your hitch.
Plug in and test the lights: brakes, both turn signals and running lights. A shop window or phone video works if you're alone.
Crank the jack all the way up before you pull out.

Step 5 · On the road

This is the part nobody explains. Your truck drives different with a trailer behind it. Here's what changes.

Most first-timer trouble comes from speed. Keep it around 55 to 60. Heading into California? 55 mph is the limit when towing.

You need a lot more room to stop. Brake early and gently, and look further down the road than usual.

The trailer cuts inside your path. Pull further into the intersection before you turn so the wheels clear the curb.

Signal early and use your mirrors. Give yourself extra room before you move back over, since the trailer is longer than you think.

Crosswinds on I-80 and US-395 push trailers around. Ease off the gas. On long downhills, drop a gear instead of riding the brakes.

Don't slam the brakes or jerk the wheel. Ease off the gas, hold it straight, and lightly use the trailer brake if you have one. Sway guide

Straps settle as you drive. Pull over somewhere safe and tighten them, then check the coupler and chains.

Pick gas stations and parking lots you can pull straight through, so you don't have to back out of a tight spot.

Step 6 · Parking

Put one hand at the bottom of the wheel. Move that hand the way you want the trailer to go.
Go slow and make small corrections. If it gets crooked, pull forward, straighten out and try again. Everyone does this.
Get out and look if you're not sure what's behind you. A spotter makes it much easier.
Practice once in an empty corner of our lot before you leave if you've never done it.

Step 7 · Drop off

Bring it back to the same spot by your return time. Leave a few minutes for parking and the return photos.
In your rental link, tap Start Return. Answer the questions, take the photos and lock the trailer.
Running late? Text or call 775-487-5144 before your return time so we can sort out extra time.

Ask our chat anything, or call or text Andrew at 775-487-5144. We'd rather answer a question before pickup than after.