Gina Williams shares a few safety tips on trailering motorcycles behind your RV

Gina Williams is a young writer whose dear friend died as the result of a motorcycle accident "after driving too fast over a highway overpass."

That accident gave her life focus. She began writing about motorcycle safety and established Motorcycle Accident.org. She herself is a hobbyist biker "on the weekends. I don't have my dream bike yet, but one day I'd like to get a Yamaha VMax Cruiser."

The 20-something lives in Houston, Texas, and although she's not an RV owner, she does love the outdoors and has been drawn back into camping after being away from it since her childhood.

"I love camping on the beach," said Williams, "even though it is a mess."  Two of her other favorite camping locations in Texas are on Lake Travis, in Austin; and Lost Maples State Park near Vanderpool in the Hill Country.

As for the percentage of women motorcyclists, Williams, said that "the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety released statistics in 2008, which states that 12-percent of motorcyclists were women, but only 4-percent of fatal motorcycle crashes were female."

Women RVers.com asked Williams to write about safety tips for trailering motorcycles behind RVs.

'Motorcycle Towing: Safety Tips' by Gina Williams

Traveling in your RV is too much fun; you get to see things you wouldn’t ordinarily and at the end of the day, you don’t have to sleep in a hotel room where only God knows how many other people have slept.

Even more fun is bringing your beloved motorcycle along with you. However, towing it by trailer can be dangerous if you don’t take the proper safety precautions.

Choose the Right Trailer 

To ensure the safety of yourself and the motorists behind your tow, who are the ones most at risk, you must ensure that you have the proper trailer for what you’re towing.

The trailer you choose must safely and properly fit your vehicle and sustain the weight of your motorcycle.

These are the basic types of trailers for towing a motorcycle: Open flatbed, Enclosed, Two-wheel, Lifts, Towing cradles.

Properly Connect Everything 

Here are four imperative steps you must be sure you complete in order to properly connect your trailer to your RV:

1. After connecting your trailer to your RV, ensure that the trailer hitch pin is in, and in the whole way. This reinforces the towing apparatus to your RV. 
2. Ensure that the hitch coupler and spring bar hinges are secured. 
3. Utilize your safety chains; secure them from the trailer to your RV. If your trailer detaches for any reason, the safety chains will ensure that your trailer does not fully detach from you vehicle and harm other motorists. 
4. Secure the light wires to your trailer. Test them to make sure that drivers behind you will see when you initiate your turn signal and brakes. 

Triple Check… Everything

Once you’ve connected everything, make sure you double and triple check all of your connections. Secure Your Motorcycle on the Trailer Motorcycles are one of the most difficult things to transport by trailer as they are on two wheels, and two wheels simply do not provide much balance for your bike when you are towing. 

What you’ll need:

1. Towing straps. 
Utilize towing straps by placing them through your motorcycle’s frame, wheels, etc., and securing the straps to the sides of the trailer. Ensure that the straps are locked and tight to prevent your bike from shifting during transport.

2. A wheel rail, cradle, or chock. 
All three of these devices prevent your bike from rolling around by securing its wheels. Additionally, you should ensure that your motorcycle will not put more weight on one side of the trailer more so than the other; make sure your bike is centered on the trailer.

Practice Safe Driving Techniques 

• Always practice safe driving techniques, including:
  - If you’re inexperienced or will be towing a new trailer, practice in a safe, empty area before driving on a busy road.
  - Always remember that you’re towing a trailer, which requires different driving techniques and considerations than when driving your RV. 
• Take wider, slower turns than you ordinarily would. 
• Drive slower than you ordinarily would. 
• Begin braking sooner than you normally would; the additional weight that you are towing means it will take you longer to stop. 

Reach Gina Williams at: 
Url: www.motorcycleaccident.org/

 To read more of Julianne Crane's writing, go to RVWheelLife.com