The Ultimate Checklist Before Towing Your Fifth Wheel

“One missed step can turn towing day into a nightmare — here’s the checklist we follow every single time.”

When we first started towing the Sierra, I thought I had it all under control. Hitch it up, crank the truck, and hit the road, right? Wrong. Our first big mistake happened outside San Antonio — I forgot to latch one of the basement doors. Let’s just say nothing humbles you faster than watching your own gear skid across the highway.

That’s why we built this pre-tow checklist. It lives on the fridge, and we go through it every single time we move the rig. It doesn’t just save us from embarrassment — it saves our safety, sanity, and wallet.

Interior

• Lock the fridge and cabinets (we once had salsa explode on the carpet… never again).

• Retract all slides and make sure nothing’s caught in the seals.

• Secure loose items — the dogs’ water bowl has to be emptied, or it sloshes everywhere.

Exterior

• Raise stabilizers and landing gear fully.

• Check tire pressure and lug nuts (a blowout in West Texas was enough to teach us this one).

• Hitch up and double-check the kingpin connection.

• Safety chains and breakaway cable connected properly.

• Connect and test brake lights and turn signals.

Final Walkaround

We call this the “two sets of eyes rule.” One of us walks around the rig while the other waits, then we switch. You’d be surprised how many times a second look catches something — an unlocked storage bay, an awning arm not fully stowed, or the sewer cap not screwed on tight.

It might take five minutes, but skipping this step can cost you hours of frustration on the side of the road. RV life already has enough surprises — don’t let preventable ones ruin your day.