What is a safe following distance while driving or towing an RV?

Towing or driving your RV will require you allow for much more following distance than when driving your every day car/truck/SUV. A standard follwing distance is normally 2 seconds between you and the vehicle in front of you, leaving for sufficient time to slow down/stop in a sudden braking situation. But even with the best brakes, it will take far longer to stop an RV or truck towing a heavy trailer.

                                                                                               Photo credit curtmfg.com

The general rule of thumb is to allow 1 second of distance for every 10ft of vehicle length. So if you have a 20ft truck and 30ft travel trailer you'd need at least 6 seconds of follwing distance from the vehicle ahead of you. To calculate your 'second' distance pick a landmark that the vehicle you’re following will pass and then count the seconds until your vehicle gets to the same spot.

When road conditions are poor you will want to increase this distance. If roads are wet multiply your distance required by 4 and if roads are icy/covered in snow multiply your distance needed by 10. If you feel you need even more time please use a following distance that makes you comfortable -  it is always better to leave too much room than too little.

A great help when towing a heavy load are brake controls which control your trailer brakes as you activate your vehicle brakes. There are a few options to consider:

Our team members are happy to answer any questions you may have in regards to this post or any towing/hitch/accessory inquiries! Please contact us at 1-800-300-4067 or info@hitchweb.com