towing checklist?
 

I dunno if this should be a sticky, but what are some things that you need before you tow? I am picking up my uhaul trailer tomorrow to tow my M3 on Sat. morning and I want to make sure I am not forgetting to do anything.
I have the following
1. OEM hitch with ball/tongue. properly torqued
2. 7 pole to 4 pole adapter.
3. 4 t-hooks
4. 4 8' 10k lb ratchet tie downs.
5. X5 checked over( oil changed,etc)
6. patience?

anything else?
do you all bump up tire pressures? mine are set to 36/39.

I am only towing 160 miles round trip over mostly flat land.

I think you have it pretty well handled.

When I tow, my air pressure is 35/43, but I'm pulling 4300 lbs with 600+ lbs tongue weight.

I always carry two extra tie downs with me. For the 911, I use wheel nets over the front tires, with wheel straps through the rear wheels. I carry traditional straps in case I need one.

I carry several velcro straps too- when you adjust the tie downs you don't want the loose end flapping around so I bundle it up an velcro it to the strap.

When you set up your tie downs in the ratchet, you want between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 rounds of material on the ratchet. Resist the temptation to just keep ratcheting the handle and end up with lots of layers on the spool. That will slip. Less than 2 and you don't have a sufficient mechanical grip between layers of strap, but more than 3 1/2 will cause the strap to loosen up over time as the layers compress.

Travel about 20 miles then check ALL your connections- ball latch, wiring, tie downs.

Finally- plan on stopping a lot more frequently for fuel.

Ah good idea on the Velcro. Thanks!

Pay attention to tongue weight. You want 10% (positive), and with car transporters that means locating the vehicle on the trailer to produce a reasonable weight balance.

When I towed, I used 32 F/35 R, with loads up to 4500-5000 lbs