Even if you’ve been driving for years, pulling a trailer takes a little getting used to.

After all, when you hook up a trailer you likely more than double the length you’re used to worrying about, and you’ve added a significant amount of weight as well. One difference that may not be apparent to novices is that you need to make much wider turns than you do when not towing. This is because the trailer doesn’t follow the tracks of your tow vehicle as you turn; the trailer instead cuts the corner a fair bit. And the longer the trailer, the wider you must turn. Fail to take this into account and you’ll be prone to hitting curbs, your mailbox or other vehicles. You’ll also have a hard time pulling into a parking space at the boat ramp.

This phenomenon isn’t necessarily intuitive, so in this Mercury Quick Tip we’ll show you an aerial view of how the trailer behaves when you turn, and the right way to swing wide as you negotiate a turn with your boat in tow.