Towing

Hitching up

Line up the lead vehicle in front of the one to tow, get close, and press the Towing key (default T) to hitch. Press it again to untow. Trailers, including chains of several trailers, can be towed this way.

Reading the smoke

While driving, particle effects tell you what's happening: brown smoke is normal dirt kickup (even on a clean road); white smoke is burning tire rubber — check your handbrake is released; sparks mean an axle or wheel is damaged.

Lifting the towed vehicle

• Ideally the towed vehicle's front wheels should be lifted off the ground. The IFA truck and UAZ van lift most towed vehicles enough, but this gets harder in a road train.
• If a towed vehicle slides sideways too much, slow down and/or remove its front wheels.
• If the front axles spark, try fitting a single wheel rim or a smaller wheel (such as the trailer's or the C18 panel van's).
• Detach exhausts, which can clip into bumpers and cause parts or vehicles to violently push away from each other.

Road trains

A road train (vehicle train / convoy) is a chain of towed vehicles. Any configuration can be towed (the trailer does not have to be last but obviously can't be first).

The lead vehicle should have an engine powerful enough to handle the weight, especially uphill.

Speed issues

• If the train is slow or won't move, make sure all handbrakes are disengaged — there is a bug where the handbrake usually re-engages after a vehicle is towed.
• Make sure each vehicle's transmission is set to forward; a towed vehicle left in reverse causes a significant speed reduction.
• On hills, break the train into smaller groups of 3 or 4 vehicles.
• Use the "back-and-forth" technique — press left and right (A/D or arrow keys) repeatedly to crawl up a hill.
• Steering the lead vehicle onto the roadside shoulder, where the road slopes down, can give enough momentum to get moving.
• Tap the handbrake (Spacebar) on and off quickly for a speed boost.

Saving without duplication

• Some parts may still duplicate on game load, but spacing vehicles out prevents entire vehicles (with most attached parts and their contents) from duplicating.
• Before saving, untow and space out all towed vehicles: since the lead vehicle tows/untows the last vehicle, press T, drive forward a few meters, and untow the next vehicle until all are separated.
• Engage the handbrake to stop vehicles rolling away.

Notes

• Never tow a vehicle that is already attached after loading a saved game — it can skew to one side and launch both vehicles into the air. Disengage the tow and redo the towing prompt instead.
• On the towed vehicle, make sure the brakes are disengaged and the vehicle is in gear (higher gear is better); manual transmission works best, as automatic can take multiple tries.
• If the towed vehicle is not in gear, one set of its wheels won't turn and a large white smoke trail comes off its back.
• Stay on the road and attach on flat road — sloped or off-road attachment can make the vehicle turn to one side.