Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as
you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help
you
avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return
to
your lane.
Backing
Up
Hold the bottom
of
the steering wheel with one hand.
Then,
to
move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to
the left.
To
move the trailer
to
the right, move your
hand
to
the right. Always back up slowly and,
if
possible,
have
someone guide
you.
Making nrns
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns
than normal. Do this
so
your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in
advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has
to
have a
different turn signal flasher and extra wiring. The green
arrows
on
your instrument panel will flash whenever
you signal a turn
or
lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lights will also flash, telling other drivers
you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out.
Thus,
you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when they are
not.
It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving
On
Grades
Reduce speed and shift
to
a lower gear
before
you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down,
you
might have
to
use
your brakes
so
much
that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down to “D” (Drive) and
reduce your speed to around
45
mph
(70
km/h) to
reduce the possibility of engine and transaxle
overheating.
193
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