TRAILER AND TONGUE WEIGHT
Never exceed the maximum tongue weight stamped on
your fascia/bumper or trailer hitch.
WARNING!
Always load a trailer with 60% of the weight in the
front of the trailer. This places 10% of the GTW on the
tow hitch of your vehicle. Loads balanced over the
wheels or heavier in the rear can cause the trailer to
sway severely side to side which will cause loss of
control of the vehicle and trailer. Failure to load trail-
ers heavier in front is the cause of many trailer
collisions.
Consider the following items when computing the
weight on the rear axle of the vehicle:
•
The tongue weight of the trailer.
•
The weight of any other type of cargo or equipment
put in or on your vehicle.
•
The weight of the driver and all passengers.
NOTE:
Remember that everything put into or on the trailer
adds to the load on your vehicle. Also, additional
factory-installed options or dealer-installed options
must be considered as part of the total load on your
vehicle. Refer to the Tire And Loading Information Plac-
ard for the maximum combined weight of occupants
and cargo for your vehicle.
TOWING REQUIREMENTS
To promote proper break-in of your new vehicle drive-
train components, the following guidelines are
recommended.
WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to a collision. Follow these
guidelines to make your trailer towing as safe as pos-
sible:
•
Make certain that the load is secured in the trailer
and will not shift during travel. When trailering
cargo that is not fully secured, dynamic load shifts
can occur that may be difficult for the driver to con-
trol. You could lose control of your vehicle and have
a collision.
•
When hauling cargo or towing a trailer, do not over-
load your vehicle or trailer. Overloading can cause
a loss of control, poor performance or damage to
brakes, axle, engine, transmission, steering, sus-
pension, chassis structure or tires.
•
Safety chains must always be used between your
vehicle and trailer. Always connect the chains to
the hook retainers of the vehicle hitch. Cross the
chains under the trailer tongue and allow enough
slack for turning corners.
(Continued)
WARNING!
•
Vehicles with trailers should not be parked on a
grade. When parking, apply the parking brake on
the tow vehicle. Put the tow vehicle transmission in
PARK. Always, block or "chock" the trailer wheels.
•
GCWR must not be exceeded.
•
Total weight must be distributed between the tow
vehicle and the trailer such that the following four
ratings are not exceeded:
○ Max loading as defined on the Tire And Loading
Information Placard.
○ GTW
○ GAWR
○ Tongue weight rating for the trailer hitch utilized
Perform the maintenance listed in the “Scheduled Ser-
vicing”
page 194. When towing a trailer, never
exceed the GAWR or GCWR ratings.
CAUTION!
•
Do not tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles
(805 km) the new vehicle is driven. The engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
•
Then, during the first 500 miles (805 km) that a
trailer is towed, do not drive over 50 mph
(80 km/h) and do not make starts at full throttle.
This helps the engine and other parts of the
vehicle wear in at the heavier loads.
Weight Distribution
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