On
The
Road
The weight label on your hitch receiver provides
the maximum trailer weight rating and the maxi-
mum tongue weight rating.
It
is important that
these ratings not be exceeded.
Consult with your dealer
or
towing
equipment/trailer supplier to determine the cor-
rect type
of
hitch head assembly, hitch ball and
other equipment you should use for towing and
leveling the load you intend to pull.
If
you intend to
tow,
take advantage
of
reading
and studying literature that is available from
vehicle manufactures, the National Highway
Traffic
Safety Administration, equipment manu-
facturers, trade associations, and
publicationslbooks about how to tow.
A WARNING
Failure to understand and follow these guidelines as
presented in this section could result in damage to the
motor home frame or body, could cause unstable driv-
ing and
handling characteristics, and will restrict your
warranty coverage.
Dinghy Towing
When a motorized vehicle is towed behind a
motor home with all four tires on the ground,
the towed vehicle is often referred to as a
"dinghy". Vehicle manufacturers produce tow-
able cars and trucks that are designed to be
capable
of
being towed behind a larger vehicle,
such
as
a motor home, with all wheels down.
Caution should be exercised when selecting a
vehicle for dinghy towing.
If
not, battery drain
on the electrical system could occur, the trans-
mission
of
the vehicle could be damaged, the
vehicle may be too heavy to pull, among other
concerns.
Before selecting the vehicle that will be towed,
consult the vehicle manufacturers instructions to
ensure the vehicle is approved by the manufac-
turer for dinghy (four wheels down) towing.
Any aftermarket products that modify the
05-4
dinghy for towing should also be approved by
the vehicle manufacturer.
Make sure that the dinghy weight and attaching
hardware do not exceed the motor home hitch
receiver rating. Make sure that the weight
of
the
motor home and dinghy together; do not exceed
the gross combination weight rating (GCWR)
of
the motor home. Make sure that tow bars and
hitch equipment is rated to handle the weight
of
the vehicle you intend to tow.
In
addition, the dinghy must be equipped with
its own independent auxiliary brake system that
is activated any time the motor home brakes are
applied.
Because
of
StatelProvince regulations, care must
be
exercised when wiring the dinghy for all
lighting requirements.
Check with the
DMV
of
your State and/or
States (and Provinces) you will be traveling
through for their requirements.
TRAILER HITCH
CONNECTOR WIRING
3
4
2
7
5
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