Your car can tow a trailer if it is equipped with proper
trailer towing equipment.
To identify what the vehicle
trailering capacity
is
for your vehicle, you
should
read
the
infrwmakion
in “Weight of
the
Tr~ler” that appears
later in this section. But trailering
is
different than* just
driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means changes
in handling, durability, and fuel economy. Successful,
safe trailering takes correct equipment, and it has
to
be
used properly.
That’s the reason for this part. In it are
many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your safety and that
of
your
passengers.
So
please
read
this
section carehlly
before you pull
a
trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine,
transmission, rear axle, wheel assemblies and tires
are
forced
to
work harder against the drag
of
the
added
weight. The engine is required
to
operate at relatively
higher speeds and under greater loads, generating extra
heat. What’s more, the trailer adds,considerably to wind
resistance, increasing the pulling requirements.
I
_.
.
,
_,
-i
..
:
If
You
Do
Decide
To
Pull
A
Trailer
If you
do,
here,are some important points:
0
0
0
0
There are many different laws, including
speed
limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will
be
legal,
not
only where you live but
also where you’ll be driving.
A
good source for this
information can be state or provincial police.
Consider using
a
sway
control.
You can ask
a
hitch
dealer about sway
controls.
Don’t
tow
a
trailer at all during the first 1,000 miles
(1
600
km)
your new vehicle
is
driven.
Your
eng-k,
axle or 0ther.part.s could be damaged.
Then, during the first
500
miles
(800
km)
that
you
tow a trailer, don’t drive ov’er
50
mph
(80
km/h)
and
don’t make starts
at
full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Don’t drive faster than the maximum posted speed
for trailers (or no more than
55
mph
(90
km/h))
to
save wear on your vehicle’s parts.
4-32
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