Your vehicle can tow a trailer  if it  is  equipped  with the 
proper trailer towing  equipment. To identify what the 
vehicle trailering capacity is  for your vehicle,  you 
should read  the information  in “Weight  of the Trailer” 
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 carefully 
before  you pull  a  trailer. 
Load-pulling  components such as the  engine, transaxle, 
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. 
If You Do  Decide To Pull A Trailer 
If  you  do, here are some important points: 
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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 engine, 
axle  or  other  parts could be damaged. 
Then, during the  first 
500 miles (800 km) that you 
tow a trailer,  don’t  drive  over 50 mph (80 kdh) 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 kmh)) to 
save wear on your vehicle’s parts. 
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