If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
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 rst 500 miles
(800 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the rst 500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don’t drive over 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.
You may want to shift the transmission to THIRD (3)
or, if necessary, a lower gear selection if the
transmission shifts too often (e.g., under heavy
loads and/or hilly conditions). If you have a manual
transmission and you are towing a trailer, it’s
better not to use the highest gear.Three important considerations have to do with weight:
the weight of the trailer,
the weight of the trailer tongue
and the weight on your vehicle’s tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For example,
speed, altitude, road grades, outside temperature and
how much your vehicle is used to pull a trailer are all
important. And, it can also depend on any special
equipment that you have on your vehicle.
The following chart shows how much your trailer can
weigh, based upon your vehicle model and options.
Maximum trailer weight is calculated assuming only the
driver is in the tow vehicle and it has all the required
trailering equipment. The weight of additional optional
equipment, passengers and cargo in the tow vehicle
must be subtracted from the maximum trailer weight.
The weight of the trailer tongue also affects trailering
capacity. See “Weight of the Trailer Tongue” next.
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Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight
to measure because it affects the total or gross weight
of your vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you
may carry in it, and the people who will be riding in
the vehicle. If you have a lot of options, equipment,
passengers or cargo in your vehicle, it will reduce the
tongue weight your vehicle can carry, which will
also reduce the trailer weight your vehicle can tow.
And if you will tow a trailer, you must add the tongue
load to the GVW because your vehicle will be carrying
that weight, too. SeeLoading Your Vehicle on
page 4-52for more information about your vehicle’s
maximum load capacity.
The trailer tongue weight (A) should be 10 percent to
15 percent of the total loaded trailer weight, up to a
maximum of 500 lbs (226 kg) with a weight carrying hitch.
Do not exceed the maximum allowable tongue weight
for your vehicle. Choose the shortest hitch extension
that will position the hitch ball closest to the vehicle.
This will help reduce the effect of trailer tongue weight
on the rear axle.
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