4-24 DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
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your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added
weight of the trailer. And always keep in
mind that the vehicle you are driving is now
a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check all trailer hitch
parts and attachments, safety chains, elec-
trical connector, lamps, tires and mirror
adjustment. If the trailer has electric
brakes, start your vehicle and trailer mov-
ing and then apply the trailer brake control-
ler by hand to be sure the brakes are
working. This lets you check your electrical
connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be
sure that the load is secure, and that the
lamps and any trailer brakes are still work-
ing.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle
ahead as you would when driving your
vehicle without a trailer. This can help you
avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Passing
You will need more passing distance up
ahead when you are towing a trailer. And,
because you are a good deal longer, you
will need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to
your lane.Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with
one hand. Then, to move the trailer to the
left, just move that hand to the left. To
move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly
and, if possible, have someone guide you.
Making Turns
When you are turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this so your
trailer will not strike soft shoulders, curbs,
road signs, trees or other objects. Avoid
jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to
have extra wiring.
The arrows on your instrument panel will
flash whenever you signal a turn or lane
change. Properly hooked up, the trailer
lamps will also flash, telling other drivers
you are about to turn, change lanes or
stop.When towing a trailer, the arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even if
the bulbs on the trailer are burned out.
Thus, you may think drivers behind you are
seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure
the trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you do not shift down, you
might have to use your brakes so much
that they would get hot and no longer work
well.
Parking on Hills
But if you ever have to park your rig on a
hill, do the following:
1) Apply your regular brakes, but do not
shift into PARK (P) yet.
2) Have someone place chocks under the
trailer wheels.
3) When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb the load.
CAUTION
Making very sharp turns while traile-
ring could cause the trailer to come
in contact with the vehicle. Your vehi-
cle could be damaged. Avoid making
very sharp turns while trailering.
WARNING
You really should not park your vehi-
cle, with a trailer attached, on a hill. If
something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be
injured, and both your vehicle and
the trailer can be damaged.
