2008 DODGE SPRINTER Owners Manual

303 Operation
Driving tips
4
\3 Driving tipsFor information about driving in winter
and with snow chains, see “Winter driv-
ing” (
\2
page 404).
Transporting your vehicle by rail may be
subject to certain restrictions or require
special measures to be taken in some
countries due to varying tunnel heights
and loading standards.
You can obtain information at any
authorized Sprinter Dealer.
Trailer hitches*Only install a trailer hitch receiver ap-
proved for your vehicle. For information
on availability and installation, please
see your authorized Sprinter Dealer.
The bumpers on your vehicle are not de-
signed for use with clamp-type hitches.
Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them.
To reduce the possibility of damage, re-
move the hitch ball adaptor from the re-
ceiver when not in use.
Rail transport
Trailer towingWarning
G
Failure to use proper equipment and driv-
ing technique can result in a loss of vehi-
cle control when towing a trailer.
Improper towing or failure to follow the in-
structions contained in this guide can re-
sult in serious injury.
Follow the guidelines below carefully to
assure safe trailer operation.
Ask your authorized Sprinter Dealer if you
require an explanation of information con-
tained in this guide.
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304 OperationDriving tips
4
Electrical connections*The Sprinter Vehicle is available with a
variety of pre-installed conditions (lines
and turn signal indicator and brake mod-
ule installed and / or not installed). Make
sure that the correct trailer hitch receiv-
er kit is used. For further information,
please see your authorized Sprinter
Dealer.
In order to prevent possible damage to
the vehicle’s electrical system by incor-
rectly installing the trailer wiring plug,
we recommend having the harness con-
nected at an authorized Sprinter Dealer.
GVWR (G
ross V
ehicle W
eight R
ating)
The total allowable weight of the vehicle.
All occupants, all cargo, and the trailer
tongue load must never exceed the
GVWR.GAWR (G
ross A
xle W
eight R
ating)
The total allowable weight that can be
c a r r i e d b y a s i n g l e a x l e ( f r o n t ( F A ) o r r e a r
(RA)).
GCWR (G
ross C
ombination W
eight
R
ating)The total allowable weight of vehicle and
trailer when weighed in combination in-
cluding a 150 lbs (68 kg) allowance for
the presence of a driver.GTW (G
ross T
railer W
eight)
The maximum permissible trailer weight
to be towed.TWR (T
railer T
ongue W
eight R
ating)
The maximum permissible weight of the
trailer tongue (limit for Sprinter Vehicle
approved hitch receiver).
Vehicle and trailer weights and
ratings
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305 Operation
Driving tips
4
For the permissible weights and ratings,
refer to the following table.
!
CAUTION
Cargo vans with a long wheelbase of
170.3 in (4325 mm) and an overall
vehicle length of 289.1 in (7344 mm)
have a reduced GTW and TWR.
iThe GVWR and the front/rear GAWR
of your vehicle are indicated on the
certification label.
!
CAUTION
For vehicle model type 3500, the al-
lowable GCWR is less than the com-
bined maximum weight of the GVWR
and the GTW. Exceeding the GCWR
can cause damage to the drive train,
the transmission, or the trailer
hitch*.
Thus, the permissible values for
GVWR and/or the GTW are reduced
when either the trailer or the vehicle
is fully laden. you may therefore only
partly load the vehicle and/or the
trailer.
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306 OperationDriving tips
4
Sprinter
type
GVWR
GAWR (FA)
GAWR (RA)
GCWR
GTW
TWR
2500
8550 lbs (3878 kg)
3970 lbs (1801 kg)
5360 lbs
(2431 kg)
13500 lbs
(6123 kg)
5000 lbs (2268 kg)
500 lbs (227 kg)
3500
9990 lbs (4531 kg)
4080 lbs (1851 kg)
7060 lbs
(3202 kg)
15250 lbs
(6917 kg)
5000 lbs (2268 kg) or
5000 lbs (2268 kg)
1
500 lbs (227 kg) or
500 lbs (227 kg)
1
4410 lbs
(2000 kg)*
3500
11030 lbs
(5003 kg)
4080 lbs (1851 kg)
7720 lbs
(3502 kg)
15250 lbs
(6917 kg)
5000 lbs (2268 kg) or
5000 lbs (2268 kg)
1
500 lbs (227 kg) or
500 lbs (227 kg)
1
4410 lbs
(2000 kg)*
1 Cargo vans with a long wheelbase of 170.3 in (4325 mm) and an overall vehicle length of 289.1 in (7344 mm) only.
* optional equipmentnf_BA.book Page 306 Friday, January 25, 2008 3:53 PM

307 Operation
Driving tips
4
When loading the a trailer, you should
observe that the GCWR of your vehicle is
not exceeded.
You must distribute total weight be-
tween the vehicle and the trailer such
that neither the permissible GTW, nor
the GVWR and front/rear GAWR , nor
the TWR are exceeded.
The tongue weight at the hitch ball must
be added to the GVWR to prevent ex-
ceeding your Sprinter tow vehicle’s rear
GAWR.Maximum permissible values are listed
on the safety compliance certification la-
bels for the vehicle and for the trailer to
be towed. The lowest value listed must
be selected when determining how the
vehicle and trailer are loaded. For more
information, refer to “Vehicle and trailer
weights and ratings” (
\2
page 304).
Checking weights of vehicle and
trailerTo assure that the tow vehicle and trailer
are in compliance with the maximum
permissible weight limits, and to know
the actual weights, have the loaded vehi-
cle-trailer combination (tow vehicle in-cluding driver, passengers and cargo,
trailer fully loaded) weighed on a com-
mercial scale.
Check the vehicle’s front and rear Gross
Axle Weight (GAW), the GTW, the TW and
the Gross Combination Weight (GCW).
The values as measured must not be ex-
ceeded, according to the weights listed
under “Vehicle and trailer weights and
ratings” (
\2
page 304).
Loading the vehicle and/or a
trailer
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308 OperationDriving tips
4
Attaching a trailerPlease observe the maximum permitted
trailer dimensions (width and length).
Most states and all Canadian provinces
require safety chains between your tow
vehicle and the trailer. The chains should
be crisscrossed under the trailer tongue.
They must be attached to the hitch re-
ceiver, and not to the vehicle’s bumper
or axle. Be sure to leave enough slack in
the chains to permit turning corners.
iMost states and all Canadian prov-
inces require a separate brake sys-
tem at various trailer weights.
Warning
G
Do not connect a trailer brake system (if
trailer is so equipped) directly to the vehi-
cle’s hydraulic brake system as your vehi-
cle is equipped with antilock brakes. If
you do, neither the vehicle’s brakes nor
the trailer’s brakes will function properly.
This could cause an accident resulting in
property damage, injury or death to you or
others.The provided vehicle electrical wiring har-
ness for trailer towing has a brake signal
wire for hook-up to a brake controller.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
Most states and all Canadian provinces
require a break-away switch on trailers
with a separate brake system. The switch
activates the trailer brakes in the possible
event that the trailer might separate from
the tow vehicle.You should consider using a trailer sway
control system. For further information,
see your authorized Sprinter Dealer.
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309 Operation
Driving tips
4
Towing a trailerThere are many different laws, including
speed limit restrictions, having to do
with trailer towing. Make sure that your
vehicle-trailer combination will be legal,
not only for where you reside, but also
for where you will be driving. A good
source for this information can be the
police or local authorities.
Before you start driving with the trailer,
check the trailer hitch, break-away
switch, safety chains, electrical connec-
tions, lighting and tires. Also adjust the
mirrors to permit an unobstructed view
beyond the rear of the trailer.If the trailer has electric brakes, start
your vehicle and trailer moving slowly,
and then apply only the trailer brake
controller by hand to be sure that the
brakes are working properly.
When towing a trailer, check occasional-
ly to be sure that the load is secure, and
that lighting and trailer brakes (if so
equipped) are functioning properly.
Always secure items in the trailer to pre-
vent load shifts while driving.
Take into consideration that when tow-
ing a trailer, the handling characteristics
are different and less stable from those when operating the vehicle without a
trailer. It is important to avoid sudden
maneuvers.
The vehicle and trailer combination is
heavier, and therefore is limited in accel-
eration and climbing ability, and requires
longer stopping distances. It is more
prone to reacting to side wind gusts, and
requires more sensitive steering input.
In order to gain skill and an understand-
ing of the vehicle’s behavior, you should
practice turning, stopping and backing
up in an area which is free from traffic.
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310 OperationDriving tips
4
If possible, do not brake abruptly, but
rather engage the brake slightly at first
to permit the trailer to activate its brake.
Then increase the braking force.Warning
G
Take into consideration that when towing
a trailer, the handling characteristics are
different and less stable from those when
operating the vehicle without a trailer.
It is important to avoid sudden maneu-
vers. Sudden maneuvers may lead to loss
of control over the vehicle-trailer combi-
nation. This could cause an accident re-
sulting in property damage or injury to
you or others.
!
CAUTION
If the transmission hunts between
gears on inclines, manually shift to a
lower gear (select
"4", "3", "2"
or
"1"). A lower gear and reduction
of speed reduces the chance of the
engine overloading and / or over-
heating.
When going down a long hill, shift
into a lower gear and use the en-
gine’s braking effect. Avoid riding the
brakes, thus overheating the vehicle
and trailer brakes.
If the engine coolant rises to an ex-
tremely high temperature (coolant tem-
perature needle approaching the red
zone) when the air conditioner is on,
turn off the air conditioner. Engine cool-
ant heat can be additionally vented by
opening the windows, switching the cli-
mate control fan speed to high and set-
ting the temperature control to the
maximum hot position.
Extreme care must be exercised since
your vehicle with a trailer will require ad-
ditional passing distance ahead than
when driving without a trailer. Because
your vehicle and trailer is longer than
your vehicle alone, you will also need to
go much farther ahead of the passed ve-
hicle before you can return to your lane.
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