2010 CHEVROLET SILVERADO towing

Section 5 Driving Your Vehicle
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle. . . . . . . . . .5-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Braking in Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Passing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Driving at Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22 Before Leaving on a Long Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Recovery Hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Loading the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment . . . . 5-37
Truck-Camper Loading Information . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Pickup Conversion to Chassis Cab . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Towing Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Towing a Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-51
5-1

Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
Turn the steering wheel left and right to clear the area
around the front wheels. For four-wheel-drive vehicles,
shift into Four‐Wheel High. For vehicles with
StabiliTrak
®, turn the traction control part of the system
off. Shift back and forth between R (Reverse) and a
forward gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible.
To prevent transmission wear, wait until the wheels stop
spinning before shifting gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transmission is in gear. Slowly spinning
the wheels in the forward and reverse directions causes
a rocking motion that could free the vehicle. If that does
not get the vehicle out after a few tries, it might need to
be towed out. Recovery hooks can be used, if the
vehicle has them. If the vehicle does need to be towed
out, see Towing Your Vehicle on page 5‑44.
Recovery Hooks
{WARNING:
These hooks, when used, are under a lot of force.
Always pull the vehicle straight out. Never pull on
the hooks at a sideways angle. The hooks could
break off and you or others could be injured from
the chain or cable snapping back.
5-28

4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the“XXX”amount equals
1400 lbs and there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs (1400 −750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
5.Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in
Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load
from your trailer will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
SeeTowing a Trailer
on page 5‑51for
important information on towing a trailer,
towing safety rules and trailering tips.
Example 1
Item Description Total
A Vehicle Capacity
Weight for
Example 1 = 1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
B Subtract Occupant
Weight @ 150 lbs
(68 kg) × 2 = 300 lbs (136 kg)
C Available Occupant
and Cargo Weight =
700 lbs (317 kg)
5-31

Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
To avoid damage, the disabled vehicle should be towed
with all four wheels off the ground. Consult your dealer
or a professional towing service if the disabled vehicle
must be towed. SeeRoadside Assistance Program
on
page 8‑7.
To tow the vehicle behind another vehicle for
recreational purposes, such as behind a motorhome,
see “Recreational Vehicle Towing” following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
If the vehicle has a two–mode hybrid engine, see the
Two–mode Hybrid manual for more information.
Recreational vehicle towing means towing the vehicle
behind another vehicle–such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as dinghy towing and dolly towing.
Dinghy towing is towing the vehicle with all four wheels
on the ground. Dolly towing is towing the vehicle with
two wheels on the ground and two wheels up on a
device known as a dolly. Here are some important things to consider before
recreational vehicle towing:
.What is the towing capacity of the towing vehicle?
Be sure to read the tow vehicle manufacturer's
recommendations.
.What is the distance that will be travelled? Some
vehicles have restrictions on how far and how long
they can tow.
.Is the proper towing equipment going to be used?
See your dealer or trailering professional for
additional advice and equipment
recommendations.
.Is the vehicle ready to be towed? Just as preparing
the vehicle for a long trip, make sure the vehicle is
prepared to be towed. See
Before Leaving on a
Long Trip on page 5‑23.
5-44

Dinghy Towing
Two-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Notice:If the vehicle is towed with all four wheels
on the ground, the drivetrain components could be
damaged. The repairs would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Do not tow the vehicle with all four
wheels on the ground.
Two-wheel-drive vehicles should not be towed with all
four wheels on the ground. Two-wheel-drive
transmissions have no provisions for internal lubrication
while being towed.
Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Use the following procedure to dinghy tow a
four-wheel-drive vehicle:
1. Position the vehicle being towed behind the tow vehicle and shift the transmission to P (Park).
5-45

2. Turn the engine off and firmly set the parkingbrake.
3. Securely attach the vehicle being towed to the tow vehicle.
{WARNING:
Shifting a four-wheel-drive vehicle's transfer case
into N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle to roll even
if the transmission is in P (Park). The driver or
others could be injured. Make sure the parking
brake is firmly set before the transfer case is
shifted to N (Neutral). 4. Shift the transfer case to N (Neutral). See
“Shifting
into Neutral” underFour-Wheel Drive
on
page 3‑36for the proper procedure to select the
Neutral position for the vehicle.
5. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle being towed is firmly attached to the towing
vehicle.
6. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF and remove the key —the steering wheel will still turn.
After towing, see “Shifting Out of Neutral” under
Four-Wheel Drive
on page 3‑36for the proper
procedure to take the vehicle out of the Neutral position.
5-46

Dolly Towing
Front Towing (Front Wheels Off the
Ground)
Two-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Notice:If a two-wheel-drive vehicle is towed with
the rear wheels on the ground, the transmission
could be damaged. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Never tow the
vehicle with the rear wheels on the ground. Two-wheel-drive vehicles should not be towed with
the rear wheels on the ground. Two-wheel-drive
transmissions have no provisions for internal lubrication
while being towed.
To dolly tow a two‐wheel‐drive vehicle, the vehicle must
be towed with the rear wheels on the dolly. See
“Rear
Towing (Rear Wheels Off the Ground)” later in this
section for more information.
5-47

Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Use the following procedure to dolly tow a
four-wheel-drive vehicle from the front:1. Attach the dolly to the tow vehicle following the dolly manufacturer's instructions.
2. Drive the front wheels onto the dolly.
3. Shift the transmission to P (Park).
4. Firmly set the parking brake.
{WARNING:
Shifting a four-wheel-drive vehicle's transfer case
into N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle to roll even
if the transmission is in P (Park). The driver or
others could be injured. Make sure the parking
brake is firmly set before the transfer case is
shifted to N (Neutral).
5. Use an adequate clamping device designed for towing to ensure that the front wheels are locked
into the straight position.
6. Secure the vehicle to the dolly following the manufacturer's instructions.
7. Shift the transfer case to N (Neutral). See “Shifting
into Neutral” underFour-Wheel Drive
on
page 3‑36for the proper procedure to select the
neutral position for the vehicle.
8. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle being towed is firmly attached to the towing
vehicle.
9. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
After towing, see “Shifting Out of Neutral” under
Four-Wheel Drive on page 3‑36.
5-48