2015 DODGE DURANGO Owners Manual

2. Pull the bottom of the cover outward (towards you)
then downwards to disengage the tabs located at the
top of the hitch receiver cover to remove.
To reinstall the cover after towing repeat the procedure in
reverse order.
NOTE:Be sure to engage all tabs of the hitch receiver
cover in the bumper fascia prior to installation.
Hitch Receiver Cover Retainers
1 — Hitch Receiver Cover2—LockingRetainers
Hitch Receiver Cover
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STARTING AND OPERATING 527

Trailer And Tongue Weight
Always load a trailer with 60% of the weight in the front
of the trailer. This places 10% of the GTW on the tow
hitch of your vehicle. Loads balanced over the wheels or
heavier in the rear can cause the trailer to swayseverely
side to side which will cause loss of control of the vehicle
and trailer. Failure to load trailers heavier in front is the
cause of many trailer collisions. Never exceed the maxi-
mum tongue weight stamped on your trailer hitch.
Consider the following items when computing the
weight on the rear axle of the vehicle:
•The tongue weight of the trailer
•The weight of any other type of cargo or equipment
put in or on your vehicle
•The weight of the driver and all passengers
528 STARTING AND OPERATING

NOTE:Remember that everything put into or on the
trailer adds to the load on your vehicle. Also, additional
factory-installed options or dealer-installed options must
be considered as part of the total load on your vehicle.
Refer to “Tire Safety Information/Tire and Loading In-
formation Placard” in “Starting and Operating” for fur-
ther information.
Towing Requirements
To promote proper break-in of your new vehicle drive-
train components, the following guidelines are recom-
mended.
CAUTION!
•Do not tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles
(805 km) the new vehicle is driven. The engine, axle
or other parts could be damaged.
(Continued)
CAUTION!(Continued)
•Then, during the first 500 miles (805 km) that a
trailer is towed, do not drive over 50 mph (80 km/h)
and do not make starts at full throttle. This helps
the engine and other parts of the vehicle wear in at
the heavier loads.
Perform the maintenance listed in the “Maintenance
Schedule.” Refer to “Maintenance Schedule” for the
proper maintenance intervals. When towing a trailer,
never exceed the GAWR or GCWR ratings.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 529

WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to a collision. Follow these
guidelines to make your trailer towing as safe as
possible:
•Make certain that the load is secured in the trailer
and will not shift during travel. When trailering
cargo that is not fully secured, dynamic load shifts
can occur that may be difficult for the driver to
control. You could lose control of your vehicle and
have a collision.
•When hauling cargo or towing a trailer, do not
overload your vehicle or trailer. Overloading can
cause a loss of control, poor performance or dam-
age to brakes, axle, engine, transmission, steering,
suspension, chassis structure or tires.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Safety chains must always be used between your
vehicle and trailer. Always connect the chains to
the hook retainers of the vehicle hitch. Cross the
chains under the trailer tongue and allow enough
slack for turning corners.
•Vehicles with trailers should not be parked on a
grade. When parking, apply the parking brake on
the tow vehicle. Put the tow vehicle transmission in
PARK. For four-wheel drive vehicles, make sure
the transfer case is not in NEUTRAL. Always,
block or&chock&the trailer wheels.
•GCWR must not be exceeded.
(Continued)
530 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!(Continued)
•Total weight must be distributed between the tow
vehicle and the trailer such that the following four
ratings are not exceeded:
1. GVWR
2. GTW
3. GAWR
4.Tongue weight rating for the trailer hitch utilized.
Towing Requirements — Tires
•Do not attempt to tow a trailer while using a compact
spare tire.
•Proper tire inflation pressures are essential to the safe
and satisfactory operation of your vehicle. Refer to
“Tires – General Information” in “Starting And Oper-
ating” for proper tire inflation procedures.
•Check the trailer tires for proper tire inflation pres-
sures before trailer usage.
•Check for signs of tire wear or visible tire damage
before towing a trailer. Refer to “Tires – General
Information” in “Starting And Operating” for the
proper inspection procedure.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 531

•When replacing tires, refer to “Tires – General Infor-
mation” in “Starting And Operating” for the proper
tire replacement procedures. Replacing tires with a
higher load carrying capacity will not increase the
vehicle’s GVWR and GAWR limits.
Towing Requirements — Trailer Brakes
•Donotinterconnect the hydraulic brake system or
vacuum system of your vehicle with that of the trailer.
This could cause inadequate braking and possible
personal injury.
•An electronically actuated trailer brake controller is
required when towing a trailer with electronically
actuated brakes. When towing a trailer equipped with
a hydraulic surge actuated brake system, an electronic
brake controller is not required.
•Trailer brakes are recommended for trailers over
1,000 lbs (454 kg) and required for trailers in excess of
2,000 lbs (907 kg).
WARNING!
•Do not connect trailer brakes to your vehicle’s
hydraulic brake lines. It can overload your brake
system and cause it to fail. You might not have
brakes when you need them and could have a
collision.
(Continued)
532 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!(Continued)
•Towing any trailer will increase your stopping
distance. When towing you should allow for addi-
tional space between your vehicle and the vehicle
in front of you. Failure to do so could result in a
collision.
CAUTION!
If the trailer weighs more than 1,000 lbs (454 kg)
loaded, it should have its own brakes and they
should be of adequate capacity. Failure to do this
could lead to accelerated brake lining wear, higher
brake pedal effort, and longer stopping distances.
Towing Requirements — Trailer Lights And Wiring
Whenever you pull a trailer, regardless of the trailer size,
stoplights and turn signals on the trailer are required for
motoring safety.
The Trailer Tow Package may include a four- and seven-
pin wiring harness. Use a factory approved trailer har-
ness and connector.
NOTE:Do not cut or splice wiring into the vehicles
wiring harness.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 533

The electrical connections are all complete to the vehicle
but you must mate the harness to a trailer connector.
Refer to the following illustrations.
Four-Pin Connector
1 — Female Pins4 — Park2 — Male Pin5 — Left Stop/Turn3—Ground6—RightStop/Turn
Seven-Pin Connector
1—Battery5—Ground2—BackupLamps6—LeftStop/Turn3—RightStop/Turn7—RunningLamps4 — Electric Brakes
534 STARTING AND OPERATING