• Lock the trailer hitch coupler with a pin orlock to prevent the coupler from inadver-
tently becoming unlatched.
• Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
• Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.
• Always drive your vehicle at a moderate speed.
• When backing up, hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand. Move your
hand in the direction in which you want the
trailer to go. Make small corrections and
back up slowly. If possible, have someone
guide you when you are backing up.
Always block the wheels on both vehicle and
trailer when parking. Parking on a slope is not
recommended; however, if you must do so:
CAUTION
If you push the park button to engage the P
(Park) position before blocking the wheels
and applying the parking brake, transmis-
sion damage could occur. 1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Have someone place blocks on the down-
hill side of the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. After the wheel blocks are in place, slowly release the brake pedal until the blocks
absorb the vehicle load.
4. Apply the parking brake.
5. Push the park button to engage the P (Park) position.
6. Turn off the engine.
To drive away:
1. Start the vehicle.
2. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
3. Shift the transmission into gear.
4. Release the parking brake.
5. Drive slowly until the vehicle and trailer are clear from the blocks.
6. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
7. Have someone retrieve and store the blocks. • While going downhill, the weight of the
trailer pushing on the tow vehicle may de-
crease overall stability. Therefore, to main-
tain adequate control, reduce your speed
and shift to a lower gear. Avoid long or
repeated use of the brakes when descend-
ing a hill, as this reduces their effectiveness
and could cause overheating. Shifting to a
lower gear instead provides “engine brak-
ing” and reduces the need to brake as
frequently.
• If the engine coolant temperature rises to a high temperature, see “If your vehicle over-
heats” (P. 6-14).
• Trailer towing requires more fuel than nor- mal circumstances.
• Avoid towing a trailer for your vehicle's first 500 miles (805 km).
•For the first 500 miles (805 km) that you do
tow, do not drive over 50 mph (80 km/h).
• Have your vehicle serviced more often than at intervals specified in the recommended
maintenance schedule in the “Maintenance
and schedules” section of this manual.
• When making a turn, your trailer wheels will be closer to the inside of the turn than your
vehicle wheels. To compensate for this,
make a larger than normal turning radius
during the turn.
Technical and consumer information10-29
