WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to an in-
jury collision. Follow these guide-
lines to make your trailer towing as
safe as possible:
• Make certain that the load is se-
cured in the trailer and it will not
shift during travel. When traile-
ring 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 ve-
hicle or trailer. Overloading can
cause a loss of control, poor perfor-
mance, or damage to brakes, axle,
engine, transmission, steering, sus-
pension, chassis structure, or tires.
• Safety chains must always be used
between your vehicle and trailer.
Always connect the chains to the
frame or hook retainers of the ve-
hicle hitch. Cross the chains under
the trailer tongue and allow
enough slack for turning corners.
(Continued)
WARNING!
(Continued)
• Vehicles with trailers should not
be parked on a grade. When
parking, apply the parking brake
on the tow vehicle. Put the tow
vehicle automatic transmission in
PARK. Always, block or "chock"
the trailer wheels.
• GCWR must not be exceeded.
• Total weight must be distrib-
uted between the tow vehicle
and the trailer such that the
following four ratings are not
exceeded:
1. Max loading as defined on the
“Tire and Loading Informa-
tion” placard.
2. GTW
3. GAWR
4. Tongue weight rating for the
trailer hitch utilized. (This re-
quirement may limit the abil-
ity to always achieve the 10%
to 15% range of tongue
weight as a percentage of total
trailer weight.)
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 Operating” for infor-
mation on tire pressures and for
proper tire inflation procedures.
– Check the trailer tires for proper
tire
inflation
pressures
before
trailer usage.
– Check for signs of tire wear or vis-
ible tire damage before towing a
trailer. Refer to “Tires – General
Information” in “Starting and Op-
erating” for information on tread
wear indicators and for the proper
inspection procedure.
– When replacing tires, refer to “Tires
– General Information” in “Start-
ing and Operating” for information
on replacement tires and for the
proper tire replacement proce-
dures. Replacing tires with a higher
245