Trailer Towing Tips - Lexus rx350 2016 Owner's Manual

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4-1. Before driving

Trailer towing tips

Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. Help to avoid an acci-
dent, death or serious injury, keep the following in mind when towing:
Speed limits for towing a trailer vary by state or province. Do not exceed the
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posted towing speed limit.
Lexus recommends that the vehicle-trailer speed limit is 65 mph (104 km/h)
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on a flat, straight, dry road. Do not exceed this limit, the posted towing speed
limit or the speed limit for your trailer as set forth in your trailer owner' s man-
ual, whichever is lowest. Instability of the towing vehicle-trailer combination
(trailer sway) increases as speed increases. Exceeding speed limits may cause
loss of control.
Before starting out, check the trailer lights, tires and the vehicle-trailer con-
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nections. Recheck after driving a short distance.
Practice turning, stopping and reversing with the trailer attached in an area
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away from traffic until you become accustomed to the feel of the vehicle-
trailer combination.
Reversing with a trailer attached is difficult and requires practice. Grip the
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bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand to the left to move the
trailer to the left. Move your hand to the right to move the trailer to right. (This
is generally opposite to reversing without a trailer attached.) Avoid sharp or
prolonged turning. Have someone guide you when reversing to reduce the
risk of an accident.
As stopping distance is increased when towing a trailer, vehicle-to vehicle dis-
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tance should be increased. For each 10 mph (16 km/h) of speed, allow at least
one vehicle and trailer length.
Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, resulting in the trailer jackknifing and a
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loss of vehicle control. This is especially true on wet or slippery surfaces.
Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
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Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, and slow down before making a turn.
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Note that when making a turn, the trailer wheels will be closer than the vehicle
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wheels to the inside of the turn. Compensate by making a wider than normal
turning radius.
Slow down before making a turn, in cross winds, on wet or slippery surfaces,
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etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can destabilize the trailer.
Take care when passing other vehicles. Passing requires considerable dis-
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tance. After passing a vehicle, do not forget the length of your trailer, and be
sure you have plenty of room before changing lanes.
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