Pre−Towing Safety Check; Trailer Towing Tips - Toyota 2007 Tundra Owner's Manual

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PRE−TOWING SAFETY CHECK
D
Check that your vehicle remains level
when a loaded or unloaded trailer is
hitched. Do not drive if the vehicle has
an abnormal nose−up or nose−down
condition, and check for
tongue load, overload, worn suspension
or other possible causes.
D
Make sure the trailer cargo is securely
loaded so that it cannot shift.
D
Check that your rear view mirrors con-
form to any applicable federal state/
provincial or local regulations. If not,
install the rear view mirrors required
for towing purpose.

TRAILER TOWING TIPS

When towing a trailer, your vehicle will
handle differently than when not tow-
ing. The three main causes of vehicle−
trailer accidents are driver error, exces-
sive speed and improper trailer loading.
Keep these in mind when towing:
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Speed limits for towing a trailer vary
by state or province. Do not exceed
the posted towing speed limit.
488
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Before starting out, check operation of
the lights and all vehicle−trailer connec-
tions. After driving a short distance,
stop and recheck the lights and con-
nections. Before actually towing a trail-
er, practice turning, stopping and back-
improper
ing with a trailer in an area away from
traffic until you learn the feel.
D
Backing with a trailer is difficult and
requires practice. Grip the 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 the right. (This pro-
cedure is generally opposite to that
when backing without a trailer.) Also,
just turn the steering wheel a little at
a time, avoiding sharp or prolonged
turning. Have someone guide you when
backing to reduce the risk of an acci-
dent.
D
Because stopping distance may be in-
creased, following distance should be
increased when towing a trailer. For
each 16 km/h (10 mph) of speed, allow
at least one vehicle and trailer length
between you and the vehicle ahead.
Avoid sudden braking as you may skid,
resulting in jackknifing and loss of con-
trol. This is especially true on wet or
slippery surfaces.
D
Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns.
The trailer could hit your vehicle in a
tight turn. Slow down before making a
turn to avoid the necessity of sudden
braking.
D
Remember that when making a turn,
the trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Therefore, compensate for this by
making a larger than normal turning
radius with your vehicle.
D
Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing sway. Pay attention
to the rear from time to time to pre-
pare yourself for being passed by large
trucks or buses, which may cause your
vehicle and trailer to sway. If swaying
happens, firmly grip the steering wheel
and reduce speed
gradually. Never increase speed. Steer
straight ahead. If you make no extreme
correction with the steering or brakes,
the vehicle and trailer will stabilize.
D
Be careful when passing other ve-
hicles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After passing a vehicle, do
not forget the length of your trailer and
be sure you have plenty of room be-
fore changing lanes.
2007 TUNDRA from Jul. '07 Prod. (OM34463U)
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