Trailer Towing Tips - Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Owner's Manual

2-5. Driving information

Trailer towing tips

Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. The 3 main
causes of vehicle-trailer accidents are driver error, excessive speed
and improper trailer loading. Keep the following in mind when towing:
● Before starting out, check the trailer lights and the vehicle-trailer
connections. Recheck after driving a short distance.
● Practice turning, stopping and reversing with the trailer attached in
an area away from traffic until you become accustomed to the feel
of the vehicle.
● Reversing with a trailer attached 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 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 distance should be increased. For each 10 km/h (6 mph) of
speed, allow at least one vehicle and trailer length.
● Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, resulting in jackknifing and
loss of control. This is especially true on wet or slippery surfaces.
● Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
● Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, and slow down before making
turns.
● Note that when making a turn, the trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the turn. Compensate by making
a larger than normal turning radius.
308