Toyota HIACE 2006 Owner's Manual page 157

• Never tow a trailer without using
safety chains securely attached to
both the trailer and the vehicle. If
damage occurs to the coupling unit
or hitch ball, there is danger of the
trailer wandering over into another
lane.
TIRES
o Ensure that your vehicle's tires are
properly inflated. See page 201 in Sec-
tion 7-2 and page 222 in Section 8 for
instructions.
o The trailer tires should be inflated to
the pressure recommended by the trail-
er manufacturer in respect to the total
trailer weight.
TRAILER LIGHTS
o Trailer lights must comply with federal
and state regulations. See your local
recreational vehicle dealer or rental
agency for the correct type of wiring
and relays for your trailer. Check for
correct operation of the turn signals
and stop lights each time you hitch up.
Direct splicing may damage your ve-
hicle's electrical system and cause a
malfunction of your lights.
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BREAK-IN SCHEDULE
o Toyota recommends that you do not
tow a trailer with a new vehicle or a
vehicle with any new power train com-
ponent (engine, transmission, differen-
tial, wheel bearing, etc.) for the first
800 km (500 miles) of driving.
MAINTENANCE
o If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will
require more frequent maintenance due
to the additional load. For this informa-
tion, please refer to the scheduled
maintenance information in the "War-
ranty and Service Booklet".
o Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing
ball and bracket after approximately
1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving.
PRE-TOWING SAFETY CHECK
o 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 improper
tongue load, overload, worn suspension
or other possible causes.
o Make sure the trailer cargo is securely
loaded so that it cannot shift.
o Check that your rear view mirrors con-
form to any applicable federal and
state regulations. If not, install the rear
view mirrors required for towing pur-
pose.
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:
o 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-
ing with a trailer in an area away from
traffic until you learn the feel.