Table of Contents
Advertisement
The trailer tyres should be inflated to the
D
pressure recommended by the trailer
manufacturer in respect to the total trailer
weight.
TRAILER LIGHTS
Trailer lights must comply with federal
D
and state regulations. See your Toyota
dealer 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 attach the trailer. Di-
rect splicing may damage your vehicle's
electrical system and cause a malfunction
of your lights.
RUNNING-IN SCHEDULE
Toyota recommends that you do not tow
D
a trailer with a new vehicle or a vehicle
with any new power train component (en-
gine, transmission, differential, wheel
bearing, etc.) for the first 800 km of driv-
ing.
MAINTENANCE
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will re-
D
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the additional load. For this information,
please refer to the scheduled mainte-
nance information in the "Warranty and
Service Book".
Retighten all fixing bolts of the tow ball
D
and tow bar after approximately 1000 km
of trailer driving.
PRE-TOWING SAFETY CHECK
Check that your vehicle remains level
D
when a loaded or unloaded trailer is at-
tached. Do not drive if the vehicle has an
abnormal nose-up or nose-down condi-
tion, and check for improper vertical tow
ball load, overload, load distribution of the
vehicle or trailer, worn suspension or
other possible causes.
Make sure the trailer cargo is securely
D
loaded so that it cannot shift.
Check that your rear view mirrors conform
D
to any applicable federal and state regula-
tions. If not, install the rear view mirrors
required for towing purpose.
TRAILER TOWING TIPS
CAUTION
When towing a trailer, your vehicle
D
will handle differently than when not
towing.
The three main causes of vehicle
D
trailer accidents are driver error, ex-
cessive speed and improper trailer
loading.
Before starting out, check operation of the
D
lights and all vehicle-trailer connections.
After driving a short distance, stop and re-
check the lights and connections. Before
actually towing a trailer, practice turning,
stopping and backing with a trailer in an
area away from traffic until you learn the
feel.
Backing with a trailer is difficult and requires
D
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 procedure 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 accident.
Because the stopping distance may be in-
D
creased, vehicle-to-vehicle distance should
be increased when towing a trailer. For each
10 km/h of speed, allow at least one vehicle
and trailer length between you and the ve-
hicle ahead. Avoid sudden braking as you
may skid, resulting in jackknifing and loss
of control. This is especially true on wet or
slippery surfaces.
STARTING AND DRIVING
213
Advertisement
Table of Contents
