If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer; Weight Of The Trailer - Saab 9-7x Owner's Manual

If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer

If you do, here are some important points:
•
There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live
but also where you'll be driving. A good source for
this information can be state or provincial police.
•
Consider using a sway control. See "Hitches" later
in this section.
•
Don't tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles
(800 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
•
Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don't drive over 50 mph (80 km/h)
and don't make starts at full throttle. This helps
your engine and other parts of your vehicle wear
in at the heavier loads.
•
You can tow in DRIVE (D). You may want to shift
the transmission to THIRD (3) or, if necessary,
a lower gear selection if the transmission shifts
too often (e.g., under heavy loads and/or hilly
conditions).
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
•
The weight of the trailer,
•
The weight of the trailer tongue
•
And the weight on your vehicle's tires.

Weight of the Trailer

How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It depends on how you plan to use your rig.
For example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle is used to
pull a trailer are all important. It can also depend on
any special equipment that you have on your vehicle,
and the amount of tongue weight the vehicle can carry.
See "Weight of the Trailer Tongue" later in this section
for more information.
Maximum trailer weight is calculated assuming only the
driver is in the tow vehicle and it has all the required
trailering equipment. The weight of additional optional
equipment, passengers and cargo in the tow vehicle
must be subtracted from the maximum trailer weight.
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