Trailer Hitch; Trailer Towing - Opel ANTARA 2013 Owner's Manual

Trailer hitch

General information
The coupling ball bar is kept in a bag,
fastened with a strap and is stowed
below the floor cover in the load
compartment.
Only use towing equipment that has
been approved for your vehicle.
Entrust retrofitting of towing
equipment to a workshop. It may be
necessary to make changes that
affect the cooling system, heat
shields or other equipment.
Control indicator á illuminates in the
instrument cluster when a trailer is
connected to the vehicle 3 91.
Driving characteristics and
towing tips
In the case of trailers with brakes,
attach the break-away stopping cable
to the eye - not to the coupling ball
bar.
If no eye is available, loop cable
around coupling ball bar. Ensure
cable is crossed under the vertical
coupling socket to ensure the trailer
nose cannot drop to the ground if it
becomes separated from the trailer
hitch. Do not allow the cable to drag
along the ground and always allow
enough slack to permit full turning.
Follow the instructions supplied with
the towing equipment.
Before attaching a trailer, lubricate
the coupling ball. However, do not do
so if a stabiliser, which acts on the
coupling ball, is being used to reduce
snaking movements. For trailers with
low driving stability, the use of a
friction-type stabiliser is strongly
recommended.
Do not drive faster than 80 km/h, even
in countries where higher speeds are
permitted. When driving uphill, do not
drive faster than 30 km/h in 1st gear,
or 50 km/h in 2nd gear.
If the trailer starts snaking, drive more
slowly, do not attempt to correct the
steering and brake sharply if
necessary.
Driving and operating
When driving downhill, drive in the
same gear as if driving uphill and
drive at a similar speed.
Adjust tyre pressure to the value
specified for full load 3 207.

Trailer towing

Trailer loads
The permissible trailer loads are
vehicle-dependent and engine-
dependent maximum values which
must not be exceeded. The actual
trailer load is the difference between
the actual gross weight of the trailer
and the actual coupling socket load
with the trailer coupled.
When the trailer load is being
checked, therefore, only the trailer
wheels - and not the jockey wheel -
must be standing on the weighing
apparatus.
The permissible trailer loads are
specified in the vehicle documents. In
general, they are valid for gradients
up to max. 12 %.
147