Loading A Trailer - Skoda Octavia Owner's Manual

CAUTION
If the lever is held firm and not pushed downwards as far as it can go, it will go
■
back up after the ball rod is removed and will not latch into the ready position.
The ball rod then needs to be brought into this position before the next time it is
installed.
Stow the ball rod in the ready position with the key inserted in the box. When
■
doing so, make the side opposite to the inserted key face downwards - risk of
damaging the key!
Do not use excessive force when handling the operating lever (e.g. do not climb
■
on it)!
Note
Remove any dirt from the ball rod before stowing it away in the box with the ve-
hicle tool kit.
Operation and maintenance

First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 106.
Seal the mounting recess with the cap to prevent any ingress of dirt.
Always check the ball head before hitching a trailer. Use a suitable lubricating
grease where necessary.
Include the protective cap when stowing away the ball rod to protect the boot
from getting contaminated.
In the event of dirt, clean the surfaces of the mounting recess and treat with a
suitable preservative.
CAUTION
Apply lubricating grease to the upper part of the mounting recess. Make sure you
do not remove any grease.

Loading a trailer

The vehicle/trailer combination must be balanced. whereby the maximum permis-
sible drawbar load must be utilised. If the drawbar load is too low, it jeopardises
the performance of the vehicle/trailer combination.
Distribution of the load
Distribute the load in the trailer in such a way that heavy items are located as
close to the axle as possible. Secure the items from slipping.
The distribution of the weight is very poor if your vehicle is unladen and the trail-
er is laden. Drive at a particularly low speed if you cannot avoid driving with this
combination.
Tyre pressure
Correct the tyre inflation pressure on your vehicle for a "full load"

Tyre life.
Trailer load
The permissible trailer load must not be exceeded under any circumstan-
ces » page 207, Technical data.
The trailer loads specified apply only to altitudes up to 1 000 metres above mean
sea level.
The engine output falls as the height increases, as does the ability to climb.
Therefore, for every additional 1 000 m in height (every one begun), the maximum
permissible towed weight must be reduced by 10 %.
The towed weight comprises the actual weight of the (loaded) towing vehicle and
the (loaded) trailer.
The trailer and drawbar load information on the type plate of the towing device
are merely test data for the towing device. The vehicle-specific values are de-
tailed in the vehicle documents.
WARNING
Do not exceed the maximum permissible axle and drawbar load and the
■

maximum permissible total or towed weight of the vehicle and the trailer -
risk of accident and serious injuries!
Always drive particularly carefully with the trailer.
■
Slipping loads can significantly affect the stability and safety of the vehicle/
■
trailer combination - risk of accident and serious injuries!
» page 182,

109
Towing a trailer