Vauxhall VIVARO Owner's Manual page 129

124 Roof rack, caravan and trailer towing
Driving characteristics, towing
tips
In the case of cara vans/trailers with b ra kes,
attach the break away stopping cab le.
Before coupling the carav an/trailer,
lubricate the ball of the caravan/tra iler
towing device. However, do not do so if a
stabilizer which acts on the coupling ball is
being used to dam p rolling motions.
Handling is greatly influenced by the
loading of the caravan/trailer. Loads
should therefore be secured so that they
cannot slip a nd placed in the centre of the
carava n/trailer if possib le, i. e. above the
axle.
Genuine Vauxhall Accessories which can
be subsequently fitted aid trailer
opera tion, e.g. large mirrors for wide
trailers/ca ra vans.
In the case of trailers/c aravans with low
direc tional stability, it is advisable to use a
stabilizer to d amp rolling motions.
Do not drive faster tha n 50 mph (80 km/h)
if possible, even in c ountries where higher
speeds are p ermitted .
Make sure that you have enough room
when cornering and a void sud den
manoeuvres.
If the cara van/trailer starts to sway, drive
more slowly, d o not a ttempt to correct the
steering and b ra ke sharply if necessary.
Elec trica lly driven fan: The fan cooling
capacity is not dependant on engine
speed. It is not necessary, therefore when
driving uphill to shift down into a lower
gear if the vehicle can c lim b in a higher
gear.
When coup led to a caravan/tra iler the
vehicle requires m ore braking effort when
driving down long gradients, so select the
sam e gear as you would d riv ing uphill and
drive at roug hly the same speed.
Remember that the bra king dista nce for
vehicles towing c aravans/trailers is always
greater tha n the braking distance for
vehicles not towing a caravan/trailer.
Starting o n inclines
Hold engine rpm constant, engage clutch
gradually (let slip), relea se b ra ke and open
throttle. I f possible, the eng ine speed
should not drop during this proced ure.
For vehicles with Tecshift 3 in automatic
mode, a pply sufficient throttle.
Before starting off under ex treme
conditions (high combination weight,
mountainous terrain w ith steep inclines),
switch off all unnecessary electrical loads
(e.g. heated rear window).