Ford F series Owner's Manual page 213

Exceeding these limits may allow water to enter
critical vehicle components, adversely affecting
driveability, emissions, and reliability.
Servicing your vehicle if you tow
If you tow a trailer for a long distance, your
vehicle will need to be serviced more frequently
than usual. Refer to the Maintenance Schedule
booklet for additional information.
Trailer towing tips
Before starting on a trip, practice turning,
stopping and backing in an area away from
heavy traffic. Get to know the "feel" of the
vehicle/trailer combination.
Practice backing up. Back up very slowly, with
someone outside at the rear of your trailer to
guide you. Place your hand at the bottom of the
steering wheel and move it in the direction you
want the rear of the trailer to swing. Slight
movement of the steering wheel results in a
much larger movement of the rear of the trailer.
Allow more room for stopping with a trailer
attached. Trailer brakes should be applied first,
whether manually or automatically controlled,
when approaching a stop.
For a good handling truck-trailer combination,
the trailer tongue load should be approximately
10-15% of the loaded trailer weight.
Make a thorough check of your equipment
before starting out on the road. After you have
traveled about 50 miles (80 km) stop in a
protected area and double-check your hitch and
electrical connections. Also check trailer wheel
lug nuts for tightness.
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