Opel Antara Owner's Manual page 170

170 Drivin g and operatio n
Driv ing chara cteristics, tow ing tip s
In the case of carav ans/tra ilers with
brakes 3, a tta ch the breakaway stopp ing
cable to the eye 3 or loop around coupling
ball b ar if no ey e is ava ila ble.
Ensure cable is crossed under the coupling
soc ket to ensure the carav an/trailer nose
cannot drop to the ground if it becomes
separated from the tra iler hitch.
Do not allow the cable to drag along the
ground and alway s allow enough sla ck to
permit full turning. Follow the instructions
sup plied w ith the towing equipm ent.
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 and should be plac ed in the
centre of the ca ra van/trailer if possible,
i.e. abov e the axle.
O pel genuine parts and acc essories w hich
can be subsequently fitted aid trailer
opera tion, e.g. large mirrors for wide
carava ns/trailers.
In the case of caravans/trailers w ith low
directional stab ility , it is a dvisa ble to use a
friction-type sta biliz er to da mp rolling
motions.
Do not drive faster than 80 km/h (50 mph),
even in countries w here higher speed s a re
permitted.
When driving uphill, do not drive faster
than 30 km/h (20 m ph) in 1st gear, or
50 km /h (30 mph) in 2nd gear.
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.
If it is necessary to a pply the brakes fully,
depress the brake ped al as hard as
possible.
The cooling fan is electrica lly opera ted.
The fan cooling capacity is not, therefore,
dependent on eng ine speed. It is not
necessary, w hen driving uphill, to shift
down into a lower g ear if the vehicle can
climb in a higher gea r.
When coupled to a ca ra van/trailer, the
vehicle requires more braking effort when
driving d ow n long gradients, so select the
same gear as you would when driv ing
uphill and drive at roug hly the same speed.
Automatic transmission in automatic mode
will select the driving program w ith the
optimum engine b ra king effec t.
Remem ber that b raking distanc es for
vehicles towing carava ns/trailers with and
without brakes is alwa ys greater than for
vehicles not towing a carav an/trailer. For
carav ans/tra ilers with brakes, follow the
instructions carefully. Do not m ake any
modifications to the brak e system .
Alway s c heck lam ps on caravans/trailers
before towing. Ensure national regulations
are observed.
The fog tail lamp on the vehicle is
deactivated when towing a caravan/
trailer.
When rev ersing, if possible, ha ve someone
provide assistance.
Drive slowly and shift down into a lower
gear when descending steep grad ients
rather than holding the foot b ra ke
depressed, to avoid overheating and
reduc ed b rake efficiency.