General Towing; Information; Driving Characteristics And Towing Tips - GMC 2011 Sierra Denali Owner's Manual

9-72 Driving and Operating
Towing

General Towing

Information

Only use towing equipment that has
been designed for the vehicle.
Contact your dealer or trailering
dealer for assistance with preparing
the vehicle for towing a trailer.
See the following trailer towing
information in this section:
For information on driving
while towing a trailer, see
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips.
For maximum vehicle and trailer
weights, see Trailer Towing.
For information on equipment
to tow a trailer, see Towing
Equipment.
For information on towing a disabled
vehicle, see Towing the Vehicle on
page 10 87. For information on
towing the vehicle behind another
vehicle such as a motorhome, see
Recreational Vehicle Towing on
page 10 87.
Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips
Pulling A Trailer
Here are some important points:
There are many different laws,
including speed limit restrictions,
having to do with trailering.
Make sure the rig will be legal,
not only where you live but also
where you will be driving.
A good source for this
information can be state or
provincial police.
Consider using a sway control.
See Hitches in Towing
Equipment on page 9 80.
Do not tow a trailer at all during
the first 800 km (500 miles)
the new vehicle is driven.
The engine, axle or other parts
could be damaged.
Then, during the first 800 km
(500 miles) that a trailer is
towed, do not drive over 80 km/h
(50 mph) and do not make starts
at full throttle. This helps the
engine and other parts of the
vehicle wear in at the heavier
loads.
Vehicles can tow in D (Drive).
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear if the transmission shifts
too often under heavy loads
and/or hilly conditions.
Important considerations that have
to do with weight:
The weight of the trailer
The weight of the trailer tongue
The weight on the vehicle's tires
And the weight of the trailering
combination