Chrysler Patriot Owner's Manual page 169

WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to an injury acci-
dent. Follow these guidelines to make your
trailer towing as safe as possible:
• Make certain that the load is secured in the
trailer and will not shift during travel. When
trailering cargo that is not fully secured,
dynamic load shifts can occur that may be
difficult for the driver to control. You could
lose control of your vehicle and have an
accident.
• All trailer hitches should be professionally
installed on your vehicle.
• When hauling cargo or towing a trailer, do
not overload your vehicle or trailer. Over-
loading can cause a loss of control, poor
performance or damage to brakes, axle,
engine, transaxle, steering, suspension,
chassis structure or tires.
(Continued)
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WARNING! (Continued)
• Safety chains must always be used be-
tween your vehicle and trailer. Always con-
nect the chains to the frame or hook retain-
ers of the vehicle hitch. Cross the chains
under the trailer tongue and allow enough
slack for turning corners.
• Vehicles with trailers should not be parked
on a grade. When parking, apply the park-
ing brake on the tow vehicle. Put the tow
vehicle automatic transmission in PARK.
Always, block or chock the trailer wheels.
• GCWR must not be exceeded.
• Total weight must be distributed be-
tween the tow vehicle and the trailer
such that the following four ratings are
not exceeded:
1. GVWR
2. GTW
3. GAWR
4. Tongue weight rating for the trailer hitch
utilized.
JOB: @ibm2/chry_pdm/CLS_chrysler-intl/GRP_owners/JOB_202720-en-pat-10MK74-126-ENG-AA/DIV_og
Towing Requirements – Tires
− Do not attempt to tow a trailer while using a
compact spare tire.
− Proper tire inflation pressures are essential
for the safe and satisfactory operation of
your vehicle. Refer to "Tires – General Infor-
mation" in "Starting and Operating" for
proper tire inflation procedures.
− Check the trailer tires for proper tire inflation
pressures before trailer usage.
− Check for signs of tire wear or visible tire
damage before towing a trailer. Refer to
"Tires – General Information" in "Starting and
Operating" for the proper inspection proce-
dure.
− When replacing tires, refer to "Tires – Gen-
eral Information" in "Starting and Operating"
for proper tire replacement procedures. Re-
placing tires with a higher load carrying
capacity will not increase the vehicle's
GVWR and GAWR limits.
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