Toyota RAV4 EE Owner's Manual page 440

430
STARTING AND DRIVING
TIRES
Ensure that your vehicle's tires are
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properly inflated. See page 518 in Sec-
tion 7−2 and page 557 in Section 8 for
instructions.
The trailer tires should be inflated to
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the pressure recommended by the trail-
er manufacturer in respect to the total
trailer weight.
TRAILER LIGHTS
Please consult authorized Toyota dealer
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or repairer, or another duly qualified
and equipped professional when instal-
ling trailer lights, as incorrect installa-
tion may cause damage to the ve-
hicle's lights. Please take care to
comply with local laws when installing
trailer lights.
Check for correct operation of the turn
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signals and stop lights each time you
hitch up. Direct splicing may damage
your vehicle's electrical system and
cause a malfunction of your lights.
BREAK−IN SCHEDULE
Toyota recommends that you do not
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tow a trailer with a new vehicle or a
vehicle with any new power train com-
ponent (engine, transmission, differen-
tial, wheel bearing, etc.) for the first
800 km (500 miles) of driving.
MAINTENANCE
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will
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require more frequent maintenance due
to the additional load.
Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing
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ball and bracket after approximately
1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving.
RAV4_EE
PRE−TOWING SAFETY CHECK
Be sure not to exceed designated max-
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imum load for the hitch ball of the
towing hitch bracket. Please remember
that the ball coupling load will increase
the load on the vehicle. Maximum per-
missible rear axle capacity must not be
exceeded.
Make sure the trailer cargo is securely
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loaded so that it can not shift.
If the traffic behind the trailer cannot
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be seen properly with the standard rear
view mirrors, additional outside mirrors
will be necessary. Both outside mirrors
must be fitted on folding arms and ad-
justed to give a good rear view at all
times.
TRAILER TOWING TIPS
Your vehicle will handle
when towing a trailer. In order to avoid
accident, death or serious injury, keep
the following in mind when towing:
Before starting out, check operation of
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the lights and all vehicle−trailer connec-
tions. After driving a short distance,
stop and recheck the lights and con-
nections. Before actually towing a trail-
er, practice turning, stopping and back-
ing with a trailer in an area away from
traffic until you learn the feel.
Because stopping distance may be in-
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creased, vehicle−to−vehicle
should be increased when towing a
trailer. For each 10 km/h (6 mph) of
speed, allow at least one vehicle and
trailer length between you and the ve-
hicle ahead. Avoid sudden braking as
you may skid, resulting in jackknifing
and loss of control. This is especially
true on wet or slippery surfaces.
Finish
differently
distance