Toyota KUN26L-P series Owner's Manual page 179

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.
PRE−TOWING SAFETY CHECK
Be sure not to exceed designated max-
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imum load for the ball coupling of the
towing bracket. Please remember that
the ball coupling load will increase the
load on the vehicle. Maximum permissi-
ble rear axle capacity must not be ex-
ceeded.
Make sure the trailer cargo is securely
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loaded so that it cannot 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.
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TRAILER TOWING TIPS
When towing a trailer, your vehicle will
handle differently than when not tow-
ing. The three main causes of vehicle−
trailer accidents are driver error, exces-
sive speed and improper trailer loading.
Keep these 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.
Avoid jerky starts or sudden accelera-
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tion. If your vehicle has a manual
transmission, prevent excessive clutch
slippage by keeping engine rpm low
and not racing the engine. Always start
out in first gear.
Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns.
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The trailer could hit your vehicle in a
tight turn. Slow down before making a
turn to avoid the necessity of sudden
braking.
Backing with a trailer is difficult and
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requires practice. Grip the bottom of
the steering wheel and move your hand
to the left to move the trailer to the
left. Move your hand to the right to
move the trailer to the right. (This pro-
distance
cedure is generally opposite to that
when backing without a trailer.) Also,
just turn the steering wheel a little at
a time, avoiding sharp or prolonged
turning. Have someone guide you when
backing to reduce the risk of an acci-
dent.
Remember that when making a turn,
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the trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Therefore, compensate for this by
making a larger than normal turning
radius with your vehicle.