If You Do Decide To Pull A TrailerIf you do, here are some important points:• There are many different laws, including speed limitrestrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sureyour rig will be legal, not only where you livebut also where you will be driving. A good sourcefor this information can be state or provincial police.• Consider using a sway control. You can ask a hitchdealer/retailer about sway controls.• Do not tow a trailer at all during the first 1,000 miles(1 600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,axle or other parts could be damaged.• Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that youtow a trailer, do not drive over 50 mph (80 km/h)and do not make starts at full throttle. Thishelps your engine and other parts of your vehiclewear in at the heavier loads.• Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.Do not drive faster than the maximum posted speedfor trailers, or no more than 55 mph (90 km/h), tosave wear on your vehicle’s parts.Three important considerations have to do with weight:• The weight of the trailer.• The weight of the trailer tongue.• The total weight on your vehicle’s tires.Weight of the TrailerHow heavy can a trailer safely be?It should never weigh more than 1,000 lbs (450 kg).But even that can be too heavy.It depends on how you plan to use your rig. Forexample, speed, altitude, road grades, outsidetemperature and how much your vehicle is used to pull atrailer are all important. It can also depend on any specialequipment that you have on your vehicle, and the amountof tongue weight the vehicle can carry. See “Weight of theTrailer Tongue” later in this section for more information.Maximum trailer weight is calculated assuming only thedriver is in the tow vehicle and it has all the requiredtrailering equipment. The weight of additional optionalequipment, passengers and cargo in the tow vehiclemust be subtracted form the maximum trailer weight.You can ask your dealer/retailer for our traileringinformation or advice, or you can write us at ourCustomer Assistance Offices. See Customer AssistanceOffices on page 7-6 for more information.4-31
