Black plate (61,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012Driving and Operating 9-61Trailer TowingIf the vehicle is a hybrid, seethe hybrid supplement for moreinformation.Do not tow a trailer during break‐in.See New Vehicle Break-In onpage 9‑21 for more information.{ WARNINGThe driver can lose control whenpulling a trailer if the correctequipment is not used or thevehicle is not driven properly.For example, if the trailer is tooheavy, the brakes may not workwell — or even at all. The driverand passengers could beseriously injured. The vehicle mayalso be damaged; the resultingrepairs would not be covered bythe vehicle warranty. Pull a traileronly if all the steps in this sectionhave been followed. Ask your(Continued)WARNING (Continued)dealer for advice and informationabout towing a trailer with thevehicle.Notice: Pulling a trailerimproperly can damage thevehicle and result in costlyrepairs not covered by thevehicle warranty. To pull a trailercorrectly, follow the advice in thissection and see your dealer forimportant information abouttowing a trailer with the vehicle.To identify the trailering capacity ofthe vehicle, read the information in“Weight of the Trailer” that appearslater in this section.Trailering is different than justdriving the vehicle by itself.Trailering means changes inhandling, acceleration, braking,durability and fuel economy.Successful, safe trailering takescorrect equipment, and it has to beused properly.The following information has manytime-tested, important trailering tipsand safety rules. Many of these areimportant for your safety and that ofyour passengers. So please readthis section carefully before pulling atrailer.Weight of the TrailerHow heavy can a trailer safely be?It depends on how the rig is used.Speed, altitude, road grades,outside temperature and how muchthe vehicle is used to pull a trailerare all important. It can depend onany special equipment on thevehicle, and the amount of tongueweight the vehicle can carry. See“Weight of the Trailer Tongue” laterin this section for more information.Trailer weight rating (TWR) iscalculated assuming the tow vehiclehas only the driver but all requiredtrailering equipment. Weight ofadditional optional equipment,passengers and cargo in the towvehicle must be subtracted from thetrailer weight rating.
