Lifetime 65004 - Manual (Page 40)

40
SECTION 6: COUPLING TO
THE TOW VEHICLE
You must follow all of the safety precautions and instructions in this manual to
ensure safety of persons, cargo, and satisfactory life of the trailer.
6.1 Warning: Using an Adequate Tow Vehicle and Hitch
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death or serious injury. If you already have a tow vehicle, know your vehicle tow
rating and make certain the trailer’s rated capacity is less than or equal to the tow
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certain that the tow rating of the tow vehicle is equal to or greater than that of the
trailer.
6.2 Warning: Coupling and Uncoupling the Trailer
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of coupling may result in death or serious injury. Therefore, you must understand
and follow all of the instructions for coupling your trailer to your tow vehicle.
The following parts are involved in ensuring a secure coupling between the trailer
and tow vehicle:
Coupler: A device on the tongue of the trailer that connects to the hitch on the
tow vehicle.
Hitch: A device on the tow vehicle that supports the weight of the trailer tongue
and pulls the trailer. The coupler attaches to the hitch.
Safety chains: If the coupler connection comes loose, the safety chains can keep
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possible to keep the tongue of the trailer from digging into the road pavement,
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Trailer lighting (and braking) connector: A device that connects electrical
power from the tow vehicle to the trailer. Electricity is used to turn on brake
lights, running lights, and turn signals as required.
6.2.1 Trailer with Ball-Hitch Coupler
A ball hitch coupler connects to a ball that is located on or under the rear bumper
of the tow vehicle. This system of coupling a trailer to a tow vehicle is sometimes
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the load rating of the hitch and ball is equal to or greater than that of your trailer.
ATTACHING THE TRAILER TO YOUR VEHICLE