CHEVROLET 2012 Silverado - Manual (Page 386)

Black plate (86,1) Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
9-86 Driving and Operating
Towing
General Towing
Information
Only use towing equipment that has
been designed for the vehicle.
Contact your dealer or trailering
dealer for assistance with preparing
the vehicle for towing a trailer.
See the following trailer towing
information in this section:
. For information on driving while
towing a trailer, see “Driving
Characteristics and
Towing Tips.”
. For maximum vehicle and trailer
weights, see “Trailer Towing.”
. For information on equipment to
tow a trailer, see “Towing
Equipment.”
For information on towing a disabled
vehicle, see Towing the Vehicle on
page 10‑101. For information on
towing the vehicle behind another
vehicle such as a motor home, see
Recreational Vehicle Towing on
page 10‑101.
Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips
Pulling a Trailer
Important points for pulling a trailer:
. There are many different laws,
including speed limit restrictions,
having to do with trailering.
Make sure the rig will be legal,
not only where you live but also
where you will be driving.
A good source for this
information can be state or
provincial police.
. Consider using a sway control.
See “Hitches” under Towing
Equipment on page 9‑106.
. Do not tow a trailer at all during
the first 800 km (500 miles) the
new vehicle is driven. The
engine, axle, or other parts could
be damaged.
. During the first 800 km
(500 miles) that a trailer is
towed, do not drive over 80 km/h
(50 mph) and do not make starts
at full throttle. This helps the
engine and other parts of the
vehicle wear in at the heavier
loads.
. Vehicles can tow in D (Drive).
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear if the transmission shifts
too often under heavy loads and/
or hilly conditions.
Important considerations that have
to do with weight:
. Weight of the trailer
. Weight of the trailer tongue
. Weight on the vehicle's tires
. Weight of the trailering
combination