CHEVROLET 2011 Express - Manual (Page 259)

Black plate (45,1) Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-45
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 10‑93. For information on
towing the vehicle behind another
vehicle such as a motor home, see
Recreational Vehicle Towing on
page 10‑93.
Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips
Pulling a Trailer
Here are some important points:
. 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” in Towing
Equipment on page 9‑53.
. Do not tow a trailer at all during
the first 800 km (500 mi) the new
vehicle is driven. The engine,
axle or other parts could be
damaged.
. Then, during the first 800 km
(500 mi) 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 with an automatic
transmissions 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.
Three important considerations
have to do with weight:
. The weight of the trailer.
. The weight of the trailer tongue.
. The weight on the vehicle's tires.
Also see Tow/Haul later in this
section for information about the
Tow/Haul button and the Tow/Haul
indicator light.