NISSAN 2013 Rogue - Owner's Manual - Manual (Page 356)

Black plate (354,1)
[ Edit: 2012/ 5/ 18 Model: S35-D ]
9-22 Technical and consumer information
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
make sure it conforms to federal and/or local
regulations and that it is properly installed.
WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system
directly to the vehicle brake system.
Pre-towing tips
. Be certain your vehicle maintains a level
position when a loaded or unloaded trailer is
hitched. Do not drive the vehicle if it has an
abnormal nose-up or nose-down condition;
check for improper tongue load, overload,
worn suspension or other possible causes
of either condition.
. Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
. Keep the cargo load as low as possible in
the trailer to keep the trailer center of gravity
low.
. Load the trailer so approximately 60% of the
trailer load is in the front half and 40% is in
the back half. Also make sure the load is
balanced side to side.
. Check your hitch, trailer tire pressure,
vehicle tire pressure, trailer light operation,
and trailer wheel lug nuts every time you
attach a trailer to the vehicle.
. Be certain your rearview mirrors conform to
all federal, state or local regulations. If not,
install any mirrors required for towing before
driving the vehicle.
. Determine the overall height of the vehicle
and trailer so the required clearance is
known.
Trailer towing tips
In order to gain skill and an understanding of the
vehicle’s behavior, you should practice turning,
stopping and backing up in an area which is free
from traffic. Steering stability, and braking
performance will be somewhat different than
under normal driving conditions.
. Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
. Lock the trailer hitch coupler with a pin or
lock to prevent the coupler from inadver-
tently becoming unlatched.
. Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
. Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.
. Always drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed. Some states or provinces have
specific speed limits for vehicles that are
towing trailers. Obey the local speed limits.
. When backing up, hold the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand. Move your
hand in the direction in which you want the
trailer to go. Make small corrections and
back up slowly. If possible, have someone
guide you when you are backing up.
Always block the wheels on both vehicle and
trailer when parking. Parking on a slope is not
recommended; however, if you must do so:
CAUTION
If you move the shift selector lever to
the P (Park) position before blocking
the wheels and applying the parking
brake, transmission damage could oc-
cur.
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Have someone place blocks on the downhill
side of the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. After the wheel blocks are in place, slowly
release the brake pedal until the blocks
absorb the vehicle load.
4. Apply the parking brake.
5. Shift the transmission into P (Park).