1994 Chevrolet S10 Pickup Owner's Manual - Page 177

You can tow

trailers

to

2,000

pounds

(900

kg)

with

a

step

bumper

hitch,

but

if

your

trailer

tongue

has

a

V-shaped foot, your

bumper

could

be

damaged

in

sharp

turns.

Check

the

distance

from

the

front edge of the foot to

the

middle of the hitch

ball

socket.

If

the

distanceis less than

12

inches,

take

the

foot

off

the trailer tongue.

Safety

Chains

You should

always

attach

chains

between

your

vehicle

and

your

trailer.

Cross

the

safety

chains

under

the

tongue

of the trailer

so

that

the

tongue

will

not drop

to

the

road

if it becomes

separated

from the hitch.

Instructions

about

safety

chains

may

be

provided

by

the

hitch

manufacturer

or

by

the

trailer

manufacturer.

Follow

the manufacturer’s

recommendation

for

attaching

safety

chains.

Always

leave

just enough

slack

so

you

can

turn

with

your

rig.

And,

never

allow

safety

chains

to

drag

on

the

ground.

Trailer

Brakes

If your

trailer

weighs

more

than

1,000

pounds

(450

kg) loaded, then it needs

its

own

brakes

-

and

they

must

be

adequate.

Be

sure

to

read

and

follow

the

instructions for the

trailer bE---:s

so

you’ll

be able to

install,

adjust

and

maintain

them

properly.

Your trailer

brakes

system

can

tap

into vehicle’s

hydraulicbrake system

except:

Don’t

tap

into

your

vehicle’s

brake

system

if the trailer’s brake

system

will

use

more

than

0.02

cubic

inch (

0

.

3

~

~

)

of fluid from your

vehicle’s

master

cylinder. If it does, both

braking

systems

won’t

work

well.

You could

even

lose

your

brakes.

Will

the

trailer

parts

take

3,000

psi

(20

650

P a )

of

pressure?

If

not,

the

trailer

brake

system

must

not

be

used

with

your

vehicle.

If everything

checks out this

far,

then

make

the brake

fluid

tap

at

the port

on

the master

cylinder

that

sends

fluid to the rear

brakes.

But don’t use

copper

tubing for this.

If

you do, it will

bend

and

finally

break

off.

Use

steel

brake

tubing.

Driving

with

a

Trailer

Towing

a

trailer

requires

a

certain

amount

of

experience.

Before

setting

out

for the

open

road,

you’ll

want

to

get

to

know

your

rig.

Acquaint

yourself

with

the feel

of

handling

and

braking

with

the

added

weight

of the

trailer.

And always

keep

in

mind

that

the

vehicle

you

are

driving

is

now

a

good

deal

longer

and

not

nearly

so

responsive

as

your

vehicle

is

by itself.

Before

you

start,

check

the trailer

hitch

and

platform,

safety

chains,

electrical

connector,

lights,

tires

and

mirror

adjustment.

If

the

trailer

has

electric

brakes,

start

your

vehicle

and

trailer

moving

and

then

apply

the

4-41

1994 Chevrolet S10 Pickup Owner's Manual - Page 177

1994 Chevrolet S10 Pickup Manual

Page 177 highlights