1995 Chevrolet S10 Pickup Owner's Manual - Page 179

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 and do not attach them to the bumper. 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

brakes

so

you’ll

be able

to

install, adjust and

maintain them properly.

Your trailer brakes

system

can tap into vehicle’s

hydraulic

brake

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 kPa)

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 as responsive as your

vehicle

is

by

itself.

Before

you

start, check the

trailer

hitch

and

platform

(and

attachments),

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 trailer

brake controller by

hand to be

sure

the

brakes

are

working.

This lets you check your electrical connection at

the

same time.

During your trip, check occasionally

to

be sure

that the load is

secure,

and

that the lights and any trailer brakes are still

working.

4-46

1995 Chevrolet S10 Pickup Owner's Manual - Page 179

1995 Chevrolet S10 Pickup Manual

Page 179 highlights