1996 Chevrolet Tahoe Owner's Manual - Page 204

If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer If you do, here are some important points: 0 There are many different laws, includingspeed limit restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure your rig willbe legal, not only where you live but also where you'll bedriving. A good source for this information can be state orprovincial police. Consider using a sway control if your trailer will weigh 4,000 lbs. (1 800 kg) or. less. You should always use a sway control if your trailer will weigh more than 4,000 lbs. (1 800 kg). You can ask a hitch dealer about sway controls. Don't tow a trailer at all duringthe first 500 miles (800 k ) m your new vehicle is driven. Your engine, axle or other parts could be damaged. Then, during the first 500 miles (800 k ) you m that tow a trailer, don't drive over 50 mph (80 k k and m) don't make starts at full throttle. This helps your engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the heavier loads. If you have an automatic transmission, you can tow in OVERDRIVE (OD). You may want to shift the transmission to DRIVE (D) or, if necessary, a lower gear selection if the transmission shifts too often (e.g., 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 and the weight on your vehicle's tires. Weight of the Trailer How heavy can a trailer safely be? It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside temperature andhow much your vehicle is used to pull a trailer are all important. And, it can also depend on any special equipmentthat you have on your vehicle. Use the followingchart to determine how much your vehicle canweigh, based upon your vehicle model and options. Maximum trailer weight is calculated assuming the driver and one passenger are in the tow vehicle andit has all the required trailering equipment. The weight of additional optionalequipment, passengers and cargoin the tow vehicle must be subtracted from the maximum trailer weight. Above the 2,000 lbs. (908 kg) trailer rating, the engine oil cooler required on C/K- 1500 models with is 5.7L engine and C/K-2500Suburban models with 5.7L engine and 3.73 axle ratio. 0 0 0 0 4-45 \