1998 Chevrolet Venture Owner's Manual - Page 287

If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer If you do, hereare some important points: e There are many different laws, including speed limit restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure your rig will be legal, not only where you live but also where you'll be driving.A good sourcefor this information can be state or provincial police. 0 Consider using a sway control if your trailer will weigh 2,000 lbs. (900 kg) or less. You should always use a sway control if your trailer will weigh more than 2,000 lbs. (900 kg). You can ask a hitch dealer about sway controls. 0 Don't tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles (800 k m ) your new vehicleis driven. Your engine, axle or other parts could be damaged. 0 Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you tow a trailer, don't drive over 50 mph (80 kmh) and don't make starts at full throttle. This helps your engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the heavier loads. 0 You should use THIRD (3) (or, as you need to, a lower gear) when towing a trailer. Operating your vehicle in THIRD (3) when towing a trailer will minimize heat buildup and extend the life of your transaxle. do with weight: Three important considerations have to the weight of the trailer, the weight of the trailer tongue 0 and the weight on your vehicle's tires. Weight of the Trailer How heavycan a trailer safely be? It should never weigh more than 1,400 lbs. (630 kg) with upto six occupants or more than 2,000 lbs. (900 kg) with up to two occupants. If you have the optional trailer towing package, your vehicle can tow up to 2,900 lbs. (1 300 kg) with upto six occupants or up to 3,500 lbs. (1 575 kg) with up to two occupants. But even that can be too heavy. It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside temperature and how much your vehicle is used to pull a trailer are all important. And,it can also depend on any special equipment that you have on your vehicle. 4-34