2003 Chevrolet Venture Owner's Manual - Page 329

Driving on Grades Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start down a long or steep downgrade. If you don't shift down, you might have to use your brakes so much that they would get hot and no longer work well. If you are towing a trailer that weighs more than 1,000 Ibs. (450 kg), you may prefer to drive in THIRD (3) instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) (or, as you need to, a lower gear). This will minimize heat build-up and extend the life of your transaxle. Parking on Hills really should not 'our par vehicle, with a trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig could start to move. People can be injured, and both your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged. . But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here's how to do it: 1. Apply your regular brakes, but don't shift into PARK (P) yet. 2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels. 3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load. 3. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking brake, and then shift to PARK (P). 5. Release the regular brakes. 4-42