1997 GMC Suburban Owner's Manual - Page 227

If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer If you do, here are some important points: 0 have to do with weight: Three important considerations 0 the weight of the trailer, the weight of the trailer tongue and the weight on your vehicle's tires. 0 0 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 source for this information can be state orprovincial police. Consider using a sway control if your trailer will weigh less than the capacity stamped on your step bumper. You should always use a sway control if your trailer will weigh more than the capacity stamped on your step bumper. You can ask a hitch dealer about sway controls. Don't tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles (800 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine, axle or other parts could be damaged. Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you tow a trailer, don't drive over 50 mph (80 k d h ) and 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 You may want to shift the transmission to THIRD (3) or, if necessary, a lower gear selection if the transmission shifts too often (e.g., under heavy loads and/or hilly conditions). 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 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. Use thefollowing chart determine how much your vehicl to can weigh, based upon your vehicle model and options. Maximum trailer weight is calculated assuming the driver and one passenger arein the tow vehicle and it has all the required trailering equipment. Theweight of additional optional equipment, passengers and cargo in the tow vehicle must be subtractedfrom the maximum trailer weight. Above the 2,000 lbs. (908 kg) trailer rating, the engine oil cooler isrequired on C/K- 1500 and C/K-2500 models. Refer to the Trailering Guide for oil cooler recommendations. (a). 4-45