1993 Chevrolet S10 Pickup Owner's Manual - Page 213

1993 Chevrolet S10 Pickup Manual

Page 213 highlights

Safety Chains You shouldalwaysattachchainsbetweenyourvehicleandyourtrailer.Cross so that the tongue will not the safety chains under the tongue of the trailer it becomesseparatedfromthehitch.Instructionsabout droptotheroadif safetychainsmaybeprovidedbythehitchmanufactureror by thetrailer manufacturer.Followthemanufacturer'srecommendationforattachingsafety so youcanturnwithyourrig.And, chains.Alwaysleavejustenoughslack neverallowsafetychainstodragontheground. Trailer Brakes I yourtrailerweighsmorethan f 1,000 pounds (450 kg)loaded,then it needs itsownbrakes-andtheymustbeadequate. Be suretoreadandfollowthe instructionsforthetrailerbrakes to install,adjustandmaintainthemproperly. And: Don'ttapintoyourvehicle'sbrakesystem if thetrailer'sbrakesystem of willusemorethan 0.02 cubicinch ( 0 . 3 ~ ~ ) fluidfromyourvehicle's mastercylinder. If it does,bothbrakingsystemswon'tworkwell.You couldevenloseyourbrakes. Willthetrailerbrakepartstake3,000psi (20 650 kPa)ofpressure? not,thetrailerbrakesystemmustnotbeusedwithyourvehicle. If - If everythingchecksoutthisfar,thenmakethebrakefluidtapatthe portonthemastercylinderthatsendsfluidtotherearbrakes.Butdon't If youdo, it willbend and finallybreak off. usecoppertubingforthis. Usesteelbraketubing. Driving with a Trailer Towing atrailerrequiresacertainamountofexperience.Beforesettingout fortheopenroad,you'llwanttogettoknowyourrig.Acquaintyourselfwith of thetrailer.And thefeel of handlingandbrakingwiththeaddedweight alwayskeep in mindthatthevehicleyouaredrivingisnowagooddeal longerandnotnearly so responsiveasyourvehicleisbyitself. Beforeyoustart,checkthetrailerhitchandplatform,safetychains,electrical If thetrailerhaselectricbrakes, connector,lights,tiresandmirroradjustment. startyourvehicleandtrailermovingandthenapplythetrailerbrakecontroller byhandtobesurethebrakesareworking.Thisletsyoucheckyourelectrical connectionatthesametime. Duringyourtrip,checkoccasionallytobesurethattheload that the lights and any trailer brakes are still working. is secure,and 4-59

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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.Alwaysleavejustenoughslack
so
you can
turn with your rig. And,
never allow safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer
Brakes
If
yourtrailerweighsmorethan
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
to
install, adjust and maintain them properly.
And:
Don’t
tap
into your vehicle’s brake system
if
the
trailer’s brake system
willusemorethan
0.02
cubic
inch
(
0
.
3
~
~
)
of fluidfromyourvehicle’s
-
master cylinder.
If
it
does, both braking systems won’t work well. You
could even
lose your brakes.
Will
the
trailer brake 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
willbend and finallybreak
off.
Use steel brake tubing.
Driving
with
a
Trailer
Towing atrailerrequiresacertainamountofexperience.Beforesettingout
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 mindthatthevehicleyouaredrivingisnowagooddeal
longer and not nearly
so
responsive as your vehicle
is by
itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform, 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
connectionatthesametime.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load
is
secure, and
that
the
lights and any trailer brakes are still working.
4-59