1993 GMC Sonoma Owner's Manual - Page 210

Your - Driving and the Road Towing a Trailer A If youdon'tusethecorrectequipmentanddriveproperly,youcan lose control whenyoupull a trailer.Forexample,ifthetraileristoo heavy,thebrakesmaynotwork well-or evenatall. You and your passengerscouldbeseriouslyinjured. Pull a traileronly if youhave followedallthestepsinthissection. 1 NOTICE I ?ulling a trailer improperly can damageyourvehicle and result in cost!! -epairs notcoveredby yo1 Lnlnrranty. Tc - trailer correc , folio\ idvice in this sectior ---'I Every vehicle is readyforsometrailertowing. If it was built with trailering options,asmanyare, it's readyforheaviertrailers.Buttraileringisdifferent than just driving yourvehiclebyitself.Traileringmeanschanges in handling, durability, and fueleconomy.Successful,safetraileringtakescorrect equipment,andithas to be usedproperly. That's the reasonforthissection. In it are manytime-tested,important trailering tips and safety rules. Many of these are important for your safety and that of yourpassengers. So pleasereadthissectioncarefully before you pull a trailer. If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer If youdo,herearesomeimportantpoints. There are manydifferentlawshaving to do withtrailering.Makesure your rig will be legal,notonlywhereyoulivebutalsowhereyou'll be driving. A goodsourceforthisinformationcanbe state or provincial police. Consider using a sway control if your trailer will weigh 2,000 pounds (900 kg) or less. You shouldalwaysuse a sway control if your trailer will weighmorethan 2,000 pounds (900 kg).You canask a hitch dealer about sway controls. Don't tow a trailerat all during the first 500 miles (800 km)yournew vehicleisdriven. Your engine,axle, or other parts could be damaged. a trailer,don't Then,duringthefirst 500 miles (800 km)thatyoutow driveover 50 mph (80 km/h) and don'tmake starts atfullthrottle.This helps your engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the heavier loads. 4-56