1997 Toyota Previa Owners Manual - Page 154

PRE-T OWING SAFETY CHECK S Check that your vehicle remains level when a loaded or unloaded trailer is hitched. Do not drive if the vehicle has an abnormal nose-up or nose-down condition, and check for improper tongue load, overload, worn suspension or other possible causes. S It is not necessary to compensate for the hitch load by removing weight from the towing vehicle as long as the rear gross axle weight rating is not exceeded. S Make sure the trailer cargo is securely loaded so that it cannot shift. S Check that your rear view mirrors conform to any applicable federal, state/ provincial or local regulation. If not, install the rear view mirrors required for towing purpose. S It is recommended that any internal load (passengers or baggage) in the towing vehicle be distributed toward the rear to increase the weight distribution percentage on the rear axle so long as the rear gross axle weight rating is not exceeded. This will reduce the tendency of rear brake lock-up on the towing vehicle. If the weight distribution on the rear axle of the towing vehicle is not increased, the rear brakes may tend to lock-up while braking, especially on slippery roads, thus causing oversteer during a turn, skid, spin and/or jackknifing. This tendency may especially occur while braking abruptly during a turn when towing a trailer that does not have brakes. TRAILER TOWING TIPS When towing a trailer, your vehicle will handle differently than when not towing. The three main causes of vehicletrailer accidents are driver error, excessive speed and improper trailer loading. Keep these in mind when towing: S Before starting out, check operation of the lights and all vehicle-trailer connections. After driving a short distance, stop and recheck the lights and connections. Before actually towing a trailer, practice turning, stopping and backing with a trailer in an area away from traffic until you learn the feel. S Backing with a trailer is difficult and requires practice. Grip the bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand to the left to move the trailer to the left. Move your hand to the right to move the trailer to the right. (This procedure is generally opposite to that when backing without a trailer). Also, just turn the steering wheel a little at a time, avoiding sharp or prolonged turning. Have someone guide you when backing to reduce the risk of an accident. 148