safety guidelines — TRAILERS
InOpeRaBLe BRaKes, LIgHTs OR MIRRORs
Be sure that the brakes and all of the lights on your trailer are functioning properly before towing your trailer. Check the trailer taillights by turning on your tow vehicle headlights. Check the trailer brake lights by having someone step on the tow vehicle brake pedal while you look at trailer lights. Do the same thing to check the turn signal lights. See Trailer Wiring Diagram section in this manual.
Standard mirrors usually do not provide adequate visibility for viewing traffi c to the sides and rear of a towed trailer. You must provide mirrors that allow you to safely observe approaching traffi c.
WaRnIng
Improper electrical connection between the tow vehicle and the trailer will result in inoperable lights and can lead to collision.
Before each tow, check that the tail lights, brake lights and turn signals work.
TRaILeR TOWIng TIps
Driving a vehicle with a trailer in tow is vastly different from driving the same vehicle without a trailer in tow. Acceleration, maneuverability and braking are all diminished with a trailer in tow.
It takes longer to get up to speed, you need more room to turn and pass, and more distance to stop when towing a trailer.You will need to spend time adjusting to the different feel and maneuverability of the tow vehicle with a loaded trailer.
Because of the signifi cant differences in all aspects of maneuverability when towing a trailer, the hazards and risks of injury are also much greater than when driving without a trailer. You are responsible for keeping your vehicle and trailer in control, and for all the damage that is caused if you lose control of your vehicle and trailer.
As you did when learning to drive an automobile, fi nd an open area with little or no traffi c for your fi rst practice trailering. Of course, before you start towing the trailer, you must follow all of the instructions for inspection, testing, loading and coupling. Also, before you start towing, adjust the mirrors so you can see the trailer as well as the area to the rear of it.
Drive slowly at fi rst, 5 mph or so, and turn the wheel to get the feel of how the tow vehicle and trailer combination responds. Next, make some right and left hand turns. Watch in your side mirrors to see how the trailer follows the tow vehicle. Turning with a trailer attached requires more room.
Stop the rig a few times from speeds no greater than 10 mph. If your trailer is equipped with brakes, try using different combinations of trailer brake and tow vehicle brake. Note the effect that the trailer brakes have when they are the only brakes used. When properly adjusted, the trailer brakes will come on just before the tow vehicle brakes.
It will take practice to learn how to back up a tow vehicle with a trailer attached. Take it slow. Before backing up, get out of the tow vehicle and look behind the trailer to make sure that there are no obstacles.
Some drivers place their hands at the bottom of the steering wheel, and while the tow vehicle is in reverse, “think” of the hands as being on the top of the wheel. When the hands move to the right (counterclockwise, as you would do to turn the tow vehicle to the left when moving forward), the rear of the trailer moves to the right. Conversely, rotating the steering wheel clockwise with your hands at the bottom of the wheel will move the rear of the trailer to the left while backing up.
If you are towing a bumper hitch rig, be careful not to allow the trailer to turn too much because it will hit the rear of the tow vehicle. To straighten the rig, either pull forward or turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction.
TRaILeR vIn Tag
Figure A below is a sample of the Vehicle Identifi cation Number (VIN) Tag which is typically located on the left front of the trailer. See Figure B for location.
Figure A. Vehicle VIN Tag
MLT25 SERIES LIGHT TOWER • operation manual — rev. #0 (11/28/12) — page 29
