CHEVROLET 2011 Colorado - Manual (Page 234)

Black plate (56,1) Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
9-56 Driving and Operating
Towing
General Towing
Information
Only use towing equipment that has
been designed for the vehicle.
Contact your dealer or trailering
dealer for assistance with preparing
the vehicle for towing a trailer.
See the following trailer towing
information in this section:
. For information on driving while
towing a trailer, see “Driving
Characteristics and
Towing Tips.”
. For maximum vehicle and trailer
weights, see “Trailer Towing.”
. For information on equipment to
tow a trailer, see “Towing
Equipment.”
For information on towing a disabled
vehicle, see Towing the Vehicle on
page 10‑87. For information on
towing the vehicle behind another
vehicle such as a motor home, see
Recreational Vehicle Towing on
page 10‑88.
Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips
Pulling A Trailer
Here are some important points:
. There are many different laws,
including speed limit restrictions,
having to do with trailering.
Make sure the rig will be legal,
not only where you live but also
where you will be driving.
A good source for this
information can be state or
provincial police.
. Consider using a sway control.
See “Hitches” in Towing
Equipment on page 9‑66.
. Do not tow a trailer at all during
the first 800 km (500 miles) the
new vehicle is driven. The
engine, axle or other parts could
be damaged.
. Then, during the first 800 km
(500 miles) that a trailer is
towed, do not drive over 80 km/h
(50 mph) and do not make starts
at full throttle. This helps the
engine and other parts of the
vehicle wear in at the heavier
loads.
. Vehicles with automatic
transmissions can tow in
D (Drive), but you may want to
shift to a lower gear selection if
the transmission shifts too often
(e.g., under heavy loads and/or
hilly conditions). If the vehicle
has a manual transmission it is
better not to use the
highest gear.
Three important considerations
have to do with weight:
. The weight of the trailer
. The weight of the trailer tongue
. The weight on the vehicle's tires