Toyota 2000 Tundra Owner'S Manual Download

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TUNDRA (34413U)

195

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  pro-
cedure  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  acci-
dent.

Because stopping distance may be in-
creased,

vehicle- to- vehicle

distance

should  be  increased  when  towing  a
trailer.  For  each  16  km/h  (10  mph)  of
speed,  allow  at  least  one  vehicle  and
trailer  length  between  you  and  the  ve-
hicle  ahead.  Avoid  sudden  braking  as
you  may  skid,  resulting  in  jackknifing
and  loss  of  control.  This  is  especially
true  on  wet  or  slippery  surfaces.

Avoid  jerky  starts  or  sudden  accelera-
tion.  If  your  vehicle  has  a  manual
transmission,  prevent  excessive  clutch
slippage  by  keeping  engine  rpm  low
and  not  racing  the  engine.  Always  start
out  in  first  gear.

Avoid  jerky  steering  and  sharp  turns.
The  trailer  could  hit  your  vehicle  in  a
tight  turn.  Slow  down  before  making  a
turn  to  avoid  the  necessity  of  sudden
braking.

Remember  that  when  making  a  turn,
the  trailer  wheels  will  be  closer  than
the  vehicle  wheels  to  the  inside  of  the
turn.  Therefore,  compensate  for  this  by
making  a  larger  than  normal  turning
radius  with  your  vehicle.

Crosswinds  and  rough  roads  will  ad-
versely  affect  handling  of  your  vehicle
and  trailer,  causing  sway.  Pay  attention
to  the  rear  from  time  to  time  to  pre-
pare  yourself  for  being  passed  by  large
trucks  or  buses,  which  may  cause  your
vehicle  and  trailer  to  sway.  If  swaying
happens,  firmly  grip  the  steering  wheel
and  reduce  speed  immediately  but
gradually.  Never  increase  speed.  Steer
straight  ahead.  If  you  make  no  extreme
correction  with  the  steering  or  brakes,
the  vehicle  and  trailer  will  stabilize.

Be  careful  when  passing  other  ve-
hicles.  Passing  requires  considerable
distance.  After  passing  a  vehicle,  do
not  forget  the  length  of  your  trailer  and
be  sure  you  have  plenty  of  room  be-
fore  changing  lanes.

In  order  to  maintain  engine  braking  effi-
ciency,  do  not  use  fifth  gear  (manual
transmission)  or  overdrive  (automatic
transmission).

Because  of  the  added  load  of  the  trail-
er,  your  vehicle’s  engine  may  overheat
on  hot  days  (at  temperatures  over
30

C [85

F]) when going up a long or

steep  grade  with  a  trailer.  If  the  engine
coolant  temperature  gauge  indicates
overheating,  immediately  turn  off  the  air
conditioning  (if  in  use),  pull  off  the  road
and  stop  in  a  safe  spot.  Refer  to  “If
your  vehicle  overheats”  in  Part  4  of
this  manual.

Always  place  wheel  blocks  under  both
the  vehicle  and  trailer  wheels  when
parking.  Apply  the  parking  brake  firmly.
Put  the  transmission  in  “P”  (automatic)
or  in  first  or  reverse  (manual).  Avoid
parking  on  a  slope  with  a  trailer,  but
if  it  cannot  be  avoided,  do  so  only
after  performing  the  following:

1. Apply the brakes and hold.

2. Have someone place wheel blocks un-

der both the vehicle and trailer wheels.

3. When the wheel blocks are in place,

release your brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.