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2-5. Driving information
Trailer towing tips
Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. Help to avoid
an accident, death or serious injury, keep the following in mind when
towing:
●
Speed limits for towing a trailer vary by state or province. Do not
exceed the posted towing speed limit.
●
Toyota recommends that the vehicle-trailer speed limit is 65 mph
(104 km/h) on a flat, straight, dry road. Do not exceed this limit, the
posted towing speed limit or the speed limit for your trailer as set
forth in your trailer owner’s manual, whichever is lowest. Instability
of the towing vehicle-trailer combination (trailer sway) increases as
speed increases. Exceeding speed limits may cause loss of con-
trol.
●
Before starting out, check the trailer lights, tires and the vehicle-
trailer connections. Recheck after driving a short distance.
●
Practice turning, stopping and reversing with the trailer attached in
an area away from traffic until you become accustomed to the feel
of the vehicle-trailer combination.
●
Reversing with a trailer attached 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 right. (This is generally opposite to reversing
without a trailer attached.) Avoid sharp or prolonged turning. Have
someone guide you when reversing to reduce the risk of an acci-
dent.
●
As stopping distance is increased when towing a trailer, vehicle-to
vehicle distance should be increased. For each 10 mph (16 km/h)
of speed, allow at least one vehicle and trailer length.
●
Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, resulting in the trailer jack-
knifing and a loss of vehicle control. This is especially true on wet
or slippery surfaces.
Summary of Contents for 2012 Rav4
Page 9: ...24...
Page 159: ...175 2 3 Operating the lights and wipers 2 When driving Type B Off Front fog lights on...
Page 294: ...311 3 2 Using the audio system 3 Interior features Steering wheel switches P 304 Microphone...
Page 459: ...478 5 2 Steps to take in an emergency Lower the vehicle Type A Type B Type C STEP 3...
Page 481: ...500 5 2 Steps to take in an emergency...
Page 512: ...532 6 3 Initialization...