Much easier to manage "balanced" a car with a trailer. This means that the loading of the car itself should be close to the maximum allowable, while the loading of the trailer should be as small as possible. If possible, move some of the load into the luggage compartment of your vehicle, while maintaining the necessary load on the trailer eye and distributing the load evenly in the luggage compartment.
The higher the speed, the more difficult it is to drive a car with a trailer. Do not drive your vehicle at the speed limit. Slow down further in adverse road conditions, especially on steep downhill slopes. Be especially careful when driving past oncoming cars and trucks, slow down immediately at the slightest sign of trailer swaying. Never attempt to eliminate trailer sway by increasing engine speed.
Watch for speed limit signs. On some sections of the road, the permissible speed of a car with a trailer is lower than for conventional cars (without trailer).
Be sure to activate the brake system in advance.
When driving down a steep hill, downshift to slow the vehicle down using the braking effect of the engine. Using only the vehicle's brake system can cause it to overheat and fail.
The cooling efficiency of the radiator fan does not increase when downshifting because the fan speed is independent of engine speed. Therefore, on steep hills, shift as far as possible into a higher gear at a lower engine speed.
Watch the temperature sensor readings carefully. If the gauge pointer approaches the extreme right point of the scale, immediately slow down and / and turn off the air conditioner. If the temperature warning light on the instrument panel starts flashing, stop the vehicle at the edge of the road and let the engine run for approximately 2 minutes at idle to avoid engine seizure due to overheating.
Tips for driving with a trailer
The conditions for driving a car with a trailer differ depending on the amount of additional load and the uniformity of its distribution. The safety of driving and the life of your vehicle will largely depend on how you stow the load in the trailer and how closely you follow the trailer driving instructions. Before you hit the road, away from the road, practice driving a car with a trailer (turn, stop, reverse).
The method of moving in reverse uphill is very difficult and requires a certain skill. Techniques for driving a car with a trailer with this method of movement are completely opposite to those used when driving a car without a trailer.
Keep a large distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front, because in the event of a stop, the stopping distance of a vehicle with a trailer is longer than that of a vehicle without a trailer.
The turning radius is also much larger than that of a vehicle without a trailer. When changing lanes, you must remember that you cannot increase the engine speed, as you usually do, due to the additional load on the car. Make sure there is enough free space to perform this maneuver.
Avoid abrupt starts, sharp turns or fast lane changes. When parking, be sure to block the wheels of the car and trailer. Do not park your vehicle with a trailer on an incline. If you cannot do otherwise, do the following:
- Apply the foot brake.
- Have someone place chocks under the wheels of the car's trailer to block them.
- Release the brake slowly.
- Turn the wheels towards the curb.
- Put the car on the parking brake.
- For automatic transmission, set the lever to the position "R", and with a manual transmission, place the gear lever in first gear or reverse.
If you place the automatic transmission selector lever in the "R" before the parking brake is activated and the wheels lock, later the deputy will need to apply much more effort to move the lever out of position "R". If it is necessary to start the movement of a car parked on an incline, reverse the steps:
- Start the engine.
- Set the transmission into gear.
- Release the parking brake and slowly move it away from the blocks blocking the wheels.
- Stop the car and remove the blocks.
Note: Do not tow a trailer while the vehicle is running. When towing a trailer on a regular basis, due to the additional load on your Volkswagen, it is necessary to subject it to technical inspection more often.
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