26
Towing
Tow Vehicle
When buying a new vehicle to tow your camper, we
suggest including towing options offered by most
tow vehicle manufacturers. These include such
things as a heavy-duty alternator and radiator,
heavy-duty springs and shock absorbers,
transmission cooler, heavy-duty fan and flasher
unit, etc., for the make of the vehicle.
Transmissions may be manual or automatic, but an
automatic transmission may prolong your tow
vehicle’s life and generally does a better job of
controlling engine loads than does the average
driver using a manual shift.
Having adequate power is very important when
considering the purchase of a new vehicle or the
trailer-towing capability of your present one. Auto
dealers are provided with guidelines to use when
helping a customer decide on a tow vehicle.
Guidelines are not determined solely by the power
output of the engine. The gear ratio of the
differential is also a very important part of the
guideline.
Inspect the tow vehicle’s hitch regularly for loose
bolts or nuts, cracked welds, loose ball mounts,
worn parts, etc.
New trailer owners often carry more food and other
supplies than really needed. Remember that every
item you take along is one more thing to stow and
adds weight to the total load you must pull.
Consolidate items in shelves, lockers, and in the
refrigerator. It is better to have one full and one
empty locker, than two half empty ones. Special
care must be taken not to overload the front and rear
ends of the trailer.
Brakes
Camper are equipped with Dexter Nev-R-Adjust
brakes. Please follow all maintenance procedures in
the Dexter user’s manual provided in the owner’s
packet.
Electronic Brake Controller
(not included)
The camper brakes are operated by 12-volt current
from your tow vehicle and must be hooked up so
you have an integral system with your tow vehicle
brakes. To prevent problems and ensure satisfactory
braking action, install an electronic controller in line
with the brakes in your tow vehicle. An electronic
controller will synchronize the camper brakes with
your tow vehicle brakes. It is designed to apply the
camper brakes with your tow vehicle brakes. Your
brake controller should be adjusted to provide for a
slight lead of the camper brakes over the tow
vehicle brakes.
NOTE
Study all material provided with your brake
control. If you do not understand the information,
have the installer explain the information to you or
call the manufacturer of the controller.
Proper Electric Brake Use
Proper synchronization of tow vehicle to camper
braking can only be accomplished by road testing.
Brake lockup, grab, or harshness is quite often due
to lack of synchronization between the tow vehicle
and the trailer being towed, a too-high threshold
voltage (over 2 volts), or under adjusted brakes.
WARNING
Never use your tow vehicle or camper brakes
alone to stop the combined load.
WARNING
The braking system should be checked and
serviced by qualified, certified technicians only.
Failure to do so could result in loss of control of
your tow vehicle or the camper, causing damage
to property, injury, and/or death.
Summary of Contents for T@G 2018
Page 1: ...T G TRAILER MANUAL 2018 ...
