
236
Trailer Hitch
Driving with a trailer
When towing a trailer you must under all circum-
stances adapt your speed to prevailing road and
driving conditions. Towing at excessive speed can
result in loss of control. Observe country-specific
laws for driving with trailers.
f
Carefully and gradually familiarize yourself with
the handling and braking behavior of the car-
trailer combination.
f
Do not drive with the towing vehicle empty and
the trailer loaded.
If this unfavorable combination is unavoidable,
please drive especially slowly.
f
Bear in mind the different vehicle handling and
size in situations such as braking, parking,
cornering and overtaking, etc.
f
The driving stability of the car-trailer combina-
tion worsens as the speed increases. There-
fore, drive especially slowly on downhill
stretches and in the case of unfavorable road
and weather conditions (such as wind).
f
Drive in an appropriately low gear on downhill
stretches in order to make use of the engine
braking effect.
f
Slow down immediately if the trailer starts to
sway. Do not countersteer; brake if necessary.
Never attempt to straighten out the car-trailer
combination by accelerating.
f
Activate Low Range when moving off on steep
slopes.
f
Under no circumstances may people, animals
or objects be in the space between the trailer
and the towing vehicle when the vehicle is
moving.
f
When reversing, bear in mind that ParkAssist is
not active.
f
Always see the permissible towing capacity,
vertical coupling load and rear-axle load.
Please see the chapter “WEIGHTS” on
Page 360.
Maintenance Note
f
Please take into consideration that driving with
a trailer places markedly greater stress on all
vehicle components. Expert inspection and
maintenance after every use are indispensable
prerequisites for proper functioning and safety.