Titan Leaf Pro, Operation & Maintenance Manual

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General Safety Information
1.2.11. T
RAILER
T
OWING
G
UIDE
Driving a vehicle with a trailer in tow is vastly different from driving the same vehicle without a trailer in tow.
Acceleration, maneuverability and braking are all diminished with a trailer in tow. It takes longer to get up to
speed; you need more room to turn and pass, and more distance to stop when towing a trailer. You will need
to spend time adjusting to the different feel and maneuverability of the tow vehicle with a loaded trailer.
Because of the significant differences in all aspects of maneuverability when towing a trailer, the hazards and
risks of injury are also much greater than when driving without a trailer. You are responsible for keeping your
vehicle and trailer in control, and for all the damage that is caused if you lose control of your vehicle and trailer.
As you did when learning to drive an automobile, find an open area with little or no traffic for your first practice
trailering. Of course, before you start towing the trailer, you must follow all of the instructions for inspection,
testing, loading and coupling. Also, before you start towing, adjust the mirrors so you can see the trailer as
well as the area to the rear of it.
Drive slowly at first, 5 mph or so, and turn the wheel to get the feel of how the tow vehicle and trailer
combination responds. Next, make some right and left hand turns. Watch in your side mirrors to see how the
trailer follows the tow vehicle. Turning with a trailer attached requires more room.
Stop the rig a few times from speeds no greater than 10 mph. If your trailer is equipped with brakes, try using
different combinations of trailer/electric brake and tow vehicle brake. Note the effect that the trailer brakes
have when they are the only brakes used. When properly adjusted, the trailer brakes will come on just before
the tow vehicle brakes.
It will take practice to learn how to back up a tow vehicle with a trailer attached. Take it slow. Before backing
up, get out of the tow vehicle and look behind the trailer to make sure that there are no obstacles. Some
drivers place their hands at the bottom of the steering wheel, and while the tow vehicle is in reverse, “think” of
the hands as being on the top of the wheel. When the hands move to the right (counter-clockwise, as you
would do to turn the tow vehicle to the left when moving forward), the rear of the trailer moves to the right.
Conversely, rotating the steering wheel clockwise with your hands at the bottom of the wheel will move the
rear of the trailer to the left, while backing up. If you are towing a bumper hitch rig, be careful not to allow the
trailer to turn too much, because it will hit the rear of the tow vehicle. To straighten the rig, either pull forward,
or turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction.
1.2.12. R
EPORTING
S
AFETY
D
EFECTS
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect that could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you
should immediately inform the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notifying
Bonnell Industries, Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety defect exists in
a group of vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you, your dealer, or Bonnell Industries, Inc.
To contact NHTSA, you may either call the Vehicle Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-
424-9153), go tohttp://www.safecar.gov; or write to: Administrator, NHTSA, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE.,
Washington, DC 20590. You can also obtain other information about motor vehicle safety from
http://www.safecar.gov.
Call 800-851-9664 to reach Bonnell Industries, Inc.
1.3. S
AFE
T
RAILER
T
OWING
G
UIDELINES
•
Before towing, check coupling, safety chain, safety brake, tires, wheels and lights.
•
Check the lug nuts or bolts for tightness.
•
Check coupler tightness after towing 50 miles.
•
Adjust the brake controller to engage the trailer brakes before the tow vehicle brakes. Follow the
instructions given with the brake controller manufacturer’s literature.
•
Use your mirrors to verify that you have room to change lanes or pull into traffic.