Toyota Tacoma 2012, Owner'S Manual

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2-5. Driving information
2
Wh
en drivin
g
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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 the 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.
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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.
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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.
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Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
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Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, and slow down before mak-
ing a turn.
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Note that when making a turn, the trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the turn. Compensate by making
a wider than normal turning radius.
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Slow down before making a turn, in cross winds, on wet or slippery
surfaces, etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can destabilize the trailer.
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Take care when passing other vehicles. Passing requires consider-
able distance. After passing a vehicle, do not forget the length of
your trailer, and be sure you have plenty of room before changing
lanes.
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To maintain engine braking efficiency and charging system perfor-
mance when using engine braking, do not use fifth gear (5-speed
manual transmission), sixth gear (6-speed manual transmission),
or do not put the transmission in D (automatic transmission).