Valor TRD-54-T, Owner'S Manual, Page: 7 / 65

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Proper alignment of both tow vehicle and trailer wheels will add significantly to the handling
characteristics of the combination and allow the driver to utilize all the design responses of the vehicle
to make evasive maneuvers in the safest manner.
Irregular terrain, steep grades and crowned roads, especially rural roadways, freeways, exit
ramps, curves, bumps and depressions introduce forces into a tow vehicle/ trailer combination that
could result in an accident if proper precautions and driving techniques are not followed. Even a
vehicle that meets all maintenance and load requirements can become hazardous when excessive
speeds and certain roadway characteristics are combined.
While on a downgrade, the force of gravity works against the driver in maintaining control of
the vehicle, particularly if the road surface is wet or slick from snow and ice or loose material. On
upgrades, the problem is spinning out due to insufficient traction at the drive wheels, particularly on
snow and ice.
Great care must be taken to avoid excessive use of brakes on long downgrades.
Overheated brakes are dangerously inefficient. It is very dangerous to brake on a downgrade using
only the trailer brakes. If this is done, the trailer brakes heat up and fade and the tow vehicle brakes
alone will not be able to stop the combination by
themselves. Drivers should reduce speed, downshift and use engine compression as the principal
means of controlling speed on long grades and using all brakes so brake temperatures can be held to
a safe level.
Weather conditions can be a major factor in the cause of accidents. Rain, ice, snow, high
winds and visibility combined with excessive speed, sudden lane changes, or other factors that put
lateral forces into a tow vehicle trailer combination contribute significantly to an accident.
Slippery roads can increase stopping distances and reduce the ability to control the vehicle.
When the road is wet, the available tire/road friction may be half that of a dry road, and icy roads can
reduce friction many times over wet roads. If hard braking or rapid acceleration occurs, there may be
little or no friction available to prevent tire lateral movement and skidding results.
The driver has a responsibility to compensate for the characteristics and conditions of his
vehicle, the road conditions and weather. Reducing speeds and increasing attentiveness may
compensate for most of these conditions. The more familiar the driver is with the vehicle and the
road, the less likely he will need to make abrupt emergency maneuvers which will take the vehicle to
its limits. Control and stability may be maintained if the driver knows his vehicle, his load, and the
road.
Either braking or accelerating while cornering can significantly reduce the controllability and
stability of the vehicle and should be avoided. The best driving practice is to decelerate to a safe
conservative speed before entering a corner or approaching congested traffic and then apply only
moderate power until an essentially straight path has been established.