Operating instructions
Introduction
WARNINGS, TERMS AND
CONCEPTS FOR SAFE
OPERATION OF YOUR MOTOR
HOME
Vehicle Crash
Like any other vehicle you may drive, your
motor home can be involved in a vehicle
crash, including a rollover. The motor home
will be damaged and you and others can be
injured or killed. Ddve defensively
at
all
times.
DO
NOT
drive
if
you are tired, have
been drinking alcoholic beverages, are under
the influence
of
any
controlled substance, or
are taking
any
medication or dtugs that may
impair your sight, hearing, judgment or coor-
dination.
Pull off the road and park in a safe
area until you can drive safely.
Vehicle Handling
Your motor home is longer, wider and
higher than a typical car
or
ttuck you may
be accustomed to driving. Keep this in
mind as you become familiar with driving
your motor home. New motor home own-
ers should take special care to learn the
driving and handling characteristics
of
your
vehicle in safe and familiar sUll'oundings.
The distribntion
of
the weight
of
your
motor home is designed so it will handle
safely while being driven.
• When loading the motor home, balance
the load
!ront-to-rear and side-to-side.
• Load
and
secure heavier items lower in
the storage areas than lighter items.
If
you fail to properly load your belongings and
supplies, you will defeat the load distribution
design
of
the motor home, possibly leading
to
handling problems and a vehicle crash.
04-6
Vehicle Response
When you, the driver, accelerate, brake or
steer the motor home,
it
responds to these
inputs.
If
you are faced with an emergency
while
dtiving, the way you respond to the
emergency and the way the motor home
responds becomes more critical.
If
you
load, alter or maintain your motor home
improperly,
it
will not respond as it did
when you first received it in an unloaded
condition.
Improper loading, alteration,
maintenance
and improper driver
responses
to
emergency conditions can
lead
to
handling problems and vehicle
crashes.
Vehicle Towing
Your motor home can be equipped with a
hitch designed to allow you to tow vehicles
or other loads behind your motor home.
The maximum amount
of
weight your
motor home can pull or stop is determined
by the manufacturer
of
the chassis
on
which your motor home is built. Check the
Chassis Operator's/Owner's Guide!
Manual
provided by the motor
home
chas-
sis manufacturer for the limits
on
the
weight you can tow.
If
the Chassis Operator's/Owner's Guide!
Manual
does not provide information on
towing weight limits, do not tow a load
of
more than 1000 pounds unless the towed
unit has a properly installed and operating
snpplemental brake control system that
operates with the brakes
on
your motor
home.
•
You
may be able
to
increase the weight
of
any towed load by properly installing on the
towed load a supplemental brake control
system that operates with your motor
home's braking system. Even with addi-
tional brakes, you cannot tow more than the
GTW or GCWR for the chassis under your
motor home. Again, check the
Chassis
Operator's/Owner's Guide/Manual.