weight Ram Cargo Van 2012 Owner's Guide

Trailer And Tongue Weight
Always load a trailer with 60% to 65% of the weight in
the front of the trailer. This places 10% to 15% of the
Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) on the tow hitch of your
vehicle. Loads balanced over the wheels or heavier in the
rear can cause the trailer to swayseverelyside-to-side,
which will cause loss of control of the vehicle and trailer.
Failure to load trailers heavier in front is the cause of
many trailer collisions.
Never exceed the maximum trailer tongue weight
stamped on your bumper or trailer hitch.
Consider the following items when computing the
weight on the rear axle of the vehicle:
•The tongue weight of the trailer.
•The weight of any other type of cargo/luggage or
equipment put in or on your vehicle.
•The weight of the driver and all passengers.
502 STARTING AND OPERATING

NOTE:Remember that everything put into or on the
trailer adds to the load on your vehicle. Also, additional
factory-installed options, or authorized dealer-installed
options, must be considered as part of the total load on
your vehicle. Refer to the “Tire Safety Information/Tire
and Loading Information Placard” in “Starting and Op-
erating” for the maximum combined weight of occupants
and cargo for your vehicle.
Towing Requirements
To promote proper break-in of your new vehicle drive-
train components, the following guidelines are recom-
mended:
CAUTION!
•Do not tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles
(805 km) the new vehicle is driven. The engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•Then, during the first 500 miles (805 km) that a
trailer is towed, do not drive over 50 mph
(80 km/h) and do not make starts at full throttle.
This helps the engine and other parts of the
vehicle wear in at the heavier loads.
Perform the maintenance listed in the “Maintenance
Schedule.” Refer to “Maintenance Schedule” for further
information. When towing a trailer, never exceed the
GAWR or GCWR ratings.
WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to a injury collision. Fol-
low these guidelines to make your trailer towing as
safe as possible: (Continued)
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 503

WARNING! (Continued)
•Make certain that the load is secured in the trailer
and will not shift during travel. When trailering
cargo that is not fully secured, dynamic load shifts
can occur that may be difficult for the driver to
control. You could lose control of your vehicle and
have a collision.
•When hauling cargo or towing a trailer, do not
overload your vehicle or trailer. Overloading can
cause a loss of control, poor performance or dam-
age to brakes, axle, engine, transmission, steering,
suspension, chassis structure or tires.
•Safety chains must always be used between your
vehicle and trailer. Always connect the chains to
the frame or hook retainers of the vehicle hitch.
Cross the chains under the trailer tongue and
allow enough slack for turning corners.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Vehicles with trailers should not be parked on a
grade. When parking, apply the parking brake on
the tow vehicle. Put the tow vehicle automatic
transmission in PARK. Always, block or chock
the trailer wheels.
•GCWR must not be exceeded.
•Total weight must be distributed between the tow
vehicle and the trailer such that the following four
ratings are not exceeded:
1. GVWR
2. GTW
3. GAWR
4. Trailer tongue weight rating for that trailer
hitch. (This requirement may limit the ability to
always achieve the 10% to 15% range of trailer
tongue weight as a percentage of total trailer
weight.)
504 STARTING AND OPERATING

Cleaning Interior Trim
Interior trim should be cleaned starting with a damp
cloth, a damp cloth with MOPARTotal Clean or equiva-
lent, then MOPAR Spot & Stain Remover or equivalent
if absolutely necessary. Do not use harsh cleaners or
Armor All. Use MOPAR Total Clean or equivalent to
clean vinyl upholstery
Cleaning Leather Upholstery
MOPAR Total Clean or equivalent is specifically recom-
mended for leather upholstery.
Your leather upholstery can be best preserved by regular
cleaning with a damp soft cloth. Small particles of dirt
can act as an abrasive and damage the leather upholstery
and should be removed promptly with a damp cloth.
Stubborn soils can be removed easily with a soft cloth
and MOPAR Total Clean or equivalent. Care should be
taken to avoid soaking your leather upholstery with any liquid. Please do not use polishes, oils, cleaning fluids,
solvents, detergents, or ammonia-based cleaners to clean
your leather upholstery. Application of a leather condi-
tioner is not required to maintain the original condition.
WARNING!
Do not use volatile solvents for cleaning purposes.
Many are potentially flammable, and if used in
closed areas they may cause respiratory harm.
Cleaning Headlights
Your vehicle has plastic headlights that are lightweight
and less susceptible to stone breakage than glass head-
lights.
Plastic is not as scratch resistant as glass and therefore
different lens cleaning procedures must be followed.
7
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 575

Fuses................................ 578
Garage Door Opener (HomeLink®) ........... 231
Gas Cap (Fuel Filler Cap) ............490,492,546
Gasoline (Fuel) ......................... 482
Conserving ......................... 310
Gasoline, Clean Air ...................... 482
Gasoline, Reformulated ................... 482
Gauges Coolant Temperature .................. 296
Fuel .............................. 293
Speedometer ........................ 293
Tachometer ......................... 286
Gear Ranges ........................... 427
Gear Select Lever Override ................. 537
General Information ...............17,28,155,481
Glass Cleaning .......................... 576
Gross Axle Weight Rating ...............493,496
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating .............493,495Hands-Free Phone (Uconnect™)
............. 125
Hazard Driving Through Flowing, Rising, or Shallow
Standing Water ...................... 435
Hazard Warning Flasher ................... 513
Head Restraints ......................... 167
Headlights Bulb Replacement .................... 586
Cleaning ........................... 575
Lights On Reminder .................. 200
Passing ............................ 204
Replacing .......................... 586
Time Delay ......................... 199
Washers ........................... 199
Heated Mirrors ......................... 115
Heated Seats ........................... 163
Heater ............................... 393
Heater, Engine Block ..................... 422
High Beam/Low Beam Select (Dimmer) Switch . . 204
10
INDEX 627

Text Messaging......................... 147
Tilt Steering Column ..................... 208
Tire and Loading Information Placard ......... 457
Tire Identification Number (TIN) ............. 455
Tire Markings .......................... 452
Tire Safety Information .................... 452
Tires ........................... 103,461,617
Aging (Life of Tires) .................. 468
Air Pressure ........................ 461
Chains ............................ 470
Changing .......................... 514
Compact Spare ...................... 465
General Information .................. 461
High Speed ......................... 463
Inflation Pressures .................... 462
Jacking ......................... 514,523
Life of Tires ........................ 468
Load Capacity .................... 457,458
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) ......... 473Pressure Warning Light
................ 289
Quality Grading ..................... 617
Radial ............................ 464
Replacement ........................ 469
Rotation ........................... 472
Safety .......................... 452,461
Sizes ............................. 453
Snow Tires ......................... 472
Spare Tire .......................... 516
Spinning ........................... 467
Tread Wear Indicators ................. 468
Tongue Weight/Trailer Weight .............. 502
Towing ............................... 495
24-Hour Towing Assistance ............. 139
Disabled Vehicle ..................... 539
Guide ............................. 501
Recreational ........................ 509
Weight ............................ 501
Towing Assistance ....................... 139
636 INDEX

Traction Control......................... 443
Traction Control Switch ................... 443
Trailer Towing .......................... 495
Cooling System Tips .................. 508
Hitches ............................ 500
Minimum Requirements ................ 503
Trailer and Tongue Weight .............. 502
Wiring ............................ 506
Trailer Towing Guide ..................... 501
Trailer Weight .......................... 501
Transaxle Selection of Lubricant ................. 591
Transmission ........................... 569
Automatic ....................... 422,569
Fluid .......................... 570,591
Transmitter Battery Service
(Remote Keyless Entry) .................... 26
Transmitter, Garage Door Opener (HomeLink®) . . 231
Transmitter, Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) ........ 20Transporting Pets
........................ 95
Tread Wear Indicators .................... 468
Trip Odometer .......................... 286
Turn Signals ................... 203,286,587,588
UCI Connector ......................... 346
Uconnect™ (Hands-Free Phone) ............. 125
Umbrella Holder ........................ 256
Uniform Tire Quality Grades ................ 617
Universal Consumer Interface (UCI) Connector . . . 346
Universal Transmitter ..................... 231
Unleaded Gasoline ....................... 482
Upholstery Care ........................ 574
Vanity Mirrors .......................... 116
Variance, Compass ....................... 314
Vehicle Certification Label ................. 492
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) ............ 6
Vehicle Loading ................... 458,492,494
10
INDEX 637