trailer TOYOTA RAV4 2019 (in English) User Guide

1874-1. Before driving
4
Driving
Vectoring AWD system: 6110 lb.
(2770 kg)
Vehicles with Dynamic Torque Vec-
toring AWD system: 6205 lb. (2815
kg)
With towing package
8205 lb. (3725 kg)
 The gross vehicle weight
must never exceed the
GVWR indicated on the Certi-
fication Regulation Label.
 The gross axle weight on
each axle must never exceed
the GAWR indicated on the
Certification Regulation Label.
 If the gross trailer weight is
over the unbraked TWR,
trailer service brakes are
required.
 Vehicles with towing package:
If the gross trailer weight is
over 2000 lb. (907 kg), a sway
control device with sufficient
capacity is required.
Confirm that the gross trailer
weight, gross combination weight, gross vehicle weight,
gross axle weight and tongue
weight are all within the limits.
■GCWR*
Without towing package
Vehicles without Dynamic
Torque Vectoring AWD system:
6110 lb. (2770 kg)
Vehicles with Dynamic Torque
Vectoring AWD system: 6205 lb.
(2815 kg)
With towing package
8205 lb. (3725 kg)
*: These models meet the tow-vehi- cle trailering requirement of SAE
International per SAE J2807.
■TWR*
Without towing package
1500 lb. (680 kg)
With towing package
3500 lb. (1590 kg)
*: These models meet the tow-vehi- cle trailering requirement of SAE
International per SAE J2807.
■Unbraked TWR*
1000 lb. (450 kg)
*: These models meet the tow-vehi-cle trailering requirement of SAE
International per SAE J2807.
 A recommended tongue
weight varies in accordance
with the types of trailers or
towing as described below.
GCWR, TWR and
Unbraked TWRTrailer Tongue Weight

1884-1. Before driving
To ensure the recommended
values shown below, the
trailer must be loaded by
referring to the following
instructions.
• Tongue Weight
The gross trailer weight should be
distributed so that the tongue
weight is 9% to 11%.
(Tongue weight /Gross trailer
weight x 100 = 9% to 11%)
Vehicles without towing pack-
age
Gross trailer weight
Tongue weight
Vehicles with towing packageGross trailer weight
Tongue weight
The gross trailer weight, gross
axle weight and tongue weight can be measured with platform
scales found at a highway
weighing station, building supply
company, trucking company,
junk yard, etc.
Trailer hitch assemblies have
different weight capacities. Toy-
ota recommends the use of Toy-
ota hitch/bracket for your
vehicle. For details, contact your
Toyota dealer.

If you wish to install a trailer
hitch, contact your Toyota
dealer.
 Use only a hitch that con-
forms to the gross trailer
weight requirement of your
vehicle.
 Follow the directions supplied
by the hitch manufacturer.
 Lubricate the hitch ball with a
light coating of grease.
 Remove the hitch ball when-
ever you are not towing a
trailer. Remove the trailer
hitch if you do not need it.
After removing the hitch, seal
any mounting holes in the
vehicle body to prevent entry
of any substances into the
vehicle.
A
B
A
B
Hitch

1894-1. Before driving
4
Driving
Use the correct trailer ball for
your application.Trailer ball load rating
Matches or exceeds the gross
trailer weight rat ing of the trailer.
Shank length
Protrudes beyond the bottom of the
lock washer and nut by at least 2
threads.
Shank diameter
Matches the ball mount hole diame-
ter size.
Ball diameter
Matches the size of the trailer cou-
pler. Most couplers are stamped
with the required t railer ball size.
Weight carrying ball position:
43.3 in. (1100 mm)
Hitch receiver pin hole posi-
tion: 38.1 in. (969 mm)
■Matching trailer ball height to
trailer coupler height
No matter wh ich class of tow hitch
applies, for a m ore safe trailer
hookup, the trailer ball setup must
WA R N I N G
■Hitch
Trailer hitch assemblies have dif-
ferent weight capacities estab-
lished by the hitch manufacturer.
Even though the vehicle may be
physically capable of towing a
higher weight, the operator must
determine the maximum weight
rating of the pa rticular hitch
assembly and never exceed the
maximum weight rating specified
for the trailer-hitch. Exceeding the
maximum weight rating set by the
trailer-hitch manufacturer can
cause an accident resulting in
death or serious personal injuries.
NOTICE
■When installing a trailer hitch
Use only the position recom-
mended by your Toyota dealer.
Do not install the trailer hitch on
the bumper; this may cause body
damage.
Selecting trailer ball (vehi-
cles with towing package)
A
Trailer classTypical trailer
ball size
IV2 5/16 in.
II and III2 in.
I1 7/8 in.
Positions for towing hitch
receiver and hitch ball
B
C
D
A
B

1904-1. Before driving
be the proper height for the coupler
on the trailer.Coupler
Trailer ball
Please consult your dealer
when installing trailer lights, as
incorrect installation may cause
damage to the vehicle’s lights.
Please take care to comply with
your state’s laws when install-
ing trailer lights.
Your vehicle will handle differ-
ently when towing a trailer. Help to avoid an accident, death or
serious injury, keep the following
in mind when towing:

Speed limits for towing a
trailer vary by state or prov-
ince. Do not exceed the
posted towing speed limit.
 Toyota recommends that the
vehicle-trailer speed limit is 65
mph (104 km/h) on a flat,
straight, dry road. Do not
exceed this limit, the posted
towing speed limit or the
speed limit for your trailer as
set forth in your trailer owner’s
manual, whichever is lowest.
Instability of the towing vehi-
cle-trailer combination (trailer
sway) increases as speed
increases. Exceeding speed
limits may cause loss of con-
trol.
 Before starting out, check the
trailer lights, tires and the
vehicle-trailer connections.
Recheck after driving a short
distance.
 Practice turning, stopping and
reversing with the trailer
attached in an area away
from traffic until you become
accustomed to the feel of the
vehicle-trailer combination.
 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
Connecting trailer lights
NOTICE
■Do not directly splice trailer
lights
Do not directly splice trailer lights.
Directly splicing trailer lights may
damage your vehicle’s electrical
system and cause a malfunction.
Trailer towing tips
A
B

1914-1. Before driving
4
Driving
left. Move your hand to the
right to move the trailer to
right. (This is generally oppo-
site to reversing without a
trailer attached.) Avoid sharp
or prolonged turning. Have
someone guide you when
reversing to reduce the risk of
an accident.
 As stopping distance is
increased when towing a
trailer, vehicle-to vehicle dis-
tance should be increased.
For each 10 mph (16 km/h) of
speed, allow at least one
vehicle and trailer length.
 Avoid sudden braking as you
may skid, resulting in the
trailer jackknifing and a loss of
vehicle control. This is espe-
cially true on wet or slippery
surfaces.
 Avoid jerky starts or sudden
acceleration.
 Avoid jerky steering and
sharp turns, and slow down
before making turn.
 Note that when making a turn,
the trailer wheels will be
closer than the vehicle wheels
to the inside of the turn. Com-
pensate by making a wider
than normal turning radius.
 Slow down before making a
turn, in cross winds, on wet or
slippery surfaces, etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can
destabilize the trailer.
Take care when passing other
vehicles. Passing requires
considerable distance. After
passing a vehicle, do not for-
get the length of your trailer,
and be sure you have plenty
of room before changing
lanes.
 To maintain engine braking
efficiency and charging sys-
tem performance when using
engine braking, do not put the
transmission in D. If in the S
mode, the transmission shift
range position must be in 6 or
lower.
 Instability happens more fre-
quently when descending
steep or long downhill grades.
Before descending, slow
down and downshift. Do not
make sudden downshifts
while descending steep or
long downhill grades.
 Avoid holding the brake pedal
down too long or applying the
brakes too frequently. This
could cause the brakes to
overheat and result in
reduced braking efficiency.
 Due to the added load of the
trailer, your vehicle’s engine
may overheat on hot days (at
temperatures over 85°F
[30°C]) when driving up a long
or steep grade. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge
indicates overheating, imme-
diately turn off the air condi-

1924-1. Before driving
tioning (if in use), pull your
vehicle off the road and stop
in a safe spot. (P.653)
 Always place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle’s and
the trailer’s wheels when
parking. Apply the parking
brake firmly, and put the
transmission in P. Avoid park-
ing on a slope, but if unavoid-
able, do so only after
performing the following:
1 Apply the brakes and keep
them applied.
2 Have someone place wheel
blocks under both the vehi-
cle’s and trailer’s wheels.
3 When the wheel blocks are in
place, release the brakes
slowly until the blocks absorb
the load.
4 Apply the parking brake
firmly.
5 Shift into P and turn off the
engine.
 When restarting after parking
on a slope:
1 With the transmission in P,
start the engine. Be sure to
keep the brake pedal
depressed.
2 Shift into a forward gear. If
reversing, shift into R.
3 If the parking brake is in man-
ual mode, release the park-
ing brake. ( P.204) 4
Release the brake pedal, and
slowly pull or back away from
the wheel blocks. Stop and
apply the brakes.
5 Have someone retrieve the
blocks.
■Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped
with any new power train compo-
nents (such as an engine, transmis-
sion, differential or wheel bearing),
Toyota recommends that you do not
tow a trailer until the vehicle has
been driven for over 500 miles (800
km).
After the vehicle has been driven for
over 500 miles (800 km), you can
start towing. However, for the next
500 miles (800 km), drive the vehi-
cle at a speed of less than 45 mph
(72 km/h) when towing a trailer, and
avoid full throttle acceleration.
■Maintenance
●If you tow a trailer, your vehicle
will require more fr equent mainte-
nance due to the additional load.
(See “Scheduled Maintenance
Guide” or “Owner ’s Manual Sup-
plement”.)
●Retighten the fixing bolts of the
towing ball and bracket after
approximately 600 miles (1000
km) of tra iler towing.
■If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds,
passing vehicles, rough roads, etc.)
can adversely affect handling of
your vehicle and trailer, causing
instability.
●If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to contr ol trailer sway-
ing by turning the steering wheel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator
pedal immediately but very gradu-
ally to reduce speed.

1934-1. Before driving
4
Driving
Do not increase speed. Do not
apply vehicle brakes.
If you make no ext reme correction
with the steering or brakes, your
vehicle and trailer should stabilize (if
enabled, Trailer Sway Control can
also help to stabilize the vehicle and
trailer.).
●After the trailer swaying has
stopped:
• Stop in a safe place. Get all occu-
pants out of the vehicle.
• Check the tires of the vehicle and the trailer.
• Check the load in the trailer. Make sure the load has not
shifted.
Make sure the tongue weight is
appropriate, if possible.
• Check the load in the vehicle. Make sure the vehicle is not over-
loaded after occupants get in.
If you cannot find any problems, the
speed at which tr ailer swaying
occurred is beyond the limit of your
particular vehicle-trailer combina-
tion. Drive at a lower speed to pre-
vent instability. Remember that
swaying of the towing vehicle-trailer
increases as speed increases.
Dinghy towing
Your vehicle is not designed
to be dinghy towed (with 4
wheels on the ground)
behind a motor home.
NOTICE
■To avoid serious damage to
your vehicle
Do not tow your vehicle with 4
wheels on the ground.
■To prevent causing serious
damage to the transmission
and AWD system (AWD mod-
els)
2WD models: Never tow this vehi-
cle from the rear with the front
wheels on the ground. This may
cause serious damage to the
transmission.

2144-3. Operating the lights and wipers
• When the vehicle is cut in front of by another vehicle
• When vehicles ahead are hidden from sight due to repeated curves,
road dividers or roadside trees
• When vehicles ahead appear from the faraway lane on a wide road
• When vehicles ahead have no lights
●The high beam may be turned off
if a vehicle ahead that is using fog
lights without using the headlights
is detected.
●House lights, street lights, traffic
signals, and illumi nated billboards
or signs may cause the high beam
to switch to the low beams, or the
low beams to remain on.
●The following factors may affect
the amount of time taken to turn
the high beam on or off:
• The brightness of headlights, fog lights, and tail lig hts of vehicles
ahead
• The movement and direction of vehicles ahead
• When a vehicle ahead only has operational lights on one side
• When a vehicle ahead is a two-
wheeled vehicle
• The condition of the road (gradi-
ent, curve, condi tion of the road
surface etc.)
• The number of passengers and amount of luggage
●The high beam may be turned on
or off when the driver does not
expect it.
●Bicycles or similar objects may not
be detected.
●In the situations shown below, the
system may not be able to accu-
rately detect surrounding bright-
ness levels. This may cause the
low beams to remain on or the
high beams to cause problems for
pedestrians, vehicles ahead or
other parties. In these cases,
manually switch between the high
and low beams.
• In bad weather ( rain, snow, fog,
sandstorms, etc.) • The windshield is obscured by
fog, mist, i ce, dirt, etc.
• The windshield is cracked or dam- aged
• The camera sensor is deformed or dirty
• When the temperature of the cam-
era sensor is extremely high
• Surrounding brightness levels are equal to those of headlights, tail
lights or fog lights
• When headlights or tail lights of vehicles ahead are turned off,
dirty, changing color, or not aimed
properly
• When the vehicle is hit by water,
snow, dust, etc. from a preceding
vehicle
• When driving through an area of
intermittently changing brightness
and darkness
• When frequently and repeatedly driving ascending/descending
roads, or roads with rough, bumpy
or uneven surfaces (such as
stone-paved roads, gravel roads,
etc.)
• When frequently and repeatedly taking curves or driving on a wind-
ing road
• There is a highly reflective object ahead of the vehicle, such as a
sign or mirror
• The back of a vehicle ahead is highly reflective, such as a con-
tainer on a truck
• The vehicle’s headlights are dam- aged or dirty, or are not aimed
properly
• The vehicle is listing or titling due to a flat tire, a trailer being towed,
etc.
• The high beam and low beam are repeatedly being switched
between in an abnormal manner
• The driver believes that the high beam may be causing problems
or distress to other drivers or
pedestrians nearby

2364-5. Using the driving support systems
• When approaching an electric toll gate barrier, parking area barrier,
or other barrier that opens and
closes
• When using an automatic car wash
• When driving through or under
objects that may contact your
vehicle, such as thick grass, tree
branches, or a banner
• When driving through steam or smoke
• When driving near an object that reflects radio waves, such as a
large truck or guardrail
• When driving near a TV tower,
broadcasting station, electric
power plant, or other location
where strong radio waves or elec-
trical noise may be present
■Situations in which the system
may not operate properly
●In some situations such as the fol-
lowing, an object may not be
detected by the radar sensor and
front camera, preventing the sys-
tem from operating properly:
• When a detectable object is
approaching your vehicle
• When your vehicle or a detectable object is wobbling
• If a detectable object makes an abrupt maneuver (such as sudden
swerving, accelera tion or deceler-
ation)
• When your vehicle approaches a detectable object rapidly
• When a detectable object is not directly in front of your vehicle • When a detectable
object is near
a wall, fence, gua rdrail, manhole
cover, vehicle, steel plate on the
road, etc.
• When a detectable object is under a structure
• When part of a detectable object
is hidden by an object, such as
large baggage, an umbrella, or
guardrail
• When multiple det ectable objects
are close together
• If the sun or other light is shining directly on a detectable object
• When a detectable object is a shade of white and looks
extremely bright
• When a detectable object appears to be nearly the same color or
brightness as its surroundings
• If a detectable object cuts or sud- denly emerges in front of your
vehicle
• When the front of your vehicle is hit by water, snow, dust, etc.
• When a very bright light ahead,
such as the sun or the headlights
of oncoming traffic, shines directly
into the front camera
• When approaching the side or front of a vehicle ahead
• If a vehicle ahead is a motorcycle
• If a vehicle ahead is narrow, such
as a personal mobility vehicle
• If a preceding vehicle has a small
rear end, such as an unloaded
truck
• If a preceding vehicle has a low
rear end, such as a low bed trailer

2394-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
WA R N I N G
■Before using LTA system
●Do not rely solely upon the LTA
system. The LTA system does
not automatically drive the vehi-
cle or reduce the amount of
attention that must be paid to
the area in front of the vehicle.
The driver must always assume
full responsibility for driving
safely by paying careful atten-
tion to the surrounding condi-
tions and operating the steering
wheel to correct the path of the
vehicle. Also, the driver must
take adequate breaks when
fatigued, such as from driving
for a long period of time.
●Failure to perform appropriate
driving operations and pay care-
ful attention may lead to an
accident, resulting in death or
serious injury.
●When not using the LTA system,
use the LTA switch to turn the
system off.
■Situations unsuitable for LTA
system
In the following situations, use the
LTA switch to turn the system off.
Failure to do so may lead to an
accident, resulting in death or
serious injury.
●Vehicle is driven on a road sur-
face which is slippery due to
rainy weather, fallen snow,
freezing, etc.
●Vehicle is driven on a snow-cov-
ered road.
●White (yellow) lin es are difficult
to see due to rain, snow, fog,
dust, etc.
●Vehicle is driven in a temporary
lane or restricted lane due to
construction work.
●Vehicle is driven in a construc-
tion zone.
●A spare tire, tire chains, etc. are
equipped.
●When the tires have been
excessively worn, or when the
tire inflation p ressure is low.
●When tires of a size other than
specified are installed.
●Vehicle is driven in traffic lanes
other than that highways and
freeways.
●When your vehicle is towing a
trailer or during emergency tow-
ing
■Preventing LTA system mal-
functions and operations per-
formed by mistake
●Do not modify the headlights or
place stickers, etc. on the sur-
face of the lights.
●Do not modify the suspension
etc. If the suspension etc. needs
to be replaced, contact your
Toyota dealer.
●Do not install or place anything
on the hood or grille. Also, do
not install a gr ille guard (bull
bars, kangaroo bar, etc.).
●If your windshield needs
repairs, contact your Toyota
dealer.
■Conditions in which functions
may not operate properly
In the following situations, the
functions may not operate prop-
erly and the vehicle may depart
from its lane. Drive safely by
always paying careful attention to
your surroundings and operate
the steering whee l to correct the
path of the vehicle without relying
solely on the functions.