Weight Of The Trailer Tongue; Total Weight On Your Vehicle's Tires - Chevrolet 1996 Tahoe Owner's Manual

Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important.
weight to measure because it affects the total or gross
weight of,your vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight
(GVW) includes the curb weight .of the vehicle, any
cargo you may carry in it, and the people who will be
riding in the vehicle. And if you will tow a trailer, you
must add the tongue load to the GVW because your
vehicle will be carrying that weight, too. See "Loading
Your Vehicle" in the Index for more information about
your vehicle's maximum load capacity.
I
A
B
If you're using a weight-carrying hitch, the trailer
tongue (A) should weigh 10 percent of the total loaded
trailer weight (B). If you're using a weight-distributing
hitch, the trailer tongue (A) should weigh 12 percent of
the total loaded trailer weight (B).
After you've loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately, to see if the weights are
proper. If they aren't, you may be able to get them right
simply by moving some items around in the trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle's Tires
Be sure your vehicle's tires are inflated to the 1imit.for
cold tires. You'll find these numbers on the Certification
label at the rear edge of the driver's door or see "Tire
Loading" in the Index. Then be sure you don't go over
the GVW limit for your vehicle, including the weight
of
the trailer tongue.
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