Weight Of The Trailer; Weight Of The Trailer Tongue - Pontiac 2008 G5 Owner's Manual

Weight of the Trailer

How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than 1,000 lbs (450 kg).
But even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For example,
speed, altitude, road grades, outside temperature and
how much your vehicle is used to pull a trailer are all
important. It can also depend on any special equipment
that you have on your vehicle, and the amount of tongue
weight the vehicle can carry. See "Weight of the Trailer
Tongue" later in this section for more information.
Maximum trailer weight is calculated assuming only the
driver is in the tow vehicle and it has all the required
trailering equipment. The weight of additional optional
equipment, passengers and cargo in the tow vehicle
must be subtracted from the maximum trailer weight.
You can ask your dealer/retailer for our trailering
information or advice. Also, see Customer Assistance
Offices on page 7-5 for more information.

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.
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If you have a lot of options, equipment, passengers, or
cargo in your vehicle, it will reduce the tongue weight your
vehicle can carry, which will also reduce the trailer weight
your vehicle can tow. And if you 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 on
page 4-25 for more information about your vehicle's
maximum load capacity.
If you are using a weight-carrying hitch, the trailer
tongue (A) should weigh 10 to 15 percent of the total
loaded trailer weight (B).
After you have loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately, to see if the weights are
proper. If they are not, you may be able to get them right
simply by moving some items around in the trailer.