Chevrolet 1994 Lumina Owner's Manual page 128

r
Your Driving and
the Road
I
A B
Weight of the Trailer
Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an
important weight to measure because
it
affects the total capacity weight of your
vehicle. The capacity weight 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 subtract the
tongue load from your vehicle's capacity
weight 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.
If you're using a "dead-weight" hitch,
the trailer tongue (A) should weigh 10%
of the total loaded trailer weight (B). If
you have a "weight-distributing" hitch,
the trailer tongue (A) should weigh 12%
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 limit for cold tires. You'll find these
numbers on the Certification label at the
rear edge of the driver's door or see
"Loading Your Vehicle" in the Index.
Then be sure you don't go over the GVW
limit for your vehicle.
Hitches
It's important to have the correct hitch
equipment. Crosswinds, large trucks
going by, and rough roads are a few
reasons why you'll need the right hitch.
Here are some rules to follow:
0
Will you have to make any holes in
the body of your vehicle when you
install a trailer hitch? If you do, then
be sure to seal the holes later when
you remove the hitch.
I f you don't seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can
get into your vehicle (see "Carbon
Monoxide" in the Index). Dirt and
water can. too.
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