Trailer Towing - Pontiac 2010 Vibe Owner's Manual

8-48 Driving and Operating

Trailer Towing

Before pulling a trailer, there are
three important considerations that
have to do with weight:
•
The weight of the trailer.
•
The weight of the trailer tongue.
•
The total weight on your
vehicle's tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
680 kg (1,500 lbs). But even
that can be too heavy.
It depends on how the rig is used.
For example, speed, altitude, road
grades, outside temperature and
how much the vehicle is used to pull
a trailer are all important. It can
depend on any special equipment
on the 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.
Ask your dealer/retailer for our
trailering information or advice, or
you can write us at our Customer
Assistance Offices. See Customer
Assistance Offices on page 12-3
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 gross
weight of the vehicle. The Gross
Vehicle Weight (GVW) includes
the curb weight of the vehicle, any
cargo carried in it, and the people
who will be riding in the vehicle. If
there are a lot of options, equipment,
passengers or cargo in the vehicle, it
will reduce the tongue weight the
vehicle can carry, which will also
reduce the trailer weight the vehicle
can tow. If towing a trailer, the
tongue load must be added to the
GVW because the vehicle will be
carrying that weight, too. See Vehicle
Load Limits on page 8-12 for more
information about the vehicle's
maximum load capacity.