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Your Driving and the Road
L
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
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180
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is
an important weight to measure
because
it
affects the total 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.
The trailer tongue (A) should weigh
10% 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 "Tire
Loading" in the Index). Then be sure
you won'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:
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. If you don't
seal them, deadly carbon monoxide
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