Table of Contents
Advertisement
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
454 kg (1,000 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.
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 for trailering
information or advice, or write us at
our Customer Assistance Offices.
See
.
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
The trailer tongue (A) should weigh
10 to 15 percent of the total loaded
trailer weight (B).
After loading the trailer, weigh the
trailer and then the tongue,
separately, to see if the weights are
proper. If they are not, adjustments
might be made by moving some
items around in the trailer.
.
Be sure the vehicle's tires are
inflated to the upper limit for
cold tires. These numbers can be
Advertisement
Table of Contents
