Chevrolet 2005 Uplander - Weight of the Trailer Tongue

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. 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 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 on
page 4-30 for more information about your vehicle’s
maximum load capacity.
If you are using a weight-carrying or a weight-distributing
hitch, the trailer tongue weight (A) should be 10 percent
to 15 percent of the total loaded trailer weight (B).
Do not exceed the maximum allowable tongue weight of
350 lbs (159 kg) for your vehicle.
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.
Trailering may be limited by the vehicle’s ability to carry
tongue weight. Tongue weight cannot cause the
vehicle to exceed the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating) or the RGAWR (Rear Gross Axle Weight
Rating). The effect of additional weight may reduce
your trailering capacity more than the total of the
additional weight.
Consider the following example:
A vehicle model base weight is 5,500 lbs (2 495 kg);
2,800 lbs (1 270 kg) at the front axle and 2,700 lbs
(1 225 kg) at the rear axle. It has a GVWR of 7,200 lbs
(3 266 kg), a RGAWR of 4,000 lbs (1 814 kg) and a
GCWR (Gross Combination Weight Rating) of
14,000 lbs (6 350 kg). The trailer rating should be:
4-40