Owner's Manual

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 the vehicle. The Gross Vehicle
Weight (GVW) includes the curb weight of the
vehicle, any cargo 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. And if you tow a trailer,
you must add the tongue load to the GVW
because the vehicle will be carrying that weight,
too. See Loading Your Vehicle on page 319
for more information about the vehicle’s maximum
load capacity.
When using a weight-carrying hitch, the trailer
tongue (A) should weigh 10 percent to 15 percent
of the total loaded trailer weight (B).
After the trailer is loaded, weigh the trailer and the
tongue, separately, to see if the weights are
proper. The correct weight could be achieved
simply by moving some items around in the trailer.
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