SNOW TIRES AND CHAINS
Snow tires must be the same size and grade as the tires you
currently have on your vehicle.
Note: If your vehicle is equipped with 20” tires, do not use snow chains
on the front tires.
The tires on your vehicle have all weather treads to provide traction in
rain and snow. However, in some climates, you may need to use snow
tires and chains. If you need to use chains, it is recommended that steel
wheels (of the same size and specifications) be used, as chains may chip
aluminum wheels.
Follow these guidelines when using snow tires and chains:
• Use only SAE Class S chains.
• Install chains securely, verifying that the chains do not touch any
wiring, brake lines or fuel lines.
• Drive cautiously. If you hear the chains rub or bang against your
vehicle, stop and re-tighten the chains. If this does not work, remove
the chains to prevent damage to your vehicle.
• If possible, avoid fully loading your vehicle.
• Remove the tire chains when they are no longer needed. Do not use
tire chains on dry roads.
• The suspension insulation and bumpers will help prevent vehicle
damage. Do not remove these components from your vehicle when
using snow tires and chains.
VEHICLE LOADING – WITH AND WITHOUT A TRAILER
This section will guide you in the proper loading of your vehicle and/or
trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating
capability, with or without a trailer. Properly loading your vehicle will
provide maximum return of vehicle design performance. Before loading
your vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms for determining
your vehicle’s weight ratings, with or without a trailer, from the vehicle’s
Tire Label or Safety Compliance Certification Label:
Base Curb Weight – is the weight of the vehicle including a full tank of
fuel and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo, or
optional equipment.
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Vehicle Curb Weight – is the weight of your new vehicle when you
picked it up from your authorized dealer plus any aftermarket
equipment.
Payload – is the combined weight of cargo and passengers that the
vehicle is carrying. The maximum payload for your vehicle can be found
on the Tire Label (vehicles exported outside the U.S. and Canada may
not have a Tire Label) on the B-Pillar or the edge of the driver’s door.
Look for “THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND
CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX kg OR XXX lb.” for
maximum payload. The payload listed on the Tire Label or Safety
Compliance Certification Label is the maximum payload for the vehicle
as built by the assembly plant. If any aftermarket or authorized dealer
installed equipment has been installed on the vehicle, the weight of the
equipment must be subtracted from the payload listed on the Tire Label
or Safety Compliance Certification Label in order to determine the new
payload.
The appropriate loading capacity of your vehicle can be limited
either by volume capacity (how much space is available) or by
payload capacity (how much weight the vehicle should carry). Once
you have reached the maximum payload of your vehicle, do not add
more cargo, even if there is space available. Overloading or improperly
loading your vehicle can contribute to loss of vehicle control and
vehicle rollover.
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Example only:
Cargo Weight – includes all weight added to the Base Curb Weight,
including cargo and optional equipment. When towing, trailer tongue load
or king pin weight is also part of cargo weight.
GAW (Gross Axle Weight) – is the total weight placed on each axle
(front and rear) – including vehicle curb weight and all payload.
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GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) – is the maximum allowable
weight that can be carried by a single axle (front or rear). These
numbers are shown on the Tire Label or Safety Compliance
Certification Label located on the B-Pillar or the edge of the
driver’s door. The total load on each axle must never exceed its
GAWR.
Exceeding the Tire Label or Safety Compliance Certification
Label axle weight rating limits could result in substandard
vehicle handling or performance, engine, transmission and/or structural
damage, serious damage to the vehicle, loss of control and personal
injury.
Note: For trailer towing information refer to Trailer towing found in
this chapter or the RV and Trailer Towing Guide provided by your
authorized dealer.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) – is the Vehicle Curb Weight + cargo +
passengers.
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GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating) – is the maximum
allowable weight of the fully loaded
vehicle (including all options,
equipment, passengers and cargo).
The GVWR is shown on the Tire
Label or Safety Compliance
Certification Label located on
the B-Pillar or the edge of the
driver’s door. The GVW must
never exceed the GVWR.
Exceeding the Tire Label or Safety Compliance Certification
Label vehicle weight rating limits could result in substandard
vehicle handling or performance, engine, transmission and/or structural
damage, serious damage to the vehicle, loss of control and personal
injury.
GCW (Gross Combined Weight) – is the weight of the loaded vehicle
(GVW) plus the weight of the fully loaded trailer.
GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) – is the maximum allowable
weight of the vehicle and the loaded trailer – including all cargo and
passengers – that the vehicle can handle without risking damage.
(Important: The towing vehicles’ braking system is rated for operation at
GVWR, not at GCWR. Separate functional brakes should be used for safe
control of towed vehicles and for trailers where the GCW of the towing
vehicle plus the trailer exceed the GVWR of the towing vehicle. The
GCW must never exceed the GCWR.
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Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight – is the highest possible weight of a
fully loaded trailer the vehicle can tow. It assumes a vehicle with only
mandatory options, no cargo (internal or external), a tongue load of
10–15% (conventional trailer) or king pin weight of 15–25% (fifth wheel
trailer), and driver only (150 lb. [68 kg]). Consult your authorized
dealer (or the RV and Trailer Towing Guide provided by your
authorized dealer) for more detailed information.
Tongue Load or Fifth Wheel King Pin Weight – refers to the amount
of the weight that a trailer pushes down on a trailer hitch.
Examples: For a 5,000 lb. (2,268 kg) conventional trailer, multiply 5,000
by 0.10 and 0.15 to obtain a proper tongue load range of 500 to 750 lb.
(227 to 340 kg). For an 11,500 lb. (5,216 kg) fifth wheel trailer, multiply
by 0.15 and 0.25 to obtain a proper king pin load range of 1,725 to
2,875 lb. (782 to 1,304 kg)
Do not exceed the GVWR or the GAWR specified on the Tire
Label or Safety Compliance Certification Label.
Do not use replacement tires with lower load carrying capacities
than the originals because they may lower the vehicle’s GVWR
and GAWR limitations. Replacement tires with a higher limit than the
originals do not increase the GVWR and GAWR limitations.
Exceeding any vehicle weight rating limitation could result in
serious damage to the vehicle and/or personal injury.
Steps for determining the correct load limit:
1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs.” on your vehicle’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will
be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX
kg or XXX lbs.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage
load capacity. For example, if the “XXX” amount equals 1,400 lbs. and
there will be five 150 lb. passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs. (1,400–750 (5 x
150) = 650 lb.). In metric units (635–340 (5 x 68) = 295 kg.)
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5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on
the vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
The following gives you a few examples on how to calculate the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity:
• Another example for your vehicle with 1,400 lb. (635 kg) of cargo and
luggage capacity. You decide to go golfing. Is there enough load
capacity to carry you, 4 of your friends and all the golf bags? You and
four friends average 220 lb. (99 kg) each and the golf bags weigh
approximately 30 lb. (13.5 kg) each. The calculation would be: 1,400 –
(5 x 220) – (5 x 30) = 1,400 – 1,100 – 150 = 150 lb. Yes, you have
enough load capacity in your vehicle to transport four friends and
your golf bags. In metric units, the calculation would be: 635 kg — (5
x 99 kg) — (5 x 13.5 kg) = 635 — 495 — 67.5 = 72.5 kg.
• A final example for your vehicle with 1,400 lb. (635 kg) of cargo and
luggage capacity. You and one of your friends decide to pick up
cement from the local home improvement store to finish that patio
you have been planning for the past 2 years. Measuring the inside of
the vehicle with the rear seat folded down, you have room for 12-100
lb. (45 kg) bags of cement. Do you have enough load capacity to
transport the cement to your home? If you and your friend each weigh
220 lb. (99 kg), the calculation would be: 1,400 – (2 x 220) – (12 x
100) = 1,400 – 440 – 1,200 = – 240 lb. No, you do not have enough
cargo capacity to carry that much weight. In metric units, the
calculation would be: 635 kg — (2 x 99 kg) — (12 x 45 kg) = 635 —
198 — 540 = —103 kg. You will need to reduce the load weight by at
least 240 lb. (104 kg). If you remove 3-100 lb. (45 kg) cement bags,
then the load calculation would be:
1,400 – (2 x 220) – (9 x 100) = 1,400 – 440 – 900 = 60 lb. Now you
have the load capacity to transport the cement and your friend home. .
In metric units, the calculation would be: 635 kg — (2 x 99 kg) — (9
x 45 kg) = 635 — 198 — 405 = 32 kg.
The above calculations also assume that the loads are positioned in your
vehicle in a manner that does not overload the Front or the Rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating specified for your vehicle on the Tire Label or Safety
Compliance Certification Label found on the edge of the driver’s door.
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Special loading instructions for owners of pickup trucks and
utility-type vehicles
For important information regarding safe operation of this type
of vehicle, see the Preparing to drive your vehicle section in
the Driving chapter of this owner guide.
Loaded vehicles may handle differently than unloaded vehicles.
Extra precautions, such as slower speeds and increased stopping
distance, should be taken when driving a heavily loaded vehicle.
Your vehicle can haul more cargo and people than most passenger cars.
Depending upon the type and placement of the load, hauling cargo and
people may raise the center of gravity of the vehicle.
TRAILER TOWING
Your vehicle may tow a Conventional/Class IV trailer or fifth wheel trailer
provided the maximum trailer weight is less than or equal to the
maximum trailer weight listed for your engine and rear axle ratio on the
following charts.
To calculate your maximum trailer weight:
For pickup trucks: Take curb weight, hitch hardware and the driver’s
weight, then subtract them from the GCWR listed for your vehicle series,
engine, transmission and drive axle ratio (refer to the chart/table in the
following text) . This calculation will give you the maximum trailer
weight possible for your vehicle.
For chassis cabs and pickup trucks with aftermarket equipment:
Weigh your vehicle at a certified scale and subtract this actual curb
weight, hitch hardware, and the driver’s weight from the GCWR listed for
your vehicle series, engine, transmission and drive axle ratio (refer to
the chart/table in the following text) . This calculation will give you the
maximum trailer weight possible for your vehicle.
The weight of all additional cargo and passengers must be subtracted
from the maximum trailer weight calculated above.
Further trailer/hitch restrictions and limitations exist depending on the
type of trailer and hitch used. These additional maximum trailer weight
and tongue load limitations are listed in the chart/table that follows the
listing of GCWRs.
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