2006 Nissan Towing Guide 11
GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT (GVW)
The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) is the total weight of the vehicle, plus passengers,
cargo, fuel, hitch, trailer tongue/king pin load, and any optional equipment.
The best way to determine the GVW is by having the vehicle — loaded and ready to
tow — weighed at a public scale. To that figure, add the combined weight of all
passengers. Then, add the trailer tongue/king pin load to determine the approximate GVW.
The GVW you come up with must not
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR) for your vehicle. On all Nissan vehicles,
the GVWR is shown on the Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard (F.M.V.S.S.) certification
label located in the driver’s-side door area.
To avoid overloading the vehicle, be sure
to include the trailer tongue/king pin load as a
part of the cargo when determining how much
weight can be safely carried inside the vehicle.
The weight of the roof rack cargo should also be
included.
