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GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) -
is the Vehicle Curb Weight + cargo
+ passengers.
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 Safety Compliance
Certification Label. The label
shall be affixed to either the
door hinge pillar, door-latch
post, or the door edge that
meets the door-latch post, next
to the driver's seating position.
Example only: 222
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WARNING
Exceeding the 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 vehicle
’s braking system is
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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.
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 5000 lb. (2268
kg) conventional trailer, multiply
5000 by 0.10 and 0.15 to obtain a
proper tongue load range of 500
to 750 lb. (227 to 340 kg). For an
11500 lb. (5216 kg) fifth wheel
trailer, multiply by 0.15 and 0.25
to obtain a proper king pin load
range of 1725 to 2875 lb. (782 to
1304 kg). WARNINGS
Do not exceed the GVWR or the
GAWR specified on the Safety
Compliance Certification Label. Do not use replacement tires
with lower load carrying
capacities than the original tires
because they may lower the vehicle ’s
GVWR and GAWR limitations.
Replacement tires with a higher limit
than the original tires 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 lb." on your
vehicle
’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight
of the driver and passengers that
will be riding in your vehicle.
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3. Subtract the combined weight
of the driver and passengers from
XXX kg or XXX lb.
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For
example, if the
“XXX” amount
equals 1,400 lb. and there will be
five 150 lb. passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load capacity
is 650 lb. (1400-750 (5 x 150) =
650 lb.). In metric units (635-340
(5 x 68) = 295 kg.)
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: *Suppose your vehicle has a 1400
lb. (635 kg) 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:
1400 - (5 x 220) - (5 x 30) = 1400
- 1100 - 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.
*Suppose your vehicle has a 1400
lb. (635 kg) 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:
1400 - (2 x 220) - (12 x 100) =
1400 - 440 - 1200 = - 240 lb. No,
you do not have enough cargo
capacity to carry that much
weight. In metric units, the
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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: 1400 - (2 x 220) - (9 x 100) =
1400 - 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 Safety Compliance
Certification Label. The label shall
be affixed to either the door hinge
pillar, door-latch post, or the door
edge that meets the door-latch
post, next to the driver's seating
position.
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TOWING A TRAILER
WARNINGS
Do not exceed the GVWR or the
GAWR specified on the
certification label. Towing trailers beyond the
maximum recommended gross
trailer weight exceeds the limit of the
vehicle and could result in engine
damage, transmission damage,
structural damage, loss of vehicle
control, vehicle rollover and personal
injury. Note:
There may be electrical items
such as fuses or relays that can affect
trailer towing operation. See Fuses
(page 251).
Weight, not volume designates your
vehicle's load capacity. You cannot
necessarily use all available space
when loading a vehicle.
Towing a trailer places an additional
load on your vehicle's engine,
transmission, axle, brakes, tires and
suspension. Inspect these
components periodically during, and
after, any towing operation.
Load Placement
To help minimize how trailer
movement affects the vehicle when
driving:
• Load the heaviest items closest to
the trailer floor.
• Load the heaviest items in the
center of the left and right side
trailer tires. •
Load the heaviest items above the
trailer axles or just slightly forward
toward the trailer tongue. Do not
allow the final trailer tongue
weight to go above or below
10-15% of the loaded trailer
weight.
• Select a tow bar with the correct
rise or drop. When both the loaded
vehicle and trailer are connected,
the trailer frame should be level,
or slightly angled down toward the
vehicle, when viewed from the
side.
When driving with a trailer or payload,
a slight takeoff vibration or shudder
may be present due to the increased
payload weight. Additional
information regarding proper trailer
loading and setting your vehicle up for
towing is located in another chapter
of this manual. See Load Limit (page
219). You can also find the information
in the
RV & Trailer Towing Guide,
available at your authorized dealer.
RECOMMENDED TOWING
WEIGHTS
Note: Do not exceed the trailer weight
for your vehicle configuration listed in
the chart below.
Note: Be sure to take into
consideration trailer frontal area. Do
not exceed 20 feet 2
(1.86 meters 2
).
Note: For high altitude operation,
reduce the gross combined weight by
2% per 1000 feet (300 meters)
starting at the 1000 foot (300 meter)
elevation point.
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Note:
Certain states require electric
trailer brakes for trailers over a
specified weight. Be sure to check state
regulations for this specified weight.
The maximum trailer weights listed
may be limited to this specified weight,
as the vehicle ’s electrical system may
not include the wiring connector
needed to activate electric trailer
brakes. Your vehicle may tow a Class I trailer
provided the maximum trailer weight
is less than or equal to the maximum
trailer weight listed for your vehicle
configuration on the following charts. Maximum Trailer Weight - lb (kg)
*
Powertrain
1000 (454)
2.0L GTDI
1000 (454)
3.7L TiVCT
* Calculated with SAE J2807 method.
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ESSENTIAL TOWING
CHECKS
Follow these guidelines to ensure safe
towing:
•
Do not tow a trailer until you drive
your vehicle at least 1000 miles
(1600 kilometers).
• Consult your local motor vehicle
laws for towing a trailer.
• Refer to the instructions included
with towing accessories for the
proper installation and adjustment
specifications.
• Service your vehicle more
frequently if you tow a trailer. Refer
to your scheduled maintenance
information.
• If you use a rental trailer, follow the
instructions the rental agency gives
you.
You can find information on load
specification terms found on the tire
label and Safety Compliance label as
well as instructions on calculating
your vehicle's load in another chapter
of this manual. See Load Limit (page
219).
Remember to account for the trailer
tongue weight as part of the vehicle
load when calculating the total
vehicle weight. Hitches
•
Do not use a hitch that either
clamps onto the bumper or
attaches to the axle.
• Distribute the trailer load so
10-15% of the total trailer weight
is on the trailer tongue.
Safety Chains
Note: Never attach safety chains to
the bumper.
Always connect the trailer ’s safety
chains to the hook retainers of the
vehicle hitch.
To connect the trailer ’s safety chains,
cross the chains under the trailer
tongue and allow enough slack for
turning tight corners. Do not allow the
chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes WARNING
Do not connect a trailer's
hydraulic brake system directly
to your vehicle's brake system. Your
vehicle may not have enough braking
power and your chances of having a
collision greatly increase. Electric brakes and manual,
automatic or surge-type trailer brakes,
when installed properly and adjusted
to the manufacturer's specifications,
are safe to use. The trailer brakes
must meet local and federal
regulations.
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