Cadillac 2010 owner manual Driving and Operating

8-58 Driving and Operating

If a weight-carrying hitch or a weight-distributing hitch is being used, the trailer tongue (A) should weigh 10‐15 percent of the total loaded trailer weight (B).

After loading the trailer, weigh the trailer and then the tongue, separately, to see if the weights are proper. If they are not, adjustments might be made 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 the trailering capacity more than the total of the additional weight.

Consider the following example:

A vehicle model base weight is 2 495 kg (5,500 lbs); 1 270 kg (2,800 lbs) at the front axle and

1 225 kg (2,700 lbs) at the rear axle.

It has a GVWR of 3 266 kg

(7,200 lbs), a RGAWR of 1 814 kg

(4,000 lbs) and a GCWR (Gross Combination Weight Rating) of

6 350 kg (14,000 lbs). The trailer rating should be:

Expect tongue weight to be at least 10 percent of trailer weight (386 kg (850 lbs)) and because the weight is applied well behind the rear axle, the effect on the rear axle is greater than just the weight itself, as much as 1.5 times as much. The weight at the rear axle could be 386 kg

(850 lbs) X 1.5 = 578 kg (1,275 lbs).