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Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than 1,000 lbs (450 kg). But
even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much the vehicle is used to pull a
trailer are all important. It can also depend on any
special equipment that is on the vehicle, and the amount
of tongue weight the vehicle can carry. See “Weight
of the Trailer Tongue” later in this section for more
information.
Maximum trailer weight is calculated assuming only the
driver is in the tow vehicle and it has all the required
trailering equipment. The weight of additional optional
equipment, passengers and cargo must be subtracted
from the maximum trailer weight.
Ask your dealer/retailer for our trailering information or
advice, or write us at our Customer Assistance
Offices. See Customer Assistance Offices on page 7-6
for more information.
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 4-21 for more information
about the vehicle’s maximum load capacity.
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