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Adding Equipment to Your Vehicle
Before adding accessories or equipment to your police
vehicle, there are some things you need to know:
.
The police vehicle's maximum capacity weight.
.
The weight of your police vehicle, including a full
tank of fuel but without a driver and passengers.
.
The weight of items you plan on adding to your
police vehicle, like roof mounted light bar(s),
push bumpers, security barrier(s), rear storage
organizer, highway flares, fire extinguishers,
weapons, ammunition, radios, and video
equipment.
.
The weight and number of passengers you intend
to carry in your vehicle.
.
The total weight of any additional cargo you intend
to carry in your vehicle.
When planning your vehicle equipment installation
remember not to exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) or the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) of the front or rear axles. To keep the available
load weight less than the vehicle capacity weight, you
may need to limit the number of passengers you carry
in your vehicle or change your choice of additional
equipment.
Center of Gravity (CG)
A vehicle's center of gravity is an imaginary location
inside the vehicle and is a balance point for the
vehicle mass as it moves down the road. The police
vehicle's center of gravity, before you add a load and
passengers, is approximately midway between the
center of the axles, up from the ground to just below the
front window, and between the driver and passenger.
Equipment location and weight on the vehicle's center
of gravity is important to keep in mind when planning an
installation. Heavy equipment should be positioned as
low and as far forward in the rear load compartment as
possible. Try to mount the equipment below the bottom
of the side windows. Refer to the Loading Zone chart
and diagram to help with your installation plan.
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