2009 Buick Enclave Owner's Manual - Page 267

Driving Your Vehicle the rear axle could be 850 lbs (386 kg) X 1.5 = 1,275 lbs (578 kg). Since the rear axle already weighs 2,700 lbs (1 225 kg), adding 1,275 lbs (578 kg) brings the total to 3,975 lbs (1 803 kg). This is very close to, but within the limit for RGAWR as well. The vehicle is set to trailer up to 8,500 lbs (3 856 kg). If the vehicle has many options and there is a front seat passenger and two rear seat passengers with some luggage and gear in the vehicle as well. 300 lbs (136 kg) could be added to the front axle weight and 400 lbs (181 kg) to the rear axle weight. The vehicle now weighs: The maximum trailer would only be 7,800 lbs (3 538 kg). You may go further and think the tongue weight should be limited to less than 1,000 lbs (454 kg) to avoid exceeding GVWR. But the effect on the rear axle must still be considered. Because the rear axle now weighs 3,100 lbs (1 406 kg), 900 lbs (408 kg) can be put on the rear axle without exceeding RGAWR. The effect of tongue weight is about 1.5 times the actual weight. Dividing the 900 lbs (408 kg) by 1.5 leaves only 600 lbs (272 kg) of tongue weight that can be handled. Since tongue weight is usually at least 10 percent of total loaded trailer weight, expect that the largest trailer the vehicle can properly handle is 6,000 lbs (2 721 kg). It is important that the vehicle does not exceed any of its ratings - GCWR, GVWR, RGAWR, Maximum Trailer Rating or Tongue Weight. The only way to be sure it is not exceeding any of these ratings is to weigh the vehicle and trailer. 4-27 Total Weight on the Vehicle's Tires Be sure the vehicle's tires are inflated to the upper limit for cold tires. These numbers can be found on the Certification/Tire label. See Loading the Vehicle on page 4-16. Make sure not to go over the GVW limit for the vehicle, including the weight of the trailer tongue. Hitches It is important to have the correct hitch equipment. Crosswinds, large trucks going by and rough roads are a few reasons why the right hitch is needed. Here are some rules to follow: • The rear bumper on the vehicle is not intended for hitches. Do not attach rental hitches or other bumper-type hitches to it. Use only a frame-mounted hitch that does not attach to the bumper. Weight is still below 7,200 lbs (3 266 kg) and you might think 700 additional pounds (318 kg) should be subtracted from the trailering capacity to stay within GCWR limits.