2009 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 Owner's Manual - Page 382

Weight of the Trailer Tongue The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight to measure because it affects the total gross weight of the vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo carried 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. If towing a trailer, the tongue load must be added to the GVW because the vehicle will be carrying that weight, too. See for more information about the vehicle's maximum load capacity. The trailer tongue weight (A) should be 10 percent to 15 percent of the total loaded trailer weight (B), up to a maximum of 600 lbs (272 kg) with a weight carrying hitch or up to a maximum of 1,000 lbs (453 kg) with a weight distributing hitch. For more information, see Weight-Distributing Hitches and Weight Carrying Hitches later in this section. 4-54