1996 Pontiac Sunfire Owner's Manual - Page 184

Weight of the Trailer Tongue The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight to measure becauseit affects the total capacity weight of your vehicle.The capacity weight includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you may carry in it, and the people who will be riding inthe vehicle. And if you will tow a trailer, you must subtract the tongue load from your vehicle's capacity weight because your vehicle will be carrying that weight, too. See "Loading Your Vehicle" in the Index formore information about your vehicle'smaximum load capacity. If you're using a weight-carrying hitch, the trailer tongue (A) should weigh 10%of the total loaded trailer weight (B). If you have a weight-distributing hitch, the trailer tongue (A) should weigh 12%of the total loaded trailer weight (B). After you've loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and then the tongue, separately, to see if the weights are proper. If they aren?, you may be able to get them righi in simply by moving some items around the trailer. Total Weight on Your Vehicle's Tires Be sure your vehicle's tires are inflated to the recommended pressure for cold tires. You'll find these numbers on the Certification label at the rear edge of the driver's door or see "Loading Your Vehicle"in the Index. Then be sure you don't go over the GVW limit for your vehicle, includingthe weight of the trailer tongue. w A B 4-35