2012 Cadillac CTS Owner Manual - Page 318

9-62 Driving and Operating Total Weight on the Vehicle's Tires Inflate the vehicle's tires to the upper limit for cold tires. These numbers can be found on the Certification label or see Vehicle Load Limits on page 9￿12. Do not go over the GVW limit for the vehicle, or the GAWR, including the weight of the trailer tongue. For a weight-carrying hitch, the trailer tongue (A) should weigh 10 to 15 percent of the total loaded trailer weight (B). After loading the trailer, weigh the trailer and then the tongue, separately, to see if the weights are proper. If they are not, adjustments might be made by moving some items around in the trailer. 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 Vehicle Load Limits on page 9￿12 for more information about the vehicle's maximum load capacity.