1997 Chevrolet Camaro Owner's Manual - Page 199

Weight of the Trailer Tongue The tongue load (A) of any trailer isan important weight to measure because it 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 whowill be riding in thevehicle. And if you will tow a trailer, you must subtract the tongue load fromyour vehicle's capacity weight because your vehicle will be carrying that weight, too. "Loading See Your Vehicle" in theIndex for more information about your vehicle's maximum load capacity. If you're using a weight-carrying hitch, thetrailer tongue (A) should weigh 10 percent of the total loaded trailer weight (B). If you have a weight-distributing hitch, the trailer tongue (A) should weigh 12 percent 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't, you may be able to getthem right simply by moving some items around in the trailer. Total Weight on Your Vehicle's Tires Be sureyour vehicle's tires are inflated to the upper limit for cold tires. You'll find these numbers on the Certification labelat the rear edgeof 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, including the weight of the trailer tongue. A B 4-35