2005 Chevrolet Astro Owner's Manual - Page 204

Weight of the Trailer Tongue The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight to measure because it affects the total or gross weight of your vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you may carry in it, and the people who will be riding in the vehicle. If you have a lot of options, equipment, passengers or cargo in your vehicle, it will reduce the tongue weight your vehicle can carry, which will also reduce the trailer weight your vehicle can tow. And if you will tow a trailer, you must add the tongue load to the GVW because your vehicle will be carrying that weight, too. See Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-28 for more information about your vehicle's maximum load capacity. The trailer tongue weight (A) should be 10 percent to 15 percent of the total loaded trailer weight, up to a maximum of 200 lbs (92 kg) with a weight carrying hitch. The trailer tongue weight (A) should be 10 percent to 15 percent of the total loaded trailer weight, up to a maximum of 750 lbs (341 kg) with a weight distributing hitch. 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 get them right simply by moving some items around in the trailer. 4-38