2012 Dodge Journey Owner Manual - Page 453

STARTING AND OPERATING 451 Figure out the weight on the front and rear of the vehicle TRAILER TOWING separately. It is important that you distribute the load In this section, you will find safety tips and information on limits to the type of towing you can reasonably do evenly over the front and rear axles. with your vehicle. Before towing a trailer, carefully Overloading can cause potential safety hazards and review this information to tow your load as efficiently shorten useful service life. Heavier axles or suspension and safely as possible. components do not necessarily increase the vehicle's To maintain warranty coverage, follow the requirements GVWR. and recommendations in this manual concerning veLoading hicles used for trailer towing. To load your vehicle properly, first figure out its empty weight, axle-by-axle and side-by-side. Store heavier items Common Towing Definitions down low and be sure you distribute their weight as The following trailer towing related definitions will assist evenly as possible. Stow all loose items securely before you in understanding the following information: driving. If weighing the loaded vehicle shows that you Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) have exceeded either GAWR, but the total load is within The GVWR is the total allowable weight of your vehicle. the specified GVWR, you must redistribute the weight. This includes driver, passengers, cargo, and tongue Improper weight distribution can have an adverse effect weight. The total load must be limited so that you do not on the way your vehicle steers and handles and the way the brakes operate. 5