VEHICLE LOADING – WITH AND WITHOUT A TRAILER
This section will guide you in the proper loading of your vehicle and/or
trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating
capability, with or without a trailer. Properly loading your vehicle will
provide maximum return of vehicle design performance. Before loading
your vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms for determining
your vehicle’s weight ratings, with or without a trailer, from the vehicle’s
Tire Label or Safety Compliance Certification Label:
Base Curb Weight
– is the weight of the vehicle including a full tank of
fuel and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo, or
optional equipment.
Vehicle Curb Weight
– is the weight of your new vehicle when you
picked it up from your authorized dealer plus any aftermarket equipment.
Payload
– is the combined weight of cargo and passengers that the
vehicle is carrying. The maximum payload for your vehicle can be found
on the Tire Label on the B-Pillar or the edge of the driver’s door
(vehicles exported outside the US and Canada may not have a Tire
Label). Look for
“THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND
CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX kg OR XXX lb.”
for
maximum payload. The payload listed on the Tire Label is the maximum
payload for the vehicle as built by the assembly plant. If any aftermarket
or authorized-dealer installed equipment has been installed on the
vehicle, the weight of the equipment must be subtracted from the
payload listed on the Tire Label in order to determine the new payload.
The appropriate loading capacity of your vehicle can be limited
either by volume capacity (how much space is available) or by
payload capacity (how much weight the vehicle should carry). Once you
have reached the maximum payload of your vehicle, do not add more
cargo, even if there is space available. Overloading or improperly loading
your vehicle can contribute to loss of vehicle control and vehicle rollover.
2008 Town Car
(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA
(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
155
