If you’re new to towing and unsure of just how much your Chevy can tow, our Watseka service center is here to help. Chevrolet owners should look for the available Trailering Information Label on the driver’s door jamb.
You can also check the Owner’s Manual of your Chevy for more information.
Terms to Know When Checking Your Towing Capacity
Some of the acronyms or terms on the Trailering Information Label may be confusing – here are several you may need to know before actually towing with your Chevy:
- Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) can be found in your user’s manual. Your Chevy’s GVWR is the maximum allowable weight of your vehicle, including its parts, driver, passengers and cargo. When calculating the GVWR with a trailer attached, the trailer tongue weight must be included as part of the weight the vehicle is carrying.
- Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) is the maximum distributed weight on each axle.
- Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) is the maximum allowable combined weight of your loaded vehicle and loaded trailer. The weight of your vehicle plus cargo, plus the weight of the trailer and the weight of objects in the trailer should not exceed the GCWR of your vehicle.
- Payload is the amount of weight your vehicle can carry safely.
- Tongue Weight is the downward force from the coupler of the trailer on the vehicle hitch. The tongue weight should be about 10-15% of the loaded trailer weight for conventional trailers, with gooseneck or fifth-wheel trailering allowing up to 15-25%.
- Maximum Trailer Weight Rating is the heaviest trailer weight a vehicle can tow. This is calculated assuming the tow vehicle has a driver, front seat passenger and all required trailering equipment.
- Curb Weight is the weight of your vehicle without any passengers or cargo in it.
Schedule Service Near Watseka at Dralle Chevrolet Buick GMC
If you’re having issues with towing or trailering, schedule a service appointment with us at our service center near Watseka. If you have any questions about your Chevy’s towing capacity or other towing-related questions, be sure to contact us at Dralle Chevrolet Buick GMC.