Black plate (57,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011Driving and Operating 9-57Trailer Towing(Except CTS-V andCoupe)Before pulling a trailer, there arethree important considerations thathave to do with weight:. The weight of the trailer.. The weight of the trailer tongue.. The total weight on the vehicle'stires.Weight of the TrailerHow heavy can a trailer safely be?It should never weigh more than450 kg (1,000 lbs). But even thatcan be too heavy.Speed, altitude, road grades,outside temperature, specialequipment, and the amount oftongue weight the vehicle can carrymust be considered. See “Weight ofthe Trailer Tongue” later in thissection for more information.Maximum trailer weight iscalculated assuming only thedriver is in the tow vehicle and ithas all the required traileringequipment. The weight of additionaloptional equipment, passengers,and cargo in the tow vehicle mustbe subtracted from the maximumtrailer weight.Ask your dealer for our traileringinformation or advice, or write us atour Customer Assistance Offices.See Roadside Service (U.S. andCanada) on page 13‑7 or RoadsideService (Mexico) on page 13‑9 formore information.Weight of the Trailer TongueThe tongue load (A) of any trailer isan important weight to measurebecause it affects the total grossweight of the vehicle. The GrossVehicle Weight (GVW) includes thecurb weight of the vehicle, anycargo carried in it, and the peoplewho will be riding in the vehicle.If there are a lot of options,equipment, passengers or cargo inthe vehicle, it will reduce the tongueweight the vehicle can carry, whichwill also reduce the trailer weight thevehicle can tow. If towing a trailer,the tongue load must be added tothe GVW because the vehicle willbe carrying that weight, too. SeeVehicle Load Limits on page 9‑11for more information about thevehicle's maximum load capacity.For a weight-carrying hitch,the trailer tongue (A) shouldweigh 10 to 15 percent of thetotal loaded trailer weight (B).InformationProvidedby:
