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 Safety
Certification Label and Tire 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 dealer plus
any aftermarket equipment.
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.
Cargo Weight – includes all weight added to the
Base Curb Weight, including cargo and optional
equipment. When towing, trailer tongue load or king
pin weight is also part of cargo weight.
2004 Mustang (mus)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Driving
118
