load capacity CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2008 Owners Manual

Center Console Storage Your vehicle has a console compartment between the
bucket seats.
The console has both an upper and lower storage bin
accessed by lifting up on the latches located at the front
of the console lid.
The console may have an accessory power outlet
inside. See Accessory Power Outlet(s) on page 3-24 .
The rear of the console also has a cupholder that swings
down for the rear seat passengers to use.
Assist Handles Your vehicle is equipped with assist handles to be used
when getting out of the vehicle. They are located
above the rear passenger doors. Pull down to use.
Garment Hooks There are garment hooks located on the assist handles. Luggage Carrier If your vehicle has a luggage carrier, you can load
things on top of your vehicle.
The luggage carrier has siderails attached to the roof
and crossrails, if equipped, which can be moved
back and forth to help secure cargo. To adjust, turn the
knob located at each end of the crossrail
counterclockwise until the crossrail can move freely. To
secure the crossrail, turn the knob located at each
end of the crossrail clockwise until tightened. Tie the
load to the siderails or siderail supports.
Notice: Loading cargo on the luggage carrier that
weighs more than 200 lbs (91 kg) or hangs over
the rear or sides of the vehicle may damage your
vehicle. Load cargo so that it rests as far forward as
possible and against the side rails, making sure
to fasten it securely.
Do not exceed the maximum vehicle capacity when
loading your vehicle. For more information on vehicle
capacity and loading, see Loading Your Vehicle on
page 4-35 .
2-61

Notice: Never use recovery hooks to tow the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged and it
would not be covered by warranty.
For vehicles with recovery hooks at the front of the
vehicle, you can use them if you are stuck off-road and
need to be pulled to some place where you can
continue driving. Loading Your Vehicle It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and includes the weight of
all occupants, cargo, and all nonfactory-installed
options. Two labels on your vehicle show how
much weight it was designed to carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and the Certication/
Tire label.
{ CAUTION: Do not load your vehicle any heavier than
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR),
or either the maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do,
parts on your vehicle can break, and it
can change the way your vehicle handles.
These could cause you to lose control
and crash. Also, overloading can shorten
the life of your vehicle.
4-35

Tire and Loading Information Label
A vehicle specic Tire and Loading Information
label is attached to the center pillar (B-pillar). With
the driver’s door open, you will nd the label
attached below the door lock post (striker). The tire
and loading information label shows the number of
occupant seating positions (A), and the maximum
vehicle capacity weight (B) in kilograms and
pounds.
The Tire and Loading Information label also shows
the size of the original equipment tires (C) and
the recommended cold tire ination pressures (D). For more information on tires and ination see
Tires on page 5-56 and Inflation - Tire Pressure on
page 5-62 .
There is also important loading information on the
vehicle Certication/Tire label. It tells you
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for the front
and rear axles. See “Certication/Tire Label” later
in this section.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit 1.
Locate the statement “The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX lbs” on your vehicle’s placard. 2.
Determine the combined weight of the driver
and passengers that will be riding in your
vehicle. 3.
Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
4.
The resulting gure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the “XXX” amount equals
1400 lbs and there will be ve 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs (1400 − 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).Label Example
4-36

5.
Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated
in Step 4.6.
If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load
from your trailer will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
See Towing a Trailer on page 4-44 for
important information on towing a trailer,
towing safety rules and trailering tips.
Item Description Total
A Vehicle Capacity
Weight for
Example 1 = 1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
B Subtract Occupant
Weight 150 lbs
(68 kg) × 2 = 300 lbs (136 kg)
C Available Occupant
and Cargo Weight = 700 lbs (317 kg )Example 1
4-37

Item Description Total
A Vehicle Capacity
Weight for
Example 2 = 1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
B Subtract Occupant
Weight 150 lbs
(68 kg) × 5 = 750 lbs (136 kg)
C Available Cargo
Weight = 250 lbs (113 kg) Item Description Total
A Vehicle Capacity
Weight for
Example 3 = 1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
B Subtract Occupant
Weight 200 lbs
(91 kg) × 5 = 1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
C Available Cargo
Weight = 0 lbs (0 kg)
Refer to your vehicle’s tire and loading information
label for specic information about your vehicle’s
capacity weight and seating positions. The
combined weight of the driver, passengers, and
cargo should never exceed your vehicle’s capacity
weight.Example 2 Example 3
4-38

Certication/Tire Label
A vehicle specic Certication/Tire label is
attached to the rear edge of the driver’s door.
The label shows the size of your vehicle’s
original tires and the ination pressures needed
to obtain the gross weight capacity of your vehicle.
This is called Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR). The GVWR includes the weight of
the vehicle, all occupants, fuel, and cargo.
The Certication/Tire label also tells you the
maximum weights for the front and rear axles,
called Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). To
nd out the actual loads on your front and rear axles, you need to go to a weigh station
and weigh your vehicle. Your dealer can help
you with this. Be sure to spread out your
load equally on both sides of the center line.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or
the GAWR for either the front or rear axle.
And, if you do have a heavy load, you should
spread it out.
{ CAUTION: Do not load your vehicle any heavier than
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR),
or either the maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do,
parts on your vehicle can break, and it
can change the way your vehicle handles.
These could cause you to lose control
and crash. Also, overloading can shorten
the life of your vehicle.
Your warranty does not cover parts or components
that fail because of overloading.
The label will help you decide how much cargo
and installed equipment your truck can carry.
4-39

Weight of the Trailer Tongue The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight
to measure because it affects the total or gross weight
of your vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you
may carry in it, and the people who will be riding in
the vehicle. If you have a lot of options, equipment,
passengers or cargo in your vehicle, it will reduce the
tongue weight your vehicle can carry, which will
also reduce the trailer weight your vehicle can tow. And
if you will tow a trailer, you must add the tongue load
to the GVW because your vehicle will be carrying
that weight, too. See Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-35
for more information about your vehicle’s maximum
load capacity. The trailer tongue weight (A) should be 10 percent to
15 percent of the total loaded trailer weight (B), up to a
maximum of 600 lbs (272 kg) with a weight carrying
hitch. The trailer tongue weight (A) should be 10 percent
to 15 percent of the total loaded trailer weight (B), up
to the maximum of 1,000 lbs (454 kg) with a weight
distributing hitch.
Do not exceed the maximum allowable tongue weight
for your vehicle. Choose the shortest hitch extension
that will position the hitch ball closest to the vehicle. This
will help reduce the effect of trailer tongue weight on
the rear axle.
After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and then
the tongue, separately, to see if the weights are proper. If
they aren’t, you may be able to get them right simply by
moving some items around in the trailer.
Trailering may be limited by the vehicle’s ability to carry
tongue weight. Tongue weight cannot cause the vehicle
to exceed the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) or
the RGAWR (Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating). The effect
of additional weight may reduce your trailering capacity
more than the total of the additional weight.
4-48

Consider the following example:
A vehicle model base weight is 5,500 lbs (2 495 kg);
2,800 lbs (1 270 kg) at the front axle and 2,700 lbs
(1 225 kg) at the rear axle. It has a GVWR of 7,200 lbs
(3 266 kg), a RGAWR of 4,000 lbs (1 814 kg) and a
GCWR (Gross Combination Weight Rating) of
14,000 lbs (6 350 kg). The trailer rating should be:
You can expect tongue weight to be at least 10 percent
of trailer weight (850 lbs (386 kg)) and because the
weight is applied well behind the rear axle, the effect on
the rear axle will be greater than just the weight
itself, as much as 1.5 times as much. The weight at the
rear axle could be 850 lbs (386 kg) X 1.5 = 1,275 lbs
(578 kg). Since the rear axle already weighs 2,700 lbs
(1 225 kg), adding 1,275 lbs (578 kg) brings the
total to 3,975 lbs (1 803 kg). This is very close to, but
within the limit for RGAWR as well. The vehicle is set to
trailer up to 8,500 lbs (3 856 kg).
But let’s say your specic vehicle is equipped with some
of the latest options and you have a front seat passenger
and two rear seat passengers with some luggage and gear in the vehicle as well. You may add 300 lbs (136 kg)
to the front axle weight and 400 lbs (181 kg) to the rear
axle weight. Your vehicle now weighs:
Weight is still below 7,200 lbs (3 266 kg) and you may
think that you should subtract 700 additional pounds
(318 kg) from your trailering capacity to stay within
GCWR limits. Your maximum trailer would only be
7,800 lbs (3 538 kg). You may go further and think you
must limit tongue weight to less than 1,000 lbs (454 kg) to
avoid exceeding GVWR. But, you must still consider the
effect on the rear axle. Because your rear axle now
weighs 3,100 lbs (1 406 kg), you can only put 900 lbs
(408 kg) on the rear axle without exceeding RGAWR. The
effect of tongue weight is about 1.5 times the actual
weight. Dividing the 900 lbs (408 kg) by 1.5 leaves you
with being able to handle only 600 lbs (272 kg) of tongue
weight. Since tongue weight is usually at least 10 percent
of total loaded trailer weight, you can expect that the
largest trailer your vehicle can properly handle is
6,000 lbs (2 721 kg).
4-49

Tire Terminology and Denitions Air Pressure :
The amount of air inside the
tire pressing outward on each square inch of the
tire. Air pressure is expressed in pounds per
square inch (psi) or kilopascal (kPa).
Accessory Weight :
This means the combined
weight of optional accessories. Some examples of
optional accessories are, automatic transmission,
power steering, power brakes, power windows,
power seats, and air conditioning.
Aspect Ratio :
The relationship of a tire’s height
to its width.
Belt :
A rubber coated layer of cords that is
located between the plies and the tread. Cords
may be made from steel or other reinforcing
materials.
Bead :
The tire bead contains steel wires wrapped
by steel cords that hold the tire onto the rim.
Bias Ply Tire :
A pneumatic tire in which the plies
are laid at alternate angles less than 90 degrees
to the centerline of the tread. Cold Tire Pressure :
The amount of air pressure
in a tire, measured in pounds per square inch
(psi) or kilopascals (kPa) before a tire has built up
heat from driving. See Inflation - Tire Pressure
on page 5-62 .
Curb Weight :
The weight of a motor vehicle with
standard and optional equipment including the
maximum capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant,
but without passengers and cargo.
DOT Markings :
A code molded into the sidewall
of a tire signifying that the tire is in compliance
with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
motor vehicle safety standards. The DOT code
includes the Tire Identication Number (TIN),
an alphanumeric designator which can also identify
the tire manufacturer, production plant, brand,
and date of production.
GVWR :
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
See Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-35 .
GAWR FRT :
Gross Axle Weight Rating for
the front axle. See Loading Your Vehicle on
page 4-35 .
5-59

GAWR RR :
Gross Axle Weight Rating for the rear
axle. See Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-35 .
Intended Outboard Sidewall :
The side of
an asymmetrical tire, that must always face
outward when mounted on a vehicle.
Kilopascal (kPa) :
The metric unit for air pressure.
Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire :
A tire used on
light duty trucks and some multipurpose passenger
vehicles.
Load Index :
An assigned number ranging from
1 to 279 that corresponds to the load carrying
capacity of a tire.
Maximum Ination Pressure :
The maximum air
pressure to which a cold tire can be inated.
The maximum air pressure is molded onto the
sidewall.
Maximum Load Rating :
The load rating for a tire
at the maximum permissible ination pressure
for that tire.
Maximum Loaded Vehicle Weight :
The sum of
curb weight, accessory weight, vehicle capacity
weight, and production options weight. Normal Occupant Weight :
The number of
occupants a vehicle is designed to seat multiplied
by 150 lbs (68 kg). See Loading Your Vehicle
on page 4-35 .
Occupant Distribution :
Designated seating
positions.
Outward Facing Sidewall :
The side of an
asymmetrical tire that has a particular side that
faces outward when mounted on a vehicle.
The side of the tire that contains a whitewall, bears
white lettering, or bears manufacturer, brand,
and/or model name molding that is higher
or deeper than the same moldings on the other
sidewall of the tire.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire :
A tire used on
passenger cars and some light duty trucks and
multipurpose vehicles.
Recommended Ination Pressure :
Vehicle
manufacturer’s recommended tire ination
pressure as shown on the tire placard.
See Inflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-62
and Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-35 .
5-60