load capacity GMC SAVANA 2003 Owner's Manual

Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service
if you need to have your disabled vehicle towed.
SeeRoadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see“Recreational Vehicle Towing”following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle—such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as“dinghy towing”(towing your vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground) and“dolly towing”
(towing your vehicle with two wheels on the ground and
two wheels up on a device known as a“dolly”).
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with any
of its wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must
be towed, see“Towing Your Vehicle”earlier in
this section.
Loading Your Vehicle
The Certication/Tire label is found on the rear edge of
the driver’s door. The label shows the size of your 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.
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Payload
The Payload Capacity is shown on the Certication/Tire
label. This is the maximum load capacity that your
vehicle can carry. Be sure to include the weight of the
people inside as part of your load. If you added any
accessories or equipment after your vehicle left
the factory, remember to subtract the weight of these
things from the payload. Your dealer can help you
with this.
Add-On Equipment
When you carry removable items, you may need to put a
limit on how many people you carry inside your vehicle.
Be sure to weigh your vehicle before you buy and install
the new equipment.
Towing a Trailer
{CAUTION:
If you don’t use the correct equipment and
drive properly, you can lose control when you
pull a trailer. For example, if the trailer is too
heavy, the brakes may not work well–or
evenat all. You and your passengers could be
seriously injured. Pull a trailer only if you have
followed all the steps in this section. Ask your
dealer for advice and information about towing
a trailer with your vehicle.
Notice:Pulling a trailer improperly can damage
your vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered
by your warranty. To pull a trailer correctly, follow
the advice in this part, and see your dealer for
important information about towing a trailer with
your vehicle. Additional rear axle maintenance
is required for a vehicle used to tow a trailer. See
“Scheduled Maintenance Services”in the Index.
To identify the trailering capacity of your vehicle,
you should read the information in“Weight of the Trailer”
that appears later in this section.
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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. 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. SeeLoading Your Vehicle
on page 4-29about your vehicle’s maximum load
capacity.If you’re using a weight-carrying or a weight-distributing
hitch, the trailer tongue weight (A) should be 10 percent
to 15 percent of the total loaded trailer weight (B).
Do not exceed the maximum allowable tongue weight
for your vehicle.
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.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inated to the upper
limit for cold tires. You’llnd these numbers on
the Certication label at the rear edge of the driver’s
door or seeLoading Your Vehicle on page 4-29.
Then be sure you don’t go over the GVW limit for your
vehicle, including the weight of the trailer tongue.
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Each new wheel should have the same load-carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset and be mounted
the same way as the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts or
wheel nuts, replace them only with new GM original
equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to have the
right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts for your vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel
bolts or wheel nuts on your vehicle can be
dangerous. It could affect the braking and
handling of your vehicle, make your tires lose
air and make you lose control. You could have
a collision in which you or others could be
injured. Always use the correct wheel, wheel
bolts and wheel nuts for replacement.
Notice:The wrong wheel can also cause problems
with bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer or
odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper height,
vehicle ground clearance and tire or tire chain
clearance to the body and chassis.Whenever a wheel, wheel bolt or wheel nut is replaced on
a dual wheel setup, check the wheel nut torque after
100, 1,000 and 6,000 miles (160, 1 600 and 10 000 km)
of driving. For proper torque, see“Wheel Nut Torque”
underCapacities and Specifications on page 5-97.
SeeChanging a Flat Tire on page 5-66for more
information.
Used Replacement Wheels
{CAUTION:
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You can’t know how it’s been used
or how far it’s been driven. It could fail suddenly
and cause a crash. If you have to replace a
wheel, use a new GM original equipment wheel.
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