How Do You Find a Vehicle’s Gross Weight?
To find a vehicle’s gross weight, add the body weights of the passengers and the driver and the weight of the cargo, any additional accessories, and the fuel in the vehicle’s tank. To this figure, add the curb weight of the vehicle.
The curb weight, which refers to the weight of the empty vehicle, normally appears in the owner’s manual or on the website of the manufacturer. It also appears on the vehicle specification chart, which is located on the doorjamb area on the driver’s side. The curb weight can also be found on other specification sheets for the vehicle.
The gross weight of the vehicle refers to the total weight the vehicle is actually carrying, including the weights of the empty vehicle, driver, passengers, cargo, fuel and optional accessories. If the vehicle is towing another vehicle or a trailer, its gross weight includes only the tongue weight of the second vehicle, rather than its entire weight. The tongue weight refers to the weight of the portion of the second vehicle that actually connects the two vehicles.
The gross weight of a vehicle should not exceed its gross weight vehicle rating, which refers to the vehicle’s weight-carrying limit as given by the manufacturer. The GWVR is normally printed on the door frame of the vehicle on the driver’s side and can also be found on the manufacturer’s website.
