Mercedes Benz 2009 M-Class User Manual

Page of 585
373
Operation
Tires and wheels
Certification label
Even after careful determination of the 
combined weight of all occupants, cargo 
and the trailer tongue load (if applicable) 
(
page 373) as to not exceed the permis-
sible load limit, you must make sure that 
your vehicle never exceeds the Gross 
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the 
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for ei-
ther the front or rear axle. You can obtain 
the GVWR and GAWR from the certification 
label. The certification label can be found 
on the driver’s door B-pillar, see “Technical 
data” (
page 527).
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): The 
total weight of the vehicle, all occupants, 
all cargo, and the trailer tongue load 
(
page 373) must never exceed the 
GVWR.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR): The to-
tal allowable weight that can be carried by 
a single axle (front or rear).
To assure that your vehicle does not ex-
ceed the maximum permissible weight 
limits (GVWR and GAWR for front and rear 
axle), have the loaded vehicle (including 
driver, passengers and all cargo and, if ap-
plicable, trailer fully loaded) weighed on a 
suitable commercial scale.
Trailer tongue load
The tongue load of any trailer is an impor-
tant weight to measure because it affects 
the load you can carry in your vehicle. If a 
trailer is towed, the tongue load must be 
added to the weight of all occupants riding 
and any cargo you are carrying in the 
vehicle. The tongue load typically is 
between 10% and 15% of the trailer weight 
and everything loaded in it.
For more information on trailer tongue 
load, see “Loading a trailer” (
page 343).