GVWR, GCWR, & GVW
Every time that I think I have a handle on these, they seem to explode in my mind. I know what each of the letters stand for, Gross Combined Weight Rating,........etc., and I know what they mean. What...
Forum Discussion
clev wrote:The 15.5k you're referring to is defined as AXLE WEIGHT, not "tow(ed) weight". 15.5k of AXLE WEIGHT plus 3k of pin weight equals a trailer that weighs 18.5k (15.5k + 3k = 18.5).
. . . My position, and that of Curt who is a major hitch manufacturer, is that the 'towed' weight of the trailer is everything in and on the trailer, 'minus' the pin weight, because the truck is not towing the pin weight. So, with my example, the 18.5k pound trailer has a pin of 3k, and a 'towed' weight of 15.5 k. That has no effect on gcwr, and I know that.
It is not possible to calculate the GCWR of a truck/trailer combo and/or the GVWR of a trailer without knowing the sum total of the AXLE WEIGHT and pin weight of a trailer.
The gross AXLE WEIGHT rating (GAWR) and GVWR are clearly stated on each and every trailer manufactured. There is NO mention of "tow(ed) weight". Subtract the GAWR of each axle from the GVWR to arrive at the pin weight used by the manufacturer to calculate the trailer's GVWR.
If you're trying to use your definition of "tow(ed) weight" (in reality, AXLE WEIGHT) to calculate whether you're exceeding the TOW CAPACITY of your truck . . . it's not going to work because they mean two different things.
Manufacturers base their TOW CAPACITY ratings on the weight of the ENTIRE trailer---the sum TOTAL of the weight placed on the landing gear, king pin, or hitch, AND the AXLE(S) (AXLE WEIGHT).
