Forum Discussion

Diannat60's avatar
Diannat60
Explorer
Aug 14, 2016

Towing capacity

Have a 2014 1/2 ton GMC Sierra with towing capacity of 9900 lbs. Fifth wheel weight is 7600 lbs. Is that enough truck to go on passes in Colorado?
  • Only once in life will you have a tow vehicle that is undersized.
    After that you'll NEVER make that mistake again.
  • LOL..the 1/2 ton weight cops are out in force.

    I would wait till the OP gives us some real specs and then make a intelligent educated sounding answer rather than the usual no it can't do it.

    GM has a NHT package with a 1500 6.2 gaz 3.73 axle 7600 GVWR and a 4400-4600 RAWR that will have no problems pulling its rated tow rating at 12k lbs or carrying up to 2000 lb payload in the bed.

    OP....Were waiting on those truck/trailer specs so we can stop guessing.
  • This question has been asked and answered MANY times on the forum. Do some searching. There's been lots of good advice given out there - including step-by-step procedures for determining the remaining payload on the truck (for pin or tongue weight), etc. Combining the advice of those above, 1/2-ton trucks, with VERY few exceptions (such as the Ford F-150 with EcoBoost, MaxPayload and MaxTow packages), are not suitable tow vehicles for fifth wheel trailers. You even need to be careful of the loaded tongue weight on a travel trailer to keep it within the payload and hitch capacities for your truck. Dry weights - especially those published by the manufacturer - are near useless. The "payload" on the door sticker on your truck isn't even reliable because you don't know what your truck weighs with full fuel, occupants, hitch and "junk." The CAT scales are your friend...

    Rob
  • Save yourself the hassle. You'd be better off nixing the 5th wheel and getting a lighter weight bumper-pull trailer. Or biting the bullet and getting a 2500/F-250 to handle the 5th wheel without over-taxing your truck. Personally, I won't tow anything through the CO mountains, or any mountains, without a diesel doing the work. Gassers have to work way too hard to do what diesels do with ease.
  • as others have said, NO!! That capacity you have is going to be eaten up more quickly than you would believe

    Chris
  • JUst because a sticker says the weight is 7500 lbs...isn't so. You need to take it someplace and have it weighed (especially with everything you normally take with you) You can easily add 1500-2000 lbs to a dry weight figure. There are grades in the Rockies that can really take a toll on going up as well as going back down. Never be marginal on tow capacity, go bigger so you can take on the mountain grades with ease or easier.
  • It's not towing capacity that you need to worry about. The payload is the major problem and that 5ver could have a tongue weight between 2000 and 2500 pounds. Add the weight of the hitch (up to 200#), the weight of passengers, dogs and miscellaneous stuff and you will be grossly exceeding the payload capacity of that half ton truck. And that doesn't consider the brakes on the truck.
  • Short answer is no. A fifth wheel weighing 7600 will have a pin weight of around 1500 loaded over your rear axle (based on 20 percent pin weight factor). Add 200 lb for hitch, and anything else you load into truck including passengers. Now check the max payload on your truck per sticker in door jamb. My guess is you will well exceed the truck payload ratings. Forget tow ratings (what truck will pull). What is more important is what the truck is designed to carry. Personally, I wouldn't tow with that set up.
  • It all depends on what your trucks specs are and what the trailer GVWR is.

    We need
    Trucks GVWR
    RAWR
    engine size
    gear ratio

    We also need the trailers full GVWR