Newbie here. Been reading topics on and off first time posting. Currently have a 13 365 saq and looking to upgrade to a toy hauler. I currently pull it with my uncles 3500 Duramax dually. I would like to upgrade my truck to a Cummings 3500 with SRW which only gives me 17k max towing. Most of the toy haulers I like are 20k rating. I know it's not good to tow over the max weight but does any one do it? How does it handle? I would like to be able to use only my truck once I upgrade but I don't want to regret getting to big of a trailer. I am not buying a dually for my personal use. I could continue to use his truck but it gets to be a pain. Any help or if any one does it would be awesome. I know I see big toy haulers all the time on SRW trucks

My Voltage grosses at 19,000. Find out how much weight you can put in the bed of your truck. For comparison purposes, the pin weight on mine is 3,500 pounds (CAT scale) and my dually has a 5,000 pound payload, so we're well withing specs. Nobody's stopping you from overloading the weight limits of your truck but the minute someone is hurt or killed with it you'll be in deep doo-doo.

I personally think it is foolish, but you'll have all types of "I've done it for years and it is fine" responses. My feeling is that engineers worked the numbers and the towing guides show you what they feel is safe for each truck configuration. From a liability standpoint, you may only have an issue if you have an accident and they sue you for damages. Free advice is worth exactly what you pay for it. Regardless of what you do, have fun!

I think the first thing you'd exceed, and probably the important thing, would be the tires. The chassis and drivetrain is shared with the DRW so that wouldn't be a limiting factor. But the tire weight rating and probably lower vehicle stability without Duallys at that trailer weight would be your bigger issues. I would bet if you address the tires/wheels and maybe the suspension you could get down the road okay, but in my opinion it isn't that smart. You could trim back the trailer a bit and still pull a really nice toy hauler with a SRW truck.

Oh man, come out west and see all the huge toyhaulers being hauled by 6" lifted, huge tires, 3/4 ton trucks..... They are everywhere!!!!!Now, I personally don't condone this at all.If you are going to step up to the big boy trailer, step up to the big boy truck. No excuses.The is my 2 cents.

Welcome to the forum.Which RAM 3500? Makes a BIG difference.My CTD RAM 3500 dually just wasn't up to the task of hauling my new (2011) Voltage. 19K GVW and 19K ACTUAL weight. At 20K it would have died a quick death.As the other poster said, you'll see all kinds of crazy stuff out there that some of us would consider dangerous and stupid. Buuut, you do what you want, as long as you don't take me out on the way to whatever fate awaits you.

Towing over trucks max tow | Good Sam Community

47 Replies

Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Aug 30, 2016
MAX TOW Rating is a magical mfg. marketing number.
(150# driver/20# cargo)

Reality is truck payload capacity (amount of weight truck can carry..all passengers, stuff in cab, stuff in bed, hitch and trailer wet pin weight)

Then RAWR and rear tire max load ratings.

Pay attention to those numbers vs the MAX TOW Number

2016 RAM 3500 SRW Crew Cab shortbed 4X4
GVRW....11,700
Payload ...4000
RAWR.......7000
mattmountz94
Explorer
Aug 30, 2016
Thanks everyone kind of what I was thinking. Guess I'll checkout some smaller ones at Hershey in a few weeks. I want the ram 3500 crew cab short bed 4x4 Laramie. I'm surprised your ram struggled.
joebedford
Nomad II
Aug 30, 2016
Welcome to the forum.

Which RAM 3500? Makes a BIG difference.

My CTD RAM 3500 dually just wasn't up to the task of hauling my new (2011) Voltage. 19K GVW and 19K ACTUAL weight. At 20K it would have died a quick death.

As the other poster said, you'll see all kinds of crazy stuff out there that some of us would consider dangerous and stupid. Buuut, you do what you want, as long as you don't take me out on the way to whatever fate awaits you.
lincster
Explorer
Aug 30, 2016
Oh man, come out west and see all the huge toyhaulers being hauled by 6" lifted, huge tires, 3/4 ton trucks..... They are everywhere!!!!!

Now, I personally don't condone this at all.
If you are going to step up to the big boy trailer, step up to the big boy truck. No excuses.
The is my 2 cents.
IdaD
Explorer
Aug 30, 2016
I think the first thing you'd exceed, and probably the important thing, would be the tires. The chassis and drivetrain is shared with the DRW so that wouldn't be a limiting factor. But the tire weight rating and probably lower vehicle stability without Duallys at that trailer weight would be your bigger issues.

I would bet if you address the tires/wheels and maybe the suspension you could get down the road okay, but in my opinion it isn't that smart. You could trim back the trailer a bit and still pull a really nice toy hauler with a SRW truck.
arhayes
Explorer
Aug 30, 2016
I personally think it is foolish, but you'll have all types of "I've done it for years and it is fine" responses. My feeling is that engineers worked the numbers and the towing guides show you what they feel is safe for each truck configuration. From a liability standpoint, you may only have an issue if you have an accident and they sue you for damages. Free advice is worth exactly what you pay for it. Regardless of what you do, have fun!
azdryheat
Explorer
Aug 30, 2016
My Voltage grosses at 19,000. Find out how much weight you can put in the bed of your truck. For comparison purposes, the pin weight on mine is 3,500 pounds (CAT scale) and my dually has a 5,000 pound payload, so we're well withing specs. Nobody's stopping you from overloading the weight limits of your truck but the minute someone is hurt or killed with it you'll be in deep doo-doo.

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Towing over trucks max tow

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