Getting the right tow vehicle

Dennis M M wrote:
Can't you guys give a straight answer to a relatively simple question?....

That right there is a rv.net Great Impossibility...:)

As a rough guide my thought are:

12,000 lbs gross weight is my limit for a 3/4 ton. Single E rated tires have a total weight limit of just over 6,000 lbs for the rear axle.

My dually with 4.10 gears has a limit of 13,500 lbs for towing due to having a gas engine. This is a tow limit. Even with 3,000 lbs of pin weight I still have 2,500 lbs of load capacity.

Anything over 14,000 lbs gross should have a diesel powered dually.

I hear the screaming. Every truck has different options that affect the numbers. A standard cab will have larger numbers than a crew cab because it comes with less curb weight from the factory. Just to many variables. So when you ask a loaded question for finding the right rig without posting numbers and facts you really can't get the answer your looking for.

Can't you guys give a straight answer to a relatively simple question?

Weighing the whole rig is nice to do and should be done periodically to stay within weight limits. HOWEVER, everybody needs a starting point. Obviously he has the RV already and wants to get the right tow vehicle and he came here for help.

Dso 66: Find the GVWR of the trailer; estimate the tongue or pin weight at 25% of that. Then look for a tow vehicle that can handle two (or four) passengers plus those numbers with a 20% cushion and you should be fine.

Ue is saying that he doesn't currently have a truck capable of taking the rv to rhe scale to weigh it and therebu ascertain what tow vehicle he truly needs.

Likewise, he does not have any friends who currently have a truck large enough to tow the trailer to the scales.

Not sure how that was so hard to decipher.

Dso66 wrote:
I'm not being a smart guy and I'm not normally dense. But I've asked the question and have seen it asked. How do I get the right truck for the rig. The pat answer is. "Take it to a scale and get it weighed." What am I missing? I don't have a truck capable of towing the rv The few friends I have don't have a truck capable of towing the rv. So besides running the numbers listed and leaving leeway what does a guy do?

You get a truck that can:

• Carry the LOADED tongue/pin weight of the trailer plus everything loaded into the truck without exceeding the "Occupant and Cargo capacity" rating on the yellow label near the driver's door
• PULL the loaded weight of the trailer within its "Max Tow Rating" (from the Owner's Manual) minus all weight in the truck except a 150# driver.

The whole point behind the "Take it to a scale" comment is to figure out the fully loaded weight of the truck.
Subtracting that number from the truck GVWR (on the door) will give you the maximum LOADED tongue or pin weight the truck can handle while staying within Manufacturer ratings. It's simply another way to figure out how much load you can put on the truck.

How's that for a start???

(and I really don't understand your "I don't have a truck capable of towing the rv The few friends I have don't have a truck capable of towing the rv." What exactly are you trying to say here??)

Where is the "rig"? If it's at a dealers lot certainly the dealer has a truck and if he wants to make the sale he should be able to weigh the trailer for you.
Are you buying from a private seller? Surely if they owned the trailer they owned a truck to pull it with. Again, if they want to sell it, get them to weigh it.
Otherwise, go with the GVWR of the trailer.

Let us know make, model and gvwr of trailer.

Lacking everything else. Get the GVWR from the trailers left front corner. Then you have a place to start.

When we purchased our first TT, we towed with a Chevy 1500 Suburban. We thought that was adequate, until we burned up the transmission. At that point we had to make a decision. Not knowing what our future held, but knowing also the one constant of life .... (things constantly change) ... we debated "how much truck" should we get. We debated, asked a few questions, and finally came to the conclusion we wanted something big enough, so if our needs changed in the future we would not have to buy yet another bigger truck. So we decided on a 3500 duly (gas) Chevy Silverado, with the help and suggestion of our GM mechanic.

From that point on, it was only 3500 duly's. Good choice too, because we eventually got a diesel 3500 duly and got a much larger trailer, and then got the second duly (the one we have now) when the body was beginning to fail on the old one.

There was no way we could afford a NEW one. So the first and second were purchased used from a dealer. The resale was surprisingly pleasant for both vehicles. The 3rd one we own now, we purchased brand new. Our finances are now much stronger, and it was just time for something brand NEW.

So, what I'm suggesting is .... really .... just get a 3500 duly and then you can town just about anything, and definately NOT have any problems with just about anything under 12,000 pounds (TT or 5er or HTT or Toy hauler TT or Toy hauler 5er). Plus you have enough tow capacity if you ever decide to get a boat, and a 3500 duly will pull a LOT of boat too, and about any size utility trailer (covered or open).

Bottom line ... go big and you will never ever again have to worry or even consider what you are towing.

Dso66 wrote:
I don't have a truck capable. The few friends I have don't have a truck capable.

I don't understand these sentences.