I went in today to camping world in colfax, NC and was completely confused when I left. I have a Yukon XL 1500, 8400lb max tow. The person told me I could tow anything 8400lbs-1600lbs = 6800lbs(approx 20%). They showed me trailers from 5200lbs to 6400lbs. We almost left with one.I was on this site under the travel trailer section asking what I could tow with this vehicle and they said I need to weigh the vehicle with everything in it, and the difference from the GVWR is what my max tounge weight can be. The person at camper world never said any of this. On top of this, them forum people were estimating the tounge weight at 12% of the GVWR of the trailer (this was 7700, tounge weight at 12% is 924, reported tounge weight from dealer is 675). Going this route the 6400 lb trailer they were showing me was too much weight for me. I am completely confused. Why are people using two different formulas to calculate what i can tow? Can anybody clarify this to me?ThanksBill

Tires, rear axle, front axle, tounge weight, GVW and the weight of the truck and trailer (CGGW) all must be under not just one of them.

Hi and welcome to the forum. Yes it can be confusing without any previous experence trying to figure this stuff out and the vehicle manufactures don't really help you out either. Basically there are several different ratings that have to be considered and which everone is limiting is the one to follow. For pulling TT with a 1/2 ton based vehicle that limiting feature is more than likely payload/Axle rating/GVWR. In other words you will reach the limit of what you can carry with a TT (they have heavy tongue wieghts) before you reach the tow vehicle stated tow capacity.Based on tongue wieghts think about this way. With the same tow vehicle (yours) you can tow a heavier flat bed equipment trailer than you can a boat trailer. You can tow a heavier boat trailer than you can a TT.Check your hitch ratings. This is the maximum tongue wieght you can carry with that hitch (TT typically have 13% tongue wieght to fully loaded wieght). Then wiegh your tow vehicle fully loaded with all the stuff that would be in it towing. The difference in your axle rating and the actual axle wieght is then the maximum amount of tongue wieght you can have without exceeding axle limits (this is legal limit)With a 1/2 ton based tow vehicle and a TT your tow vehicle tow rating will almost never be limiting (in other words you can't actually tow that much) compared to carrying capacity.

If this is how I should be calculating it, then how can camping world be selling me what they are?

NCMODELA wrote:If this is how I should be calculating it, then how can camping world be selling me what they are?Lets see, do you know how to tell when a salesman is lying?His lips are moving.....Far too many salesman will say anything to make a sale, if they can sell you a bigger trailer, they make more $$

NCMODELA wrote:I went in today to camping world in colfax, NC and was completely confused when I left. I have a Yukon XL 1500, 8400lb max tow. The person told me I could tow anything 8400lbs-1600lbs = 6800lbs(approx 20%). They showed me trailers from 5200lbs to 6400lbs. We almost left with one.I was on this site under the travel trailer section asking what I could tow with this vehicle and they said I need to weigh the vehicle with everything in it, and the difference from the GVWR is what my max tounge weight can be. The person at camper world never said any of this. On top of this, them forum people were estimating the tounge weight at 12% of the GVWR of the trailer (this was 7700, tounge weight at 12% is 924, reported tounge weight from dealer is 675). Going this route the 6400 lb trailer they were showing me was too much weight for me. I am completely confused. Why are people using two different formulas to calculate what i can tow? Can anybody clarify this to me?ThanksBillI can't imagine anyone using GVWR to calculate anything let alone the tounge weight of a trailer. GVW maybe but not GVWR. Maybe there was a miscomunication. Rule of thumb, just like with when buying a truck, the bigger the GVWR the better. It is a rating not a weight. The trick is to find a trailer with a realistically loaded weight (GVW) that your tow vehicle will handle. Start with dry weights, talk to experienced RVers that know how much they pack and try and estimate realistic tounge weights and GVW's. Looking for trailers with low GVWR's is going to take you out of a lot of high quality trailers. For example, two 25 foot trailers side by side, each weighing 6500 pounds, one has a GVWR of 7700 pounds and the other has a GVWR of 10,000 pounds. Remember, both weigh the same. Which one do you choose. Which one do you think has bigger brakes, axles, frames etc. Your call. Good luck in your search and welcome to the forum.

Confused at Camping World | Good Sam Community

hmknightnc
Explorer
Jun 16, 2013
Hi and welcome to the forum. Yes it can be confusing without any previous experence trying to figure this stuff out and the vehicle manufactures don't really help you out either. Basically there are several different ratings that have to be considered and which everone is limiting is the one to follow. For pulling TT with a 1/2 ton based vehicle that limiting feature is more than likely payload/Axle rating/GVWR. In other words you will reach the limit of what you can carry with a TT (they have heavy tongue wieghts) before you reach the tow vehicle stated tow capacity.

Based on tongue wieghts think about this way. With the same tow vehicle (yours) you can tow a heavier flat bed equipment trailer than you can a boat trailer. You can tow a heavier boat trailer than you can a TT.

Check your hitch ratings. This is the maximum tongue wieght you can carry with that hitch (TT typically have 13% tongue wieght to fully loaded wieght). Then wiegh your tow vehicle fully loaded with all the stuff that would be in it towing. The difference in your axle rating and the actual axle wieght is then the maximum amount of tongue wieght you can have without exceeding axle limits (this is legal limit)

With a 1/2 ton based tow vehicle and a TT your tow vehicle tow rating will almost never be limiting (in other words you can't actually tow that much) compared to carrying capacity.
K_Charles
Explorer
Jun 16, 2013
Tires, rear axle, front axle, tounge weight, GVW and the weight of the truck and trailer (CGGW) all must be under not just one of them.

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