GCVWR question

Golden_HVAC wrote:

RaodKingHarley wrote:
The 2012 Expedition is rated for 9200 lb towing, GVWR 7300 and GCVWR 15000 lb

My TT is 9500 lb GVWR 6895 + 2605


My question is in regard to the extra weight of the trailer weight vs the GVWR of the trailer. Does this actually mean anything if the trailer is not loaded to capacity?

Would DOT have an issue with the ratings vs actual weight.

So Ford takes a stripped down model of the Expedition, with no options, and finds it is 5,650 pounds, so with a 154 pound driver and no passengers, it's curb weight is 5,800 pounds. Add a 9,200 pound trailer, and you are at the stated GCVWR of 15,000 pounds.

So you "Can" tow 9,200 pounds if your Expedition is only 5,800 pound curb weight with your family in it, and the dog, camping gear ext.

The hitch weight is both part of the trailer and Expedition, so don't add it twice. With a realistic curb weight with passengers of say 6,100 pounds and a GVWR of 7,300 pounds, you are limited to only a 1,200 pound hitch weight. That is more than most travels trailers would come in at.

Again subtracting a realistic 6,100 pound curb weight from your GCVWR of 15,000 pounds, that leave you with a towing ability around 8,900 pounds.

Can you tow a trailer with a 10,000 GVWR and 800 pound hitch weight and curb weight of 8,000 pounds? Sure, and you will be under the GCVWR by 900 pounds IF the curb weight of your Expedition is only 6,100 pounds and your trailer is only 8,000 pounds.

The GCVWR is more for warranty reasons, so they can say you towed a 15,000 pound monster trailer and now wonder the transmission overheated and melted down the clutch packs inside. If you are over by a couple hundred pounds, but still under on all your tire weights, you are still fine. Now if you have to much hitch weight, and overload the rear tires, that is dangerous, and can happen even if you are under the GCVWR and just did not use a weight distribution hitch.

That is why you take the Expedition to a scale before buying a trailer, and have them agree that if the empty trailer hitch weight is more than 300 pounds above the brochure listed weight you will be bringing this thing back to get a refund. Perhaps the dealership will invest in a hitch scale, they are only about $100. It is placed under the jack post, and then when the hitch is raised off the hitch ball, it will give the hitch weight.



Good luck,

Fred.

Thanks for the info

So I need to look at the Ex weight and possibly 900 to 1000 lbs tongue weight with the trailer not to exceed 7300. Should not be an issue if properly loaded and no water in the camper.

Camper will be well under GVWR.

GVWR of camper + GVWR of truck is 300 lbs over GCVWR but if that's not a legal limit then I should be okay if I don't get over the 7300 lb GVWR of the truck. The truck is a commercial vehicle. Everything on it is standard, just the driver @ 200 lbs. 250 lbs fuel.

I think the camper will be a total weight of 8500 lbs or less. So that's 14,800 lbs.

I do have a 10,000 lb Eaz-lift hitch