Overwhelmed and worried about safety
Hi all. I know threads of "can I tow XYZ with my ABC" probably get annoying and I've been reading and reading and reading. But I'm overwhelmed and my partner and I have never towed anything before. Th...
Forum Discussion
SoundGuy wrote:hs4816 wrote:
Where do I find this?? I was using the sticker inside door. "The combined weights of occupants plus cargo should never exceed 1050 lbs"
That's your particular vehicle's payload capacity as listed on the driver's side weight sticker BUT keep in mind it could be somewhat less if you've added any accessories to the vehicle. If you really want to know what your vehicle's actual, real world payload capacity is fill the tank and go weigh it. If you're in it at the time it's on the scale subtract your weight from the scale reading - the result will be your vehicle's actual curb weight as it sits there ready to be hitched to a trailer. Subtract that number from it's GVWR (also listed on the driver's side sticker) and the result will be the vehicle's actual payload capacity, that which you will use to account for the weight of everyone and all cargo in it at the time you're towing plus any trailer tongue weight transferred from the trailer to the vehicle once hitched up. With a vehicle like this you'll be shocked at how little you have to work with. :E
That is a little extreme isn't it? I mean you probably don't know what all one would load in your vehicle until you have your camper and have gone camping a few times.
The door sticker is sufficient to go off of if it is basically a stock SUV. It's not like a truck that you can add a 700 lb truck topper or 900 lbs. worth of ranch hand bumpers. Of course that is unless you've added a roof basket, massive wheels and a winch, etc. Technically speaking each grain of sand you track into the carpeting goes against your payload, but I think that is taking it a bit far.
OP, I tow with a midsize SUV and because the tongue weight of my camper is very close to the capacity on my truck (700 lbs.) everything I load goes into the camper, because we are way shy of our max capacity there (4,800 lbs. trailer with a 7,000 lbs. trailer tow capacity).
The combo has towed pretty well for the last 11 years, and if not for upgrading campers, we would continue this way.
One word of caution, if you are towing with what could be considered a marginal setup, don't cheap out on WD hitch and brake controller. I went with what was highly recommended 11 years ago, and I'm very glad I did (in signature).
