Silverado 1500 & Travel Trailer

I agree with the assessment of a ~6000lb LOADED trailer should be your target.

Regardless of who's/what's in the truck, 15-series trucks start getting uncomfortable to drive when the trailer hits 7000lbs or so. Most people wouldn't want to tow 10,000lbs+ with a 15-series truck for any distance, just from a performance and handling perspective.

Also keep in mind that your kids are growing. You won't weigh a collective 775lbs for long.

Odds are if you start now with a rig that is within (or right at) the limits, you won't notice much difference as the family grows, even if you go over the limit by a couple hundred pounds. Just maintain your truck and trailer. Keep good tires on everything.

AzRattle,

One other thing to watch is hitch "wind up" when "latching" the wd (weight distribution ) bars up depending on your loaded tw (tongue weight). The factory hitch is a tin can!

Curt hitch I replaced the factory with on the '10-1500. Very stout!

BenK wrote:

Still not convinced...yet...

This paragraph refers to "Requirements for altered vehicles" and I'm
talking about the label from the factory

Not saying you are wrong, just that I'm still not convinced, yet

Sounds like you're coming around a bit. ;)

Let me ask you this. In today's litigious society, do you really believe they are going to tell us not to exceed those numbers if they aren't including all the options? In other words, why would they, and the NHTSA, tell us that its safe to haul up to XXX# of cargo when they didn't count the 500# in options? What's the advantage to the manufacture?

BenK - my Tundra has an added sticker that warns of reduced payload due to port installed accessories along with the new payload number. My truck has a spray in bedliner put in by Toyota after it left the assembly line and that stuff isnt light. I assume that was the port installed accessory.

Nothing beats weighing your truck but manufacturers do add amended payload stickers (at least Toyota does).

Ambiguous still...

They continue to reference an unloaded vehicle weight, but does NOT say the
actual.

Optional equipment is the continual issue and *ALL* the labels of my vehicles
shows that they used 'curb', not optioned

Section 567.4 requires vehicle manufacturers to affix to each vehicle a label bearing, among other things, the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), which must not be less than the sum of the unloaded vehicle weight, rated cargo load, and 150 pounds times the vehicles rated seating capacity; and the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR), which is the value specified by the manufacturer as the load carrying capacity of a single axle system.

Paragraph S4.3 of FMVSS No. 110 requires manufacturers to affix a placard to each passenger car?s glove compartment door or an equally accessible location showing the vehicle?s capacity weight, designated seating capacity, the manufacturer?s recommended cold tire inflation pressure for maximum loaded vehicle weight, the manufacturer?s recommended tire size designation, and, for a vehicle equipped with a non-pneumatic spare tire assembly, the non-pneumatic identification code required by FMVSS No. 129, New Non-Pneumatic Tires for Passenger Cars.?The required information is intended to promote the vehicle?s safe performance by preventing the overloading of the tires or the vehicle itself.

Campfire Time wrote:
snip...
Generic? I don't believe so. That's why the manual calls it "A vehicle specific Tire and Loading Information label" and does not have a chart for it like it does for the towing capacity and GCWR.

Here's some interesting reading.

NHTSA tire safety ruling

From the NHTSA document,

"S4.3.2 Requirements for altered vehicles.A new placard or placard and label shall be affixed, so as to obscure the original placard, to an altered vehicle that has previously been certified in accordance with 567.4 or 567.5, other than by the addition, substitution, or removal of readily attachable components such as mirrors or tire and rim assemblies, or minor finishing operations such as painting, or who alters the vehicle in such a manner that its stated weight ratings are not longer valid, before the first purchase of the vehicle in good faith for purposes other than resale, containing accurate information for the altered vehicle, in accordance with S4.3."

Which is a clear indication that the weight sticker is vehicle specific as it leaves the factory. If I understand this correctly they don't consider minor changes invalidating the weight sticker. Which could explain the 161 lbs difference.

Still not convinced...yet...

This paragraph refers to "Requirements for altered vehicles" and I'm
talking about the label from the factory

Not saying you are wrong, just that I'm still not convinced, yet

I'll have to spend some time in a new car lot and see if they are
different from truck to truck

If so, then FINALLY they are moving in the right direction

Back to the OP...you have most all the information. If the label is
in fact the actual weight as it left the factory...a good/better
starting point...but...you still have to know your actual loaded
weight in order to know how much rating you have left for the trailer
tongue

Even if the label isn't as hoped, you still have to either weigh it
or guesstimate very well how much.

This happens to higher class TV's, but since they have more rating...they
can have more margin (fudge factor) is they keep their trailer smaller

BenK, Tire and loading is as equipped with specific trim and options and full of fluids including fuel, which is significant at 6 pounds per gallon.

AzRattle, thanks for the details about your truck. At 750-ish pounds target TW given the weight of family/cargo, then I say find something around 6k dry and under 650 pounds dry TW. Get a quality WDH with integrated sway control (Equal-i-zer 4-pt/Reese Straight Line/Blue Ox SawyPro) and you'll be happy.

After all the discussion this is where you are at. Subtract the weight of all cargo and occupants from your payload sticker number and this is what is left for tongue weight. Tongue weight will be between 10 and 15% of actual trailer weight and some of use 13% as the standard. If you subtract 775 from 1561 you are left with 786# for tongue weight. That would limit you to about 6k TOTAL trailer weight (6000x.13=780). Payload is usually a killer on 1/2 ton series trucks.

BenKas wrote:
this is generic vs the label is as others say is specific to this vehicle

Are you saying your TV has no AC, automatic, power windows/locks/seats/etc?

So for your trailer....take the 15000 and subtract the weight of your loaded TV, cargo & people

You can use what others advise....the label numbers...or go out and weigh it fully laded...

Generic? I don't believe so. That's why the manual calls it "A vehicle specific Tire and Loading Information label" and does not have a chart for it like it does for the towing capacity and GCWR.

Here's some interesting reading.

NHTSA tire safety ruling

From the NHTSA document,

"S4.3.2 Requirements for altered vehicles.A new placard or placard and label shall be affixed, so as to obscure the original placard, to an altered vehicle that has previously been certified in accordance with 567.4 or 567.5, other than by the addition, substitution, or removal of readily attachable components such as mirrors or tire and rim assemblies, or minor finishing operations such as painting, or who alters the vehicle in such a manner that its stated weight ratings are not longer valid, before the first purchase of the vehicle in good faith for purposes other than resale, containing accurate information for the altered vehicle, in accordance with S4.3."

Which is a clear indication that the weight sticker is vehicle specific as it leaves the factory. If I understand this correctly they don't consider minor changes invalidating the weight sticker. Which could explain the 161 lbs difference.

Sorry....pics of your manual are not clear and why I normally won't do the numbers....best that the OP do their own

Nevertheless, you can find the right numbers and plug them into the forumls your self

There are differing opinions on labeling. Do admitt that the new labeling might be of the actual weights and you can help me discover with some simple math

6800 - 1561 = 5239 and is hard for me to think your truck ACTUALLY weighs in at that.

The GCWR 15000 - 9600 = 5400 is 161 lbs more than the above 5239 and might jive with the TREAD label being actual, but need more info for my own education...but it is backwards...this should lower...as this is generic vs the label is as others say is specific to this vehicle

Are you saying your TV has no AC, automatic, power windows/locks/seats/etc?

So for your trailer....take the 15000 and subtract the weight of your loaded TV, cargo & people

You can use what others advise....the label numbers...or go out and weigh it fully laded...