WEIGHT Question (toad @4800 lbs)

sososixmpg wrote:
It's confuseing... I can do the math and I still get the gut feeling that I may have figured it wrong. My 96 WINNIBAGO Itasca Suncruiser 32 r.q. has a GVWR of 1700 lbs. My toad (2000- nissan frontier) is 4900 lbs. I am having doubts on just how much my combined gross weight really is...it seems I'm good to go with around 8000 lbs in towing. ANY HELP WITH THE MATH IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. I am aware of the scales and all that. Once again... can any of you ole experts do the math and reassure me? The WINNIBAGO has a 7.5 (460 f53 chassie). THANK A HEEP!!!!

your GVWR is likely 17000-lbs, not 1700...sure hope that was a typo ;o). what you're looking for is the GCWR (gross combination weight RATING) which is the total weight the MH chassis can propel, including itself. in many cases the GCWR is the sum of the GVWR and the weight rating of the hitch...but not always. if your MH's documentation does not list the GVWR then you'd be in the ballpark by adding the GVWR plus the hitch rating. or give winnebago a call. if you provide them with the VIN they can give you the GCWR as well as the individual axle weight ratings. axle weight ratings (GAWR) are actually more important than the total GVWR.

that being said you need to know what your MH weighs as it is loaded and configured for travel before you can determine how much weight it can safely tow without exceeding the various weight ratings...gross combination weight rating (GCWR), gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) and each axle's gross axle weight rating (GAWR). you also need to know the curb weight of the vehicle you're planning to buy and whether that curb weight includes a full tank of gas (sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't).

the maximum amount of weight you can safely tow will be the lesser of the following:

- the GCWR minus the actual weight of the MH as it is loaded for travel (food, fuel, water, LP, clothing, supplies, pets, people and misc. stuff); OR

- the weight rating of the MH hitch (Class II 3500-lbs, Class III 5000-lbs, Class IV 10,000-lbs); OR

- the weight rating of your towbar

load up the MH as you would for travel and then get individual axle weights at a certified scale. compare those axle weights to the published gross axle weight rating (GAWR) for that motorhome. the actual axle weight must be less than/equal to the rating for that axle. add the two axle weights to arrive at the total rolling weight and then apply the three conditions above. assume nothing.

good luck.