eazye wrote:
Consider two different trailers:
Trailer A: Dry weight of 4500lbs, GVWR of 7500lbs. Cargo capacity of 3000lbs.
Trailer B: Dry weight of 4500lbs, GVWR of 5500lbs. Cargo capacity of 1000lbs.
Assuming I pack the same people and amount of cargo, and assuming that the same amount of water and propane is being hauled, why would it matter which trailer I towed?
The formulas and calculators would have me believe that Trailer B was safe to tow and Trailer A was not. Why?
I don't understand why the potential cargo capacity should factor in when determining how much I can tow. Yet it seems in every thread I read about how much one can tow, GVWR is taken as gospel and dry weight is completely dismissed. And the difference between the two is rarely considered.
What am I missing?
The spring weight on the first trailer will be a lot stiffer than the spring rate on the second trailer, leading to a much more stable towing experience - especially in heavy winds.
Say that the manufacture used 2 axles on both trailers, and that 7,000 pounds is expected to be on trailer A, while trailer B is limited to only 5,200 pounds on the axles (the rest on the hitch). 4 springs between the two axles, so a rating around 1,800 pounds per spring on trailer A, and 1,300 pounds on trailer B.
The softer springs when loaded to the maximum trailer weight could cause a problem with passing trucks on a 2 lane highway, while the stiffer springs on trailer A would probably not allow as much side to side sway.
Also should you ever need to carry some more stuff, trailer A would be able to carry it, while you would constantly be asking yourself "Will I be overloaded if I take along some bikes inside the trailer?" or take along a generator, or bring some firewood, or desire to carry an extra 15 gallons of fresh water for a longer dry camping trip.
Good luck,
Fred.
