Clarification on tow capacity
If a vehicle says it's tow capacity is 9,000 lbs what does that 9,000 pounds include? Obviously the TT plus whatever we have in it and the water in it... But what else?
Forum Discussion
jaycocreek wrote:
There's too many opinions just like the one I quoted that simply is not true and very unfair to a poster asking for advice about his current or soon to be 1/2 ton truck. These newer 1/2 ton trucks are capable tow vehicles unlike most of the older ones.
Most, if not all of the higher rated come with the updated radiators/transmission coolers/wiring and class IV hitches that in the old days we had to add ourselves even on 3/4 tons and up.
The question, almost always, isn't what a vehicle is rated to tow. People who educate themselves realize that. All those things that you mention don't matter 1% to what usually is the limiting factor when trying to figure out what you can SAFELY tow.....that being what the suspension can handle.
That's the issue with a 1/2 ton vs. a 3/4 ton....or a 3/4 ton vs. a 1 ton.
!/2 ton vehicles can indeed safely tow a myriad of travel trailers. The trick is to find the one that doesn't max out the suspension. Engine size, tranny coolers, bigger radiators, mega hitches, high dollar WD setups...etc. None of these things matter if the suspension is maxxed out.
