Downsizing Our Trailer & Tow Vehicle

jerem0621 wrote:
Just have to watch the payload on these smaller rigs.

Ha! You've gotta watch LACK OF PAYLOAD CAPACITY with even 1/2 ton trucks and SUVs! :E Towing a 19' couple's travel trailer that weighs a mere ~ 4600 lbs loaded & ready to camp uses up pretty well all of my 1/2 ton Chevy Avalanche's payload capacity of ~ 1250 lbs. The reason? - like all SUVs it has a coil rear suspension, unlike most trucks which have a rear leaf suspension, so it's GVWR was downgraded to 6800 lbs from my previous '06 Silverado which had a GVWR of 7000 lbs. Doesn't sound like much but in combination with the Av being heavier than the Silvy the only thing that could result was LESS PAYLOAD CAPACITY. :M I typically run 600 - 625 lbs of gross tongue weight with our current trailer, add another 600 lbs for 2 adults, big dog, and some cargo in the back of the truck and I'm pretty well tapped out on payload. :E Punch these numbers into a tow calculator and it's confirmed - there's really no more capacity to drag along anything else without exceeding payload capacity and most likely the vehicle's GRAWR. :M

I'm about to replace the Av with either another Silverado or a Ram ... love the Hemi but it's payload capacity isn't any better than the Av's and although weighs about the same as the Silvy it's GVWR is also MUCH less, just 6600 lbs, because it has a coil rear suspension like the Av. What a shame - it goes like stink with a Hemi under the hood and would have no difficulty towing our trailer EXCEPT I'd be hard pressed to not chew up all the available payload capacity, even with just the two of us and our dog in the cab. :M

The Silverado has a conventional leaf spring rear suspension so with a GVWR of 7000 lbs and a curb weight somewhere in the 5400 to 5500 lb range it will give me 1500 to 1600 lbs of real world payload capacity to work with. :B 400 lbs more may not sound like much, but it is - it's the difference between really being cautious about what I toss into the back of the truck and not caring at all. :B

The point? - these are 1/2 tons, go to a smaller V6 powered SUV with a coil rear suspension and you can bet lack of payload capacity will be your Number 1 issue. :E