Help with the towing math
Hello. I am a new member here and this is my first post. This is a question often asked on here and the answers that have been given are always helpful to those that have asked but I am having a diffi...
Forum Discussion
RobWNY writes
"I weigh 200 LBS and my wife weighs 130 Lbs.
Travel Trailer Specs
Dry Weight 6,442
Hitch Weight 500
Width 8'0"
Height 11'2"
Length 33'5"
Axles (2) 3500
Tires ST205/75R15-C
Fresh Tank 47 Gal.
Gray Tank 70 Gal.
Black Tank 35 Gal.
Propane (2) 30 Lb Tanks
Awning Length 17'
Cargo Carrying Capacity 1698 Lbs
Calculated with the Fresh Water Tanks Full Cold 240 Lbs Hot 50 Lbs
Waste Water when tanks are Full 872 Lbs
GVWR 9000 Lbs
Truck Specs
The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed 1486 Lbs
GVWR 7200 Lbs
Front GAWR 3750 Lbs
Rear GAWR 3850
GCWR 15400
Max Loaded Trailer 9700"
:h
There is something really not right with ANY of the trailer specifications...
First is the "dry weight" versus the tongue weight.. The tongue weight is WAY TO LOW, PERIOD. :S
If the dry weight is 6,442 then the tongue should have a ABSOLUTE MINIMUM of 644 lbs which is 10% TW, not 500 lbs!
15% of 6,442 is 966 lbs :E
Next is the dry weight versus the GVWR versus cargo weight, something just does not add up here..
If you subtract cargo from the GVWR you get 7,303 lbs which should be the dry weight...
This puts the tongue weight ratio even worse.. 10% of 7,303 should be 730 lbs.. 15% of 7,303 should be 1096 lbs :E
Honestly, while there are a lot of zealous folks who are adamantly against the following, it is the BETTER way to figure out just how much you can tow..
USE THE GVWR of the trailer.. DO NOT FOOL AROUND WITH DRY WEIGHTS AS THEY TEND TO BE INACCURATE. Not to mention NO ONE HAULS A TRAILER EMPTY...
If the trailer TRUELY is 9000 lbs GVWR then fully loaded your tongue MUST weigh 900 lbs (10%) to 1,350 lbs (15%).
Your truck cargo is 1486 lbs, take 180 lbs off for you and passenger (driver weight of 150 lbs is assumed already in the cargo rating).
That gives you cargo of 1306 lbs, but..
The cargo rating DOES NOT INCLUDE FULL TANK OF FUEL..
Not sure on the capacity but assuming 30 gallons of gas at about 8 lbs per gallon.. that is 240 lbs that needs removed from cargo rating..
This gives you 1066 lbs of cargo capacity left..
Basically your trailer is NEAR or close to being OVER the cargo weight of your vehicle BEFORE you load your gear...
These are GUESSES USING BAD DATA so I would recommend you get the truck and trailer weighed and even the tongue weight as all that manufacturer info is suspect...
On edit.. Forgot to mention you also need to account for the WD hitch weight as it also takes away CARGO weight so figure a minimum of 100 lbs for WD which also will subtract from you allowable cargo of the truck..
"I weigh 200 LBS and my wife weighs 130 Lbs.
Travel Trailer Specs
Dry Weight 6,442
Hitch Weight 500
Width 8'0"
Height 11'2"
Length 33'5"
Axles (2) 3500
Tires ST205/75R15-C
Fresh Tank 47 Gal.
Gray Tank 70 Gal.
Black Tank 35 Gal.
Propane (2) 30 Lb Tanks
Awning Length 17'
Cargo Carrying Capacity 1698 Lbs
Calculated with the Fresh Water Tanks Full Cold 240 Lbs Hot 50 Lbs
Waste Water when tanks are Full 872 Lbs
GVWR 9000 Lbs
Truck Specs
The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed 1486 Lbs
GVWR 7200 Lbs
Front GAWR 3750 Lbs
Rear GAWR 3850
GCWR 15400
Max Loaded Trailer 9700"
:h
There is something really not right with ANY of the trailer specifications...
First is the "dry weight" versus the tongue weight.. The tongue weight is WAY TO LOW, PERIOD. :S
If the dry weight is 6,442 then the tongue should have a ABSOLUTE MINIMUM of 644 lbs which is 10% TW, not 500 lbs!
15% of 6,442 is 966 lbs :E
Next is the dry weight versus the GVWR versus cargo weight, something just does not add up here..
If you subtract cargo from the GVWR you get 7,303 lbs which should be the dry weight...
This puts the tongue weight ratio even worse.. 10% of 7,303 should be 730 lbs.. 15% of 7,303 should be 1096 lbs :E
Honestly, while there are a lot of zealous folks who are adamantly against the following, it is the BETTER way to figure out just how much you can tow..
USE THE GVWR of the trailer.. DO NOT FOOL AROUND WITH DRY WEIGHTS AS THEY TEND TO BE INACCURATE. Not to mention NO ONE HAULS A TRAILER EMPTY...
If the trailer TRUELY is 9000 lbs GVWR then fully loaded your tongue MUST weigh 900 lbs (10%) to 1,350 lbs (15%).
Your truck cargo is 1486 lbs, take 180 lbs off for you and passenger (driver weight of 150 lbs is assumed already in the cargo rating).
That gives you cargo of 1306 lbs, but..
The cargo rating DOES NOT INCLUDE FULL TANK OF FUEL..
Not sure on the capacity but assuming 30 gallons of gas at about 8 lbs per gallon.. that is 240 lbs that needs removed from cargo rating..
This gives you 1066 lbs of cargo capacity left..
Basically your trailer is NEAR or close to being OVER the cargo weight of your vehicle BEFORE you load your gear...
These are GUESSES USING BAD DATA so I would recommend you get the truck and trailer weighed and even the tongue weight as all that manufacturer info is suspect...
On edit.. Forgot to mention you also need to account for the WD hitch weight as it also takes away CARGO weight so figure a minimum of 100 lbs for WD which also will subtract from you allowable cargo of the truck..
