Johno02 wrote:
Towing weight is important, but to me, stopping ability is also another very important point. Find out what your brakes (and tires) are rated for. It is really scary to have all 4 tires skidding as a trailer pushes you from behind.
If you have a 6000 lbs trailer pushing you from behind while your tires are skidding then you're doing it wrong. The trailer should have its own brakes that need to be set up properly. The trailer stops its GVWR and the vehicle stops its own. There should be little difference between normal stopping distances and towing stopping distances when trailer brakes are set up properly.
OP - Trust your door jamb, scale ticket, and use the formulas above as these items are king. Published numbers and what the salesman tells you are pretty much reference material. You'll only be able to get to those numbers under the most ideal conditions and configurations, which rarely exist in the real world. Doing the math based off of a scale ticket tells you exactly how much this vehicle can tow at this exact point. You can't get anymore precise than that.
There's also another side to this that a lot of people forget. How much can you (the human) safely tow? While your truck maybe capable towing massive amounts of weight, are you capable of towing that much? You may be under your limits for the truck, but a nervous wreck while going down the road. If you're completely new to towing and have no idea what different weights feel like then rent a trailer, in the same ballpark as the ones you're looking at, for a day. This will help you determine your comfort level. Yeah it will cost some money, but the experience will pay for itself. Before you buy a trailer you're interested in, request a test tow. This shouldn't be a problem if you're a serious buyer. This will give you a good idea of how your vehicle will handle the weight.
