How heavy of a trailer can I get?

He's the LIGHT packer... I'm the heavy one... but we've travelled enough through our marriage that we know how to pack light and intend to do the same when we travel with our TT. So luckily I'm not concerned with over-packing. Our initial ideas before we even started looking at TT and TV's was to pack just as we would if we were camping in a tent so as not to take out ALL of the simplicity and adventure of camping. Sure a TT will take out some of that but we don't want to bring the whole house with us as that would just defeat the purpose and we could just stay in a hotel for the cost that we will be spending on the TT, gas, and camping spot fee.

Hahaha, need full tool kit, compresser, battery charging, impact wrench, impact sockets, 3 bikes, canoe, firewood, on and on.......

Just a weekend trip: shredded wires, had two flats on the boat trailer. Kicked myself for not bringing the floor jack or spare hubs. Sub gets loaded heavy with 2 kids aged 2 and 5, dog and all the support******needed. Id be better off with a crew cab 3500 utility body racked up, and every tool bin filled.

Shorteelaw wrote:

Francesca Knowles wrote:

Shorteelaw wrote:

Yes this was a helpful post; however, me and our two year old and dogs certainly don't weigh 1/2 of 1300... more like 1/4... That made me laugh. :)

Guess I should've gone into more detail...as a Camping Grandma my experience has been that children, pets, and Grandma's own self must be planned for not just by their self-weight but by the weight of the STUFF one brings along to accommodate them! You'll be surprised how fast it all adds up....:B

Haha. I love it! So true...

And of course that all pales by comparison once Hubby starts putting together the "New Trailer Toolkit"- from floor jacks to shop-sized compressor, he's going to want to bring it all "just in case". And this before it even occurs to him that the fullsized Weber grill needs to come along with its very own five gallon propane cylinder; and we mustn't forget his chain saw, a couple of twenty-pound sledges/wedges, two or three shovels, several buckets, some fire extinguishers and whatever other critical campcraft items he was taught about in Boy Scouts.

Come to think of it, I think I may have to revise my recommendation per trailer gross weight to 5,000 pounds or less! ;)

I am not being rude. Half ton anything can tow up to its rating. Add passengers, fill every seat, a few large dogs and its gets challenging. The industry knows this and offers better vehicle options.


Our K2500 Sub with 2nd row captian seats and 94lb black lab on the rear bench still has over 2000lbs of payload left. We tow a 5000lb hybrid camper that is 2600lbs below the maxinum tow rating. I lost trailer brakes during last trip and had to tow with only truck brakes. I was glad i was not at or near the vehicles limits.

Francesca Knowles wrote:

Shorteelaw wrote:

Yes this was a helpful post; however, me and our two year old and dogs certainly don't weigh 1/2 of 1300... more like 1/4... That made me laugh. :)

Guess I should've gone into more detail...as a Camping Grandma my experience has been that children, pets, and Grandma's own self must be planned for not just by their self-weight but by the weight of the STUFF one brings along to accommodate them! You'll be surprised how fast it all adds up....:B

Haha. I love it! So true...

Shorteelaw wrote:

Yes this was a helpful post; however, me and our two year old and dogs certainly don't weigh 1/2 of 1300... more like 1/4... That made me laugh. :)

Guess I should've gone into more detail...as a Camping Grandma my experience has been that children, pets, and Grandma's own self must be planned for not just by their self-weight but by the weight of the STUFF one brings along to accommodate them! You'll be surprised how fast it all adds up....:B

fdwt994 wrote:

Francesca Knowles wrote:
Here's how I'd look at it if I were you:

You already know from your other thread here that after fuel/hubby/hitch you only have about 1300 pounds of payload available. Since that's before you've loaded you, the kids, the dogs, and etc., I'd reserve at least half that number for this purpose.

That leaves, say, six or seven hundred pounds for tongue weight, which most agree should be at least 10% of total trailer weight for optimum handling. In your case, that number is about seven hundred pounds, meaning a 7,000lb gross trailer, max. As others have pointed out,though, I too think it's unwise to push the outer limits/capacity of any component, so shopping for trailers more in the 6,000 pound-fully-loaded vicinity may be best.

I know this seems paltry next to the 9,000-plus "capacity" of the truck's other features, but as others have said, payload is often the limiter. And you might look at it this way: It seems to me that the vast reserve in horsepower and other capabilities etc. resulting from this much lighter-than-maximum combined tow limit will result in a very pleasurable towing experience.

Well said. :C

Yes this was a helpful post; however, me and our two year old and dogs certainly don't weigh 1/2 of 1300... more like 1/4... That made me laugh. :)

Gaffer222 wrote:
If I was a newby looking to buy a TT and I read this thread, I would get a tent. Just go camping and have a beer.

Way to many "weight police" opinions confusing the OP. Agree it's important to have safe setup but..........

*LOL*
It's true. My husband told me to stop reading message boards. He just wants to get the darn TT and I keep freaking out about weight limits.

Francesca Knowles wrote:
Here's how I'd look at it if I were you:

You already know from your other thread here that after fuel/hubby/hitch you only have about 1300 pounds of payload available. Since that's before you've loaded you, the kids, the dogs, and etc., I'd reserve at least half that number for this purpose.

That leaves, say, six or seven hundred pounds for tongue weight, which most agree should be at least 10% of total trailer weight for optimum handling. In your case, that number is about seven hundred pounds, meaning a 7,000lb gross trailer, max. As others have pointed out,though, I too think it's unwise to push the outer limits/capacity of any component, so shopping for trailers more in the 6,000 pound-fully-loaded vicinity may be best.

I know this seems paltry next to the 9,000-plus "capacity" of the truck's other features, but as others have said, payload is often the limiter. And you might look at it this way: It seems to me that the vast reserve in horsepower and other capabilities etc. resulting from this much lighter-than-maximum combined tow limit will result in a very pleasurable towing experience.

Well said. :C

Gaffer222 wrote:
If I was a newby looking to buy a TT and I read this thread, I would get a tent. Just go camping and have a beer.

Way to many "weight police" opinions confusing the OP. Agree it's important to have safe setup but..........

No kidding!

It really is simple. add approx. 1200lbs to the dry weight of almost any trailer you are looking at. then compare that to your tow rating. shoot for 12-13% of the loaded ready to travel, tongue weight. 15% is on the extreme high end and in my personal and actual experience can also cause sway. and 10% is too low to safely pull without sway.

You want to be safe, but cars/trucks will not break and crash at 1 lb over any of it`s ratings!