Is a higher TT GVWR better?

Higher CCC would suggest heavier duty components. Tires, axles, suspension, frame, which would, logically, seem safer as you would not be running as close to maxing out everything. Some TTs are close to GVW empty. On the other hand, it depends some on how the GVW was calculated. My TT has a GVW of 11,700. The same TT a few years later was rated at 10,400. The later rating was the total of the two 5200lb axles. The earlier rating included tongue weight which, in this case is heavy, (12-1300lbs). According to the sticker, the UVW is 7860. Same TT, different way of figuring GVW. Even funnier, the higher rating came with 15" load range D tires, (16" E rated were an option. Around the time they lowered the GVW, they also went to the 16" E range wheels and tires as standard. Looking at the brochure from one year to the next, there is no indication of how the GVW was calculated, it's just different.

YES
I used that criteria to find my current trailer , purchased new 12 years ago .
it has a 7280 # GVW on the axles but was placarded 4900 # empty on the axles .
It came with a 6 inch tall frame not a 5 or 4 inch .
It is a 21T Komfort .
Empty weight on the tongue is 480 # .
The 50 gallon water tank is in the front as is a huge storage space under the walk around bed .
I frequently have 900 + pounds on the tongue .
It tows wonderfully because I have the capacity to put heavy stuff in front .
Heavy stuff behind the trailer axle is uncontrolled weight and adds to sway .
Heavy stuff in front of the trailer axle mitigates sway .
The same thing applies to tow vehicles .
The best F150 is not as good as the worst F250 for towing .
Payload, Baby ..........

Check the axles on the lighter GVWR, maybe they are the same as the higher one. Not all companies base GVWR on axle rating +tongue weight (thou I know many do).

My TT has a 7,900lb GVWR, with a pair of 5200lb axles and 10,160 worth of tires. The 8" frame and tongue design are all on the 10K + design, but only 7900 GVWR.



One thing I didn't see anyone else mention is the lower you are under axle rating the more work a brake system may be to dial in as the drum brakes are meant for more weight. It's not bad once dialed in, but more adjusting at first.

op says wrote:
Ignoring cost, wouldn't the TT with the highest GVWR, even if I don't need to put more cargo in it, essentially be safer due to stronger brake system?

Brakes on any RV trailer is a function of the GAWRs and not the GVWR. So to answer your concern about brakes on the two trailers choose the one with the larger GAWRs. Now some of the higher end RV trailers have used the sum of the axle rating as the trailers GVWR as most commercial trailers.

However generally speaking the larger GVWR trailer can have a more robust frame/suspension.

IMO there is no generic answer to your question as much depends on the actual frame/running gear in use.

outwestbound wrote:

westend wrote:

outwestbound wrote:
If a travel trailer's load (all my cargo, liquids, batts, LP, etc.)PLUS dry trailer weights were hypothetically say 8,200lbs for two TTs I'm considering, but the GVWR on one was 9800 and the other 11,000, wouldn't the higher GVWR be the safest? Ignoring cost, wouldn't the TT with the highest GVWR, even if I don't need to put more cargo in it, essentially be safer due to stronger brake system?

That theory assumes that the higher GVWR trailer has different brakes. There are only so many choices in brake size out there.

Yes, I assumed the brakes would be different but clearly I need to lean more about the specs on all machinery involved; TT and TV. Industry information is sketchy for sure. I'd assumed the dry TT weights to be equal, so to a newbie, if what I put onto the TT was also equal, but the two trailers advertised very different GVWR, then something must account for the increased GVWR (presumably braking). The more kind folks like you all that respond to my questions the more I realize how loose the RV industry - perhaps more in TTs than say motorcoaches, is with facts.

I'm a numerical guy and this whole thing conceptually is a basic optimization subject to constraint exercise. But getting viable assumptions and data is killing me; it will just take time and I learn more every day.

First. safety, quality, strength, and durability are all not written in the numbers.

Easy data to collect is UVW and GVWR, tire and axle load capacities, and pretty much what materials are used in a trailer. Either a brochure or a call to the Mfg. would get all the numbers.

What is difficult to optimise to constraint is the type and applications of running gear (including frame) and how they compare between individual trailers. I think we can leave the brakes out of the exercise because most systems are similar and are all engineered to stop the weights from moving. They are actually one of the more adequate systems in an RV.

One caveat, while gathering information, do not rely on dealers and their sales help. There is too much variability as to knowledge and the overriding sales agenda skews everything. I would suggest to narrow searches about RV's on this Forum and explore individual systems or groups of related components to advise yourself on the aspects of them.

mich800 wrote:

JJBIRISH wrote:
First the question is about the rating not the total load…
anyone that thinks the lighter load rating is a good thing is out of their cotton picking mind…

There is more to it than just the brakes… there is the springs axle and chassis that allow for the additional load rating… and that is a good thing under any circumstances, and I can’t think of any reason that a higher CCC is somehow a bad idea…

There is a lot of marketing with these things but what is being marketed here is someone has a trailer with a light CCC so thinks everyone else should…

I don't think that is the question. The question is: Is the TT with less unused capacity less safe then one with more unused capacity? I do not see how this can be answered. Both are safe.

Or put another way; is a one ton truck safer than a half ton truck? The one ton has a higher payload capacity.

mich,


I still read the question as 2 trailers each with a specific and different GVWR and both with a same but hypothetically GVW (8200 pounds)… I think my comprehension was on target as to the question..

My answer and my opinion is as it was…
there would be no basis to determine the trailer vehicle with the lighter GVWR and lower CCC would be better or safer…
and by the same token there is a basis to believe and determine that the trailer with the higher GVWR and higher allowable CCC is a better choice and has a greater margin (higher safe load capacity) for safety…

What I never said is one is safe and the other is not..., which was not the question and which is what you are implying I said… there are reasons for the higher GVWR, and we just don’t know at this point what they are…

To answer your question,
“is a one ton truck safer than a half ton truck? The one ton has a higher payload capacity.”

Both are safe to their limit, but the one tone with its higher payload capacity is safer for a wider range of applications… so yes the 1 ton could be a safer vehicle by virtue of having heavier axles bigger brakes and heavier tires and a higher capacity… especially if it was purchased to haul weight loads…
Would it be a more comfortable ride to use for a daily driver??? Most likely it would not…

A trailer chassis sole purpose is designed to carry loads…


But if I am wrong it wouldn’t be the first time…

JJBIRISH wrote:
First the question is about the rating not the total load…
anyone that thinks the lighter load rating is a good thing is out of their cotton picking mind…

There is more to it than just the brakes… there is the springs axle and chassis that allow for the additional load rating… and that is a good thing under any circumstances, and I can’t think of any reason that a higher CCC is somehow a bad idea…

There is a lot of marketing with these things but what is being marketed here is someone has a trailer with a light CCC so thinks everyone else should…

I don't think that is the question. The question is: Is the TT with less unused capacity less safe then one with more unused capacity? I do not see how this can be answered. Both are safe.

Or put another way; is a one ton truck safer than a half ton truck? The one ton has a higher payload capacity.

Huntindog wrote:

RinconVTR wrote:
Unless you've heard of dual axle TT's bending and breaking all over numerous forums, the two GVWR's are nothing more than a form of marketing to sell you on one or the other. One is not more "safe" over the other, this has nothing to do with safety. (Much like the truck world.)

I'm not sure how anyone could argue pulling more weight would be more safe, just because you're within ratings. It just doesn't work that way.

In short, GVWR is not how to shop for a TT, despite the fact this site loves to claim so. The only exception would be, does it truly offer more cargo capacity over the other trailer? Extra load capacity might come in handy, however it sounds to me like you know to over estimate already. So how much is too much, and would you ever possibly use it.

I'd use a few other factors to determine which TT to buy.

Actually it is quite common to bend an axle by hitting a pothole or curbing the TT. Lots of posts on this and alignment fixes caused by it.
The higher rated Axles will give more safety margin when something like this occurs. And I do believe that it is a higher priority than some of the other things that some fret over.

Yeah, it happens. It happens to every, single thing driven on the road...does it not?

A higher rated axle doesn't make you immune to anything.

And we're not talking a big difference in this example either.

Ron Gratz wrote:

I'm not sure how anyone could argue pulling more weight would be more safe, just because you're within ratings. It just doesn't work that way.

Nobody's arguing that pulling more weight would be more safe.

The OP is asking about two TT's which have different GVWRs but would be loaded to weigh the same.

Ron

Weigh the same? I would never dare assume that. This is not physically possible unless the trailers were 100% identical.

Loaded the same...of course this is possible. As I said...it comes down to actual carrying capacity between the two options. It would help if we had model numbers instead of throwing out lots of assumptions.

I'm not sure how anyone could argue pulling more weight would be more safe, just because you're within ratings. It just doesn't work that way.

Nobody's arguing that pulling more weight would be more safe.

The OP is asking about two TT's which have different GVWRs but would be loaded to weigh the same.

Ron