Need help with the numbers on the weights and such

Handye9, thanks for the post!

I looked up what a weight distribution hitch is. I don't have that. Is that imperative to have? It got me thinking about my hitch weight and rating so I checked under the receiver on the back and saw that my weight limit is

MGTW MTW
WD 10,500 1050
weight carrying 5000 500

Can you send me a link of a wd? I'm not entirely sure what i'm looking for.

JBird. Not sure where in Northeast Atl you are. But take your 1653 payload subtract the weight of,your occupants and what you might put in the bed. Now you have a number to work with regarding your trailer. Now with that number if your are close to Peco campers in Tucker off Hwy 78 they are very good to work with. They won't tell you your truck can tow a 10,000 lb camper. You can go on their website or even in person and look at trailers.

On their website you can search by travel trailers and the put in a dry weight for your search. Doing it just now they show several units in your weights with bunks.
New Travel Trailer - 2015 Coachmen Freedom Express 282 BHDS


Let me know if you have any questions.

Mike

Mitch,

Thanks for the post. Yes, I got 1637lb off of that sticker.

You say to look at 600-6500 GVWR and won't have a problem but then say 6000-6500 dry weights and i'll have to limit what i pack. are these weights not the same? is dry weight before I load it down?

I guess when i say "their own space" i really mean own bed. We're looking at bunk houses as we don't want to keep putting the table and couch down into beds.

Thanks for all your help.

Where you don't want to be, is very close to, or over your GVWR of 7100 lbs.

Forget about tow capacity rating numbers. You will run out of payload, before you get close to max tow ratings.

Your payload (occupant / cargo weight) is capacity you have to carry everything and everybody in, or on the truck. It also includes, anything added (bed liner, bed cap, etc.) to the truck, since it left the factory, a weight distribution hitch, and trailer tongue weight.

Average loaded trailer tongue weight (sometimes referred to, as hitch weight) is 12 - 13 percent of loaded trailer weight.

Average camping load (dishes, bedding, camp chairs, BBQ, groceries, water, etc) is 800 to 1000 lbs.

To get an accurate payload, take the truck to a scale. Subtract it's actual weight from 7100 GVWR. The remainder is your actual payload. Then, from your payload, subtract family weight, subtract planned truck cargo, and subtract 100 lbs for a WD hitch. What you have left is available for trailer tongue weight. Divide that number by .13. That will give you a ballpark of what loaded trailer weight, will max out your GVWR.
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Example:

GVWR 7100

Actual truck weight 5480

Actual payload (7100 minus 5480) would be 1620

Family, cargo, and WD hitch weight 850. (1620 minus 850) Would leave 770 lbs available payload.

Divide 770 by .13 = 5923 lbs loaded trailer, would put you close to max weight.
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If you want a built in cushion, reduce that available payload number, before calculating loaded trailer weight.

Trailler sales people will try to sell units with unloaded weights that fit into your numbers. Don't listen to them. Soon as you load that trailer, you will be over weight.

Look at units with GVWR that fits in your numbers.

Jbird, you want to look at this sticker..



I think you already have if you say you have "#1637" payload??

Anyway, forget the "tow ratings"... They assume a bone stock truck (ie, not what your truck is) and that you don't carry any passengers or stuff in the bed..

With that said, look for trailers in the #6000-#6500 GVWR range and you will be okay for the most part and can load whatever you want in it..

If you look at trailers with #6000-#6500 DRY WEIGHTS, you will have to limit what you pack and it won't be an enjoyable tow IMO..

I'm towing a #5000 GVWR TT with my F150 and I can tell it's there... So, those that say they "don't even know it's there" is full of it! ;)

You are wise to do this checking first! :) Don't fall for the hype of the tow ratings and the trailers dry weights and "half ton towable" claims... You might get a great trailer, but it might not be that much fun to tow...

There are lots of trailers out there.. For a family of 5 "to have their own space" in an RV is asking a lot!! Not really gonna happen with anything less than a 30+ foot rig and even the lightest of them will push the limits on your truck.. Well, as long as if you want to stay UNDER the trucks weight limits... ;)

You can move just about any trailer you care to hitch up... It's what and how much over the trucks OTHER ratings you are willing to overlook.. ;)

Good luck and have fun in the search!

Mitch

If I had your truck I would look for trailers in the 6000lb dry weight range. Don't skimp on the hitch. I would get an Equal-i-zer 4 point or a Reese dual cam. Blue Ox also makes a good medium price hitch as well. Figure adding loading 1000lbs into the trailer. At 7100lbs(includes propane and a battery) your tongue weight will probably be somewhere in the 780-920 lb range. Your truck hitch maximum is probably around 1000lbs. Many, many floor plans to choose from.

the combined passenger and cargo weight? sticker says 1637lbs.

tell me what payload is, I don't see a number labeled with that.

What does the sticker on the inside of your driver's side door say for payload?

Bruce