Newbie here with a towing question
Please be patient with me as I'm certain these questions has been asked before. My wife and I are looking to purchase a Prowler 240rb this summer. The listed weight is just under 5000 lbs. Our tru...
Forum Discussion
I think you’ll find that trailer pushing the limits of your truck. Keep in mind that the listed “dry” weights can be a little misleading. They don’t included options, battery,propane etc. Once the trailer is delivered it will likely be several hundred pounds heavier. Always check the yellow door sticker on the trailer to see it’s actual delivered weight.
One potential issue I can see off the bat is the hitch weight. Most vehicle manufacturers rate the receiver at 10% of the tow rating which could limit you to 660lbs. That trailer shows a dry hitch weight of 610lbs which will be well over 700lbs once loaded. Even if you were able to pack it with only 500lbs of stuff I would guess that the trailer would be 6k plus. You may want to carry water in the tanks too. A properly loaded trailer would have a tongue weight in the 12% loaded weight range which would put you at 720lbs+.
You are correct that the tow rating is reduced by weight added to the truck. Newer vehicles calculate tow ratings allowing 150lbs for a driver and passenger. Any weight in the truck above that would reduce your rating pound for pound. You also need to look at the trucks payload. (Check door sticker) The payload needs to be sufficient to carry all weight added to truck and the hitch weight. If you’re concerned about these numbers already and are limiting yourself on what to pack then it’s usually not a good match. Personally I would be looking at something that would max out at 5k loaded.
One potential issue I can see off the bat is the hitch weight. Most vehicle manufacturers rate the receiver at 10% of the tow rating which could limit you to 660lbs. That trailer shows a dry hitch weight of 610lbs which will be well over 700lbs once loaded. Even if you were able to pack it with only 500lbs of stuff I would guess that the trailer would be 6k plus. You may want to carry water in the tanks too. A properly loaded trailer would have a tongue weight in the 12% loaded weight range which would put you at 720lbs+.
You are correct that the tow rating is reduced by weight added to the truck. Newer vehicles calculate tow ratings allowing 150lbs for a driver and passenger. Any weight in the truck above that would reduce your rating pound for pound. You also need to look at the trucks payload. (Check door sticker) The payload needs to be sufficient to carry all weight added to truck and the hitch weight. If you’re concerned about these numbers already and are limiting yourself on what to pack then it’s usually not a good match. Personally I would be looking at something that would max out at 5k loaded.
