Newbie here with a towing question

When manufacturers calculate "max towing capacity", they do it without aftermarket accessories, passengers, or cargo. They also advertised that max tow weight with two key words, often missed by consumers. Those words are "UP TO".

RV manufacturers are also guilty of advertising misleading information. They advertise trailers with their unloaded (dry) weights, along with some low hitch / tongue weights. Some of those hitch / tongue weights don't include a battery or propane, both of which add weight directly onto the tongue. They also don't tell you, tongue weight is not a constant number. It goes up and down during every trip.

Your estimate of 500 lbs for stuff loaded in the trailer, could be a bit on the low side. Just filling a 30 gallon fresh water tank, adds 240 lbs. If you got in a situation where you had to tow with full black / grey tanks, you would have 500+ lbs right there. The average load (dishes, flatware, pots and pans, bedding, camp chairs, BBQ equipment, flashlights, batteries, groceries, water, etc) is about 1000 lbs. Average tongue weight runs 12 -13 percent of loaded trailer weight. Some trailers, based on their floor plan, or how you load it, can be a little higher.

On your tire / loading sticker (on drivers door jamb), there is a number for "max occupant / cargo weight" (AKA payload). That is the truck's capacity to carry everything and everybody you put into, or onto the truck. The weight of added hitch equipment and trailer tongue weight are counted as cargo weight, on the truck. Any aftermarket accessories, you may have added to the truck, are counted as cargo weight.

With these numbers and percentages, you can calculate how that trailer matches up with your truck.

Take your payload number and subtract 100 lbs for hitch equipment, subtract you family weight, subtract aftermarket accessory weight (if you have any), and subtract any cargo that you would be carrying in the truck. Whatever is left over, is payload available for carrying tongue weight. If you divide that available payload by .13, that will give you a ball park number of what loaded trailer weight would put your truck at it's max capacity.

Give yourself some wiggle room. Allow for those tongue weight fluctuations and the possible unexpected guest or cargo. The closer you are to going over weight, the more unpleasant your towing will be.

You're looking at a trailer that will be close to 6000 lbs when it is ready to camp. Does it fit with your set up, only you can make that call. Do some of these calculations, and see where it falls.

Ok...Thanks for all the replies.

This really helps.

FC

GVW of the Prowler is 6900lbs. Seems a bit lofty of a goal for the Frontier.
I'd do it around TX and the flatlands realizing that I am maxing out the truck, but wouldn't be too keen on it in the mountains.

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.

The "listed weight" is probably an empty weight - and the towing capacity of your vehicle is not as important as the payload capacity. Use the GVWR of the trailer instead of the "listed weight" and calculate 10 - 12% of that as a loaded tongue weight. Then figure out if your tow vehicle, after fuel, occupants, 100 lbs. for a weight distributing hitch, and anything else you will put in the car, has enough payload left over for your estimated tongue weight. I don't think it will - but read all the info provided in the link above.

Rob

This is a good place to start to learn about towing, weights, and what your truck's rating mean and how they work. Clicky