Newbies
Hello Everyone!! My hubster and I are complete newbies to the RV world. We are looking to purchase a travel trailer in the next couple of months and start out a little slow so we can get acclimated ...
Forum Discussion
SoundGuy wrote:pooretravelers wrote:
We have a 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 and know how much we are able to tow (8400 lbs).
Any advice is welcome!!
No you can't, you'll run out of payload capacity long before you get anywhere near 8400 lbs. That number isn't how heavy the trailer itself can weigh but the maximum the truck is rated to tow / haul counting everything.
You might find it easier to work a bit backwards on figuring out the trailer.
Start with the white and yellow sticker inside the drivers door. You are looking for the line that states "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed xxx kg xxx lbs
Once you know your maximum payload you can start subtracting.
- The combined weight of all the people and pets in the vehicle
- The estimated weight of bikes or other items in the cab or bed
- Add 75 lbs for the hitch weight.
Now to do some math.
Lets say your truck has a maximum of 1,200 lbs. And you and all the people and hitch and gear is 600 lbs. 1,200 - 600 = 600lbs. That leave you 600 pounds of weight capacity on the truck.
So now you need to find a truck that when loaded has no more than 600 lbs tongue weight.
