Buying an oversized truck to pull a small trailer doesn’t make you any safer than someone taking full advantage of a trucks capacity. There are far too many variables to make such an assessment.
And do you know what wisdom is? I can tell you what its not. It is not arbitrarily picking a tow vehicle based on one trailers gross weight rating assuming that’s that safest option.
Most put all these weight ratings together with safety, and while they sure can be related, there is no direct correlation that I have ever seen. If there is data stating otherwise, let’s see it.
Rincon,
You are certainly entitled to your observations about wisdom and safety. I won't try to change your mind.
For me buying an oversized truck for the trailer is way safer than buying an undersized truck for the trailer all other things considered, and they never are. Erring on the side of safety would be bigger than needed not smaller.
As far as wisdom it is easy. Widsom is letting the manufacturers work out the numbers so we don't have to. The trailer manufacturer's present them in terms of dry weights, payload capacity and gross weights. They did it so we don't have to guess and can have real numbers and make an informed decision. And the truck manufacturer's do the same so we can put both together and have a good towing combination with some sort of safety parameters. GVWR, Axle ratings, payload values are all MAXIMUM values. Somebody did the homework, warranty work, stopping values at a loaded weight, etc. so we don't have to beta test and can be comfortable that the truck will tow the trailer because the manufacturer says it will and it will do it for a long time without breaking because we stay within or near predetermined values. There is some comfort in that.
If you are looking for data and not opinions, look no farther than the tow rating guides and trailer or fifth wheel RV manufacturers recomendations. That is all the data you need to tow safely. None represent opinions, all is data provided by those that should know their business. We don't have to go figure out what the truck will tow safely as that has been presented to us in towing guides. If we operate within or near those parameters we should be hedging one safety bet. There are other considerations as well but at least the truck/trailer combination base is covered.
Nobody is saying that you are not safe at slightly over gross. But, where do we draw the line? Five percent, ten percent, twenty percent over gross? Where does it not become safe? The manufacturers drew the line, if we step over it the world will not end but where do we stop adding the weight? When does it become unsafe?
