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roaming_free's avatar
roaming_free
Explorer
Jan 02, 2018

Question on Towing and Weight Distribution for a Newbie

Good Afternoon All,

I have been camping for the last 2 years in a popup with my wife and son, and we have been loving it. I think last year we went out about 13 times. This year we are upgrading our camper, and I just acquired a used truck as well.

I have pulled plenty of utility trailers, my light popup, and some heavy trailers (15,000-30,000) at low speeds in a yard at a place where I worked. I have a general understand of how to tow, but never with a truck and trailer that was mine where I needed to be concerned about all of the individual weights. I want to see if anyone out there can think of anything that I might be missing out on. I want to keep my family as safe as I can.

My camper is 7250 dry, 8600 gvwr, with a tongue of 900 lbs.

I will be pulling it with a 2013 Silverado 1500 that has the following (in no particular order):

GU6 3:42 rear axle
K5L Heavy-Duty Trailering Package
KC4 COOLING HEAVY DUTY ENG OIL
G80 Eaton G80 locking rear differential
C5W GVW RATING 7,000 LBS
KNP Cooling, external transmission oil cooler
JL4 StabiliTrak, stability control system
MYC Transmission, 6-speed automatic
VR4 TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT DISTRIBUTING PLATFORM
Z82 Trailering Provisions HD
JF3 BRAKE VAC POWER, 17 DISC/DRUM, W/ABS, 7,000 LBS

It does have an integrated brake controller.

I also just purchased a Curt 17500 Weight distribution and sway control ***Link Removed***. I will be paying the service department to adjust the hitch and camper for my truck.

By rough estimates, all of the weights for front and rear axels, GVWR of the Truck, of the camper, and the combined for my truck (15,000) should all be within the limits. According to my trucks manual, I have a towing capacity of 9,600. I plan to take it to a local cat scale where a very nice lady said they would assist me with taking all of the appropriate measurements for me, but they will not tell me whether or not I am in spec (not unexpected, but it is pretty simple math from there).

Is there anything else that anyone thinks that I may not be considering?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

129 Replies

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  • Artum_Snowbird's avatar
    Artum_Snowbird
    Explorer
    Jan 02, 2018
    I am thinking the same as the others. Yes, technically your truck can tow the listed amount. However, what they don't tell you is that the tow at that rating is low to the ground like a short load of railway ties. The trailer they use is perfectly balanced, had very low wind resistance, and follows the truck like a puppy looking for dinner.

    My F350 towing 9000 pounds was an eye opening experience and that truck weighed 7300 pounds empty. Yes, they have made them better, but I was still about 80% of my max fifth wheel and it was a bit hairy at times.

    Staying within that 80% limit is a good thing unless you really are experienced at towing close to maximum.
  • SoundGuy's avatar
    SoundGuy
    Explorer
    Jan 02, 2018
    roaming_free wrote:
    Is your concern as much the transmission as the tongue weight?
    Do you have the K5L option?
    I thought the 3.42 was better for towing than the others.

    I am not sure why you think a truck rated for 9600lbs shouldn't tow over 6000.


    My Silvy does have the K5L heavy duty cooling option but that's not the issue when towing a trailer this heavy, lack of 1/2 ton payload capacity is. Don't let that so-called tow rating fool you - there's no way you'll come anywhere near close to towing a trailer that heavy without exceeding the truck's payload rating and GRAWR (Gross Rear Axle Weight Rating). Load that trailer to camp and chances are it's GVW is going to be pushing awfully close to it's GVWR of 8600 lbs ... do the math - at 13% to 14% gross tongue weight you could easily be running 1100 lbs to 1200 lbs of gross tongue weight. Subtract that from your truck's payload capacity and you won't have much left at all to account for the weight of everything else in the truck including the weight of whatever weight distribution system you're using. With this trailer you're without question in 3/4 ton territory.
  • mosseater's avatar
    mosseater
    Explorer II
    Jan 02, 2018
    I'm with the rest. More truck. You're going to run out of payload almost from the start.
  • Lwiddis's avatar
    Lwiddis
    Explorer II
    Jan 02, 2018
    “7000lb GVWR is going to leave you with a payload in the 1400lb range.“

    Frankly, roaming, it’s a whimpy truck. My 2015 Tahoe is 8,600 with a payload of 1,595.
  • Lwiddis's avatar
    Lwiddis
    Explorer II
    Jan 02, 2018
    Roaming, what you can “tow” isn’t necessarily what you can “haul.” Max towing is only one of the numbers and relates to engine, transmission and rear end. Get over that number being the only important number. It is simple math...once you get ALL the numbers.
  • Terryallan's avatar
    Terryallan
    Explorer II
    Jan 02, 2018
    Very simply put. You need more truck. Or you need a much lighter TT. Your choice. But you ain't got enough truck for that trailer. and remember. the weight of the passengers, and cargo in the truck reduces the towing capacity.

    I also don't believe you are taking the pay load into account. 7000lb GVWR is going to leave you with a payload in the 1400lb range. A TT that starts with a 900lb tongue weight will have a 1200lb tongue weight very quickly. Guess what. your payload is gone. you don't have any left for the family, and hitch.
    In short. IF you take 2 vehicles, don't load anything into the truck, except YOU. and load very little into the TT. You might have a small chance of staying in your Truck's capacities. A very small chance

    You need more truck, and NO 3.42 is NOT a towing gear. Much too high. And while you are at it. You better check the hitch capacity. 1200lb, Even 1000lbs may be heavier that a 1500lb stock hitch can carry
  • roaming_free's avatar
    roaming_free
    Explorer
    Jan 02, 2018
    SoundGuy wrote:

    WAY too much trailer for a 1/2 ton Silvy, especially with a 3.42 axle ratio. :E I've been towing since 2006 with GMs ubiquitous 5.3L V8 coupled to a 3.42 axle, the first 2 having the older wide ratio 4-spd transmission, my current 2012 having the newer narrow ratio 6-spd. Our current trailer averages ~ 4800 lbs loaded & ready to camp, our previous Spree ~ 5500 lbs, but I wouldn't tow anything weighing any more than ~ 6000 lbs fully loaded with this truck. With a GVWR of 8600 lbs you could easily be running a gross tongue weight of 1100 to 1200 lbs of gross tongue weight, leaving very little payload capacity to account for the weight of everyone and all cargo in the truck when you're towing. :( You need a properly equipped 3/4 ton to tow a trailer this size.



    With this setup with this camper, the typical cargo that we would have would be maybe 150lbs of firewood and about 500 lbs of people. perhaps 20 or so pounds of assorted tablets and toys for the kid.

    Is your concern as much the transmission as the tongue weight?
    Do you have the K5L option?
    I thought the 3.42 was better for towing than the others.

    I am not sure why you think a truck rated for 9600lbs shouldn't tow over 6000. I was under the impression that using a weight distributing hitch would the concern of the tongue weight. I could certainly be wrong there.
  • Lwiddis's avatar
    Lwiddis
    Explorer II
    Jan 02, 2018
    What’s your truck’s payload and GVWR, and what do your plan to carry in the truck...pounds?
  • SoundGuy's avatar
    SoundGuy
    Explorer
    Jan 02, 2018
    roaming_free wrote:
    This year we are upgrading our camper, and I just acquired a used truck as well.

    My camper is 7250 dry, 8600 gvwr, with a tongue of 900 lbs.

    I will be pulling it with a 2013 Silverado 1500 that has the following (in no particular order):

    GU6 3:42 rear axle
    K5L Heavy-Duty Trailering Package
    KC4 COOLING HEAVY DUTY ENG OIL
    G80 Eaton G80 locking rear differential
    C5W GVW RATING 7,000 LBS
    KNP Cooling, external transmission oil cooler
    JL4 StabiliTrak, stability control system
    MYC Transmission, 6-speed automatic
    VR4 TRAILER HITCH WEIGHT DISTRIBUTING PLATFORM
    Z82 Trailering Provisions HD
    JF3 BRAKE VAC POWER, 17 DISC/DRUM, W/ABS, 7,000 LBS

    Is there anything else that anyone thinks that I may not be considering?


    WAY too much trailer for a 1/2 ton Silvy, especially with a 3.42 axle ratio. :E I've been towing since 2006 with GMs ubiquitous 5.3L V8 coupled to a 3.42 axle, the first 2 having the older wide ratio 4-spd transmission, my current 2012 having the newer narrow ratio 6-spd. Our current trailer averages ~ 4800 lbs loaded & ready to camp, our previous Spree ~ 5500 lbs, but I wouldn't tow anything weighing any more than ~ 6000 lbs fully loaded with this truck. With a GVWR of 8600 lbs you could easily be running a gross tongue weight of 1100 to 1200 lbs of gross tongue weight, leaving very little payload capacity to account for the weight of everyone and all cargo in the truck when you're towing. :( You need a properly equipped 3/4 ton to tow a trailer this size.

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