towing with suv???
Does anyone know of a lite weight travel trailer good for a couple that could be towed with an SUV?
Forum Discussion
AntonB wrote:
Thanks E&J push'n wind, the sticker inside the truck says GVWR 7900lb & the manufacturer GCWR is 15000lb. So I am confused then, I have a tow rating of 8750lbs, if you add the 7900lb and 8750 lb together you get 16650 as a GCVR, that is 1650lb over the GCVR that the manufacturer has published. So am I really only able to tow 7100lbs?
Don't overthink this. The maxium tow rating a MFG states is rarely ever possible. They didn't get the numbers wrong -- they are just playing the marketing game. Here is how this works...by the numbers.
Fist you need to know you available payload of the TV. This can really only be accomplished by actaully hitting a scale a weighing you specific vehicle. Make sure when you do you have a full tank of fuel, all the passengers you will normally be taking as well as any stuff you plan to have in the SUV when towing (dog? firewood? other cargo?)
Take Vehicles GVWR - scaled weight = Available Cargo Capacity.
This Available Cargo Capacity is what you have left for the Trailers Tongue weight & WD Hitch. Using Cargo Capacity you can start looking at trailer weights. Since you don't own the trailer you will need to estimate a littler here or use the trailers GVWR. Some trailers have very generous GVWR compared to actaul dry weight (not published unloaded weight).
A trailers tounge weight will be 12-15% of its actual weight. 13% seems to be a good average. So if you are using GVWR of the tailer simply multiply that number by .13.
Or if you know the trailers actaul dry weight you can then estimate how much weight you will add with caping gear, bedding, clothes, kitchen items, food, toys, etc. In this case add dry + added weight and multiple by .13.
The tongue weight is actaully carried by the Tow Vehicle not pulled by the tow vehicle.
If you get this to add up, normally everythign else will be under spec (meaing GCVWR, GFAWR, GRAWR, etc)
So to simply answer you question, that EXPY EL will not be able to tow anywhere near that Max tow weight they published and still stay with in all the other specs.
