Truck sufficient for what I want?

BenK wrote:
Curb does NOT have any options...some full fuel...others partial tank...one 150 lb driver...This might change...marine codes no longer use the 150 lb person...now a 180 lb person...


Think stripper model...most times not offered for sale

Do a search...many, many, many threads on curb...

Always needs to weigh "your" vehicle to then do the simple math to prove or disprove....

Ben, using my truck as an example......
GVWR is 9200#
Shipping weight per docs with the truck (and the computer print out I got when it was being built) = 6405#
Knock off 20# for 3 gals of factory fuel........
DRY weight = 6385#

GVWR - Dry weight - 2815#

Guess what number is on my Tire and Loading sticker..... Yup, 2815#

Big difference between curb weight and dry weight numbers.

Bottom line, regardless - use the label as a guide but weigh the truck! Full of fuel for worst case.
Available payload is GVWR minus the actual weight.

Your potential rig seems similar to my previous rig. I had a 2008 Escalade and pulled a 24-foot TT. The Escalade was rated to pull 8100#, the TT weighed 5600 dry and 7100 wet. The tongue weight was 540 dry and 860 wet. I was right at max GVWR of the Escalade.

It towed very stable and with the Tow/Haul mode of the Escalade, I was very comfortable coming down Rocky Mountain grades. I never felt there was anything unsafe about the rig.

The Escalade had a big, strong engine, but since it wasn't really a "truck" and didn't have truck gearing, I could only make 45 to 50 mph climbing mountains grades. That wasn't actually a problem as I would just get in line behind the semis.

One thing no one has touched on is the length of your TT. With a 33-foot TT, I think you want to be sure you have a top quality WDH with anti-sway capabilities you can count on. Even though my TT was only 24-foot, I used a Hensley Arrow ($$$) which removed any possibility of sway and made for an overall super comfortable tow.

I hope this info will help you decide if you have enough truck.

You are going to be right on the edge. If you do make the plunge, make sure to upgrade to good LT load range E tires like Michelins for the stiffer construction to help with squirm and sway. Heavier duty rear shocks will also help.

twodogs603 wrote:
The curb weight of the truck with 2 passengers and no cargo is 5500 lbs, which shows I can tow up to
8350 lbs. I understand that would change if I loaded up the truck bed. So if I am reading this correctly, I have a little wiggle room. Max towing would be 8350, but the trailer is only 6065 lbs (unloaded). Last thing I want to do is buy a trailer too big to safely pull.

Keep the Trailer GVWR within the tow rating.
Forget dry weight + camping gear nonsense as you will be over the rating.
I believe you will need a smaller trailer or better rated 1/2 ton truck to pull this trailer.
I am all for towing at the max but I think you will be over.

Here is yet another case of a half-ton owner making a potentially poor match on the trailer. That's too much trailer for that truck.

Signed,
A half-ton truck owner

Curb does NOT have any options...some full fuel...others partial tank...one 150 lb driver...This might change...marine codes no longer use the 150 lb person...now a 180 lb person...


Think stripper model...most times not offered for sale

Do a search...many, many, many threads on curb...

Always needs to weigh "your" vehicle to then do the simple math to prove or disprove....

Found this on HowStuffWorks.com

Gross vehicle weight rating - curb weight = payload capacity

Gross vehicle weight rating is simply the maximum allowable weight of an entire vehicle when it's packed up and ready to go -- that includes the weight of the vehicle itself, all of the necessary fluids for operation (gasoline, diesel, oil and so on) and any cargo, passengers and tools. A vehicle's GVWR is calculated by its manufacturer, and you can typically find it in your owner's manual or on the vehicle's doorframe, near the door latch. You might also find your vehicle's GVWR on Web sites that list these numbers.

Curb weight is simply how much the vehicle weighs on its own, without any cargo or passengers. This measurement includes a full tank of gas and any other fluids that keep a car running.

So, a vehicle's payload capacity -- the amount of stuff it can safely carry after you've filled up the tank with gas and topped off all of the fluids -- is just a matter of subtraction.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

If the above is correct, then payload is the amount of passengers and cargo that you can add to a fully fueled truck.

eluwak wrote:

BenK wrote:
Keith used to be management in charge of this label data base (DB)
This is very powerful position and responsibility. More so for larger
corporations, as there are many people in that food chain to
orchestrate to work together

That DB is critical to corporations...meaning MONEY both ability to
make more or cost to become a loss

Keith has stated that GM's DB and therefore the label is the basis
for shipping weights...AKA shipping cost for each vehicle

That has to be 'right', else the freight forwarder will charge more
for weighing each vehicle

So that DB must be relational to all of the various options and
'stuff' being installed on 'that' vehicle.

eluwak wrote:
snip....

Interesting. My weights pretty closely matched the sticker on both my F150 and Pathfinder when full up. I'm surprised that GM would be so different. I thought the purpose of that sticker was to prevent overloading the vehicle, and accounted for a full tank of gas.

edit: Actually reading through the TREAD act and FMVSS No. 110 makes me believe that fuel is not considered cargo, especially in the section where it talks about propane and water considerations.

Well all that means then is that the door sticker is pretty useless since fuel weight is not unimportant.

I waws only basing on what I read and past experience. My F150 should have been 200+ lbs. heavier than expected when I weighed it if this all held true, so something else is amiss here that I'm not seeing, or manufacturers are not all reporting the weights the same.

Ford includes a full tank of fuel when indicating Curb Weight on the TREAD sticker.

BenK wrote:
Keith used to be management in charge of this label data base (DB)
This is very powerful position and responsibility. More so for larger
corporations, as there are many people in that food chain to
orchestrate to work together

That DB is critical to corporations...meaning MONEY both ability to
make more or cost to become a loss

Keith has stated that GM's DB and therefore the label is the basis
for shipping weights...AKA shipping cost for each vehicle

That has to be 'right', else the freight forwarder will charge more
for weighing each vehicle

So that DB must be relational to all of the various options and
'stuff' being installed on 'that' vehicle.

eluwak wrote:
snip....

Interesting. My weights pretty closely matched the sticker on both my F150 and Pathfinder when full up. I'm surprised that GM would be so different. I thought the purpose of that sticker was to prevent overloading the vehicle, and accounted for a full tank of gas.

edit: Actually reading through the TREAD act and FMVSS No. 110 makes me believe that fuel is not considered cargo, especially in the section where it talks about propane and water considerations.

Well all that means then is that the door sticker is pretty useless since fuel weight is not unimportant.

I was only basing on what I read and past experience. My F150 should have been 200+ lbs. heavier than expected when I weighed it if this all held true, so something else is amiss here that I'm not seeing, or manufacturers are not all reporting the weights the same.

Keith used to be management in charge of this label data base (DB)
This is very powerful position and responsibility. More so for larger
corporations, as there are many people in that food chain to
orchestrate to work together

That DB is critical to corporations...meaning MONEY both ability to
make more or cost to become a loss

Keith has stated that GM's DB and therefore the label is the basis
for shipping weights...AKA shipping cost for each vehicle

That has to be 'right', else the freight forwarder will charge more
for weighing each vehicle

So that DB must be relational to all of the various options and
'stuff' being installed on 'that' vehicle.

eluwak wrote:
snip....

Interesting. My weights pretty closely matched the sticker on both my F150 and Pathfinder when full up. I'm surprised that GM would be so different. I thought the purpose of that sticker was to prevent overloading the vehicle, and accounted for a full tank of gas.

edit: Actually reading through the TREAD act and FMVSS No. 110 makes me believe that fuel is not considered cargo, especially in the section where it talks about propane and water considerations.