Trying to make sense of what would be the safe TT towing weight limits ; i.e. GVWR, Dry Weight, UVW, and every other weight measurement i should be considering when purchasing a TT.(I would not be towing often but when i would it would be long distance thru mnts.i.e. - (1-time east coast to west coast)with this truck.2004 Chevy Silverado, Ext.Cab, 1/2 ton, 5.3 Liter V-8, with "tow package",has a trailer brake installed, weight distribution hitch,no transmission cooler at this time, but plan to install one)Truck specs:GVWR - 6,200 lbs.GAWR Front - 3,600 lbs.GAWR Rear - 3,686 lbs.Combined Passengers & Cargo - 1,376 lbs.Hitch Specs:Max trailer carrying weight - 5,000 lbs.Max trailer carrying weight "distribution" - 12,000 lbs.Max tongue carrying weight - 600 lbs.Max tongue carrying weight "distribution" - 12,000 lbs.(when the hitch label reads "Distribution" I assume this means with a weight distribution hitch?)And what questions should I be asking that I haven't?Thanks so much for your advice and suggestions.

You want to find the trucks GCWR Gross Combined Weight Rating.Then you want to load it up like your going camping, that means full tank of gas, all the people, fire wood and all the stuff would have on board for a trip, and go to the scales. Subtract scaled weight from the GCWR. That is the number you need to know. That number is the MAXIMUM weight you can tow before you exceed the manufacturers designed limits. From there start looking at trailers that have a GVWR number less that your available weight limit. All the rest is fluff, designed to sell you more than you can safely or comfortably handle.

goofasap wrote:Trying to make sense of what would be the safe TT towing weight limits ; i.e. GVWR, Dry Weight, UVW, and every other weight measurement i should be considering when purchasing a TT.(I would not be towing often but when i would it would be long distance thru mnts.i.e. - (1-time east coast to west coast)with this truck.2004 Chevy Silverado, Ext.Cab, 1/2 ton, 5.3 Liter V-8, with "tow package",has a trailer brake installed, weight distribution hitch,no transmission cooler at this time, but plan to install one)Truck specs:GVWR - 6,200 lbs.GAWR Front - 3,600 lbs.GAWR Rear - 3,686 lbs.Combined Passengers & Cargo - 1,376 lbs.Hitch Specs:Max trailer carrying weight - 5,000 lbs.Max trailer carrying weight "distribution" - 12,000 lbs.Max tongue carrying weight - 600 lbs.Max tongue carrying weight "distribution" - 12,000 lbs.(when the hitch label reads "Distribution" I assume this means with a weight distribution hitch?)And what questions should I be asking that I haven't?Thanks so much for your advice and suggestions.First you need a trans cooler. Don't tow until you do. With out it, you have almost no towing capacity. Prolly in the 3500lb range. However. IF it has the tow package. IT should have a trans cooler. Get that looked at.Second, you need to realize, that what the hitch says is just for the hitch. It means nothing to the truck's capacity., as the same hitch is put on all trucks. You like many of us, have way more hitch than you do truck.Third. A GVWR of 6200 LBS does not leave you with much capacity. Take the truck, and get it weighed. Subtract the weight of the truck from your 6200, GVWR and that is your payload. That is what your truck can carry, including you family, coolers, bikes, hitch, and tongue weight. Your 1376 payload, seems a little high for a truck with such a low GVWR. Next you need your GCVWR, meaning the combined weight truck, and trailer, you truck is rated for. Once you find that, and it should be in your owner's guide. You need to subtract the weight of the truck with all you intend to take camping with you in it, From the GCVWR.So IF your truck loaded, ready to camp weighs 5800lbs including the hitch / WDH, and your family. You would subtract that from the GCVWR. So IF your GCVWR is 12,500 lbs and the truck weighs 5800 lbs. The max trailer you can tow is 6700lbs, loaded ready to camp. NOT the dry weight.All my weights are hypothetical. You need to find the real weights. Ever pound you add to, or subtract from the truck, changes the tow capacity of the truck.

goofasap wrote:Trying to make sense of what would be the safe TT towing weight limits ; i.e. GVWR, Dry Weight, UVW, and every other weight measurement i should be considering when purchasing a TT.(I would not be towing often but when i would it would be long distance thru mnts.i.e. - (1-time east coast to west coast)with this truck.2004 Chevy Silverado, Ext.Cab, 1/2 ton, 5.3 Liter V-8, with "tow package",has a trailer brake installed, weight distribution hitch,no transmission cooler at this time, but plan to install one)Truck specs:GVWR - 6,200 lbs.GAWR Front - 3,600 lbs.GAWR Rear - 3,686 lbs.Combined Passengers & Cargo - 1,376 lbs.Hitch Specs:Max trailer carrying weight - 5,000 lbs.Max trailer carrying weight "distribution" - 12,000 lbs.Max tongue carrying weight - 600 lbs.Max tongue carrying weight "distribution" - 12,000 lbs.(when the hitch label reads "Distribution" I assume this means with a weight distribution hitch?)And what questions should I be asking that I haven't?Thanks so much for your advice and suggestions.How does a truck with a "tow package" not have a transmission cooler? That should be a part of any factory tow package.

goofasap wrote:Max tongue carrying weight "distribution" - 12,000 lbs.The above should probably be 1,200.You don't want to go over any of your ratings. In practical terms you're probably going to hit one of these two first:GVWR - 6,200 lbsGAWR Rear - 3,686 lbs.Your best bet is to fill up the gas tank and load the vehicle with whoever you would bring on a camping trip. Then get it weighed. This can be done any place that deals in weight - landscaping, recycling, gravel/stone, as well as truck scales. Most places by me want $10 per pass. The split described below would count as one pass.Many place have a scale that produces one measurement. Just ask them if they'll do a split so you can get the individual axle weights. If they aren't busy see if they'll give you 3 numbers. Front, Front+Rear, Rear. If they'll only do 2 that's fine. That all you really need. Given those numbers you can see what capacity you have left over. Don't trust the manufacturer's tongue weight. See what others are getting for tongue weight for the trailer your are considering or see if the seller (if a dealer) will weight the tongue on the spot with the trailer level side to side and front to back. Remember that weight will go up by a couple of hundred pounds very quickly (battery, gas tanks filled, hitch).

It would help if you would provide the approximate weight and length of the TT's that you are considering. If you are looking at 35' TT's weighing 9000 lbs the answer would be absolutely not based on your vehicle. However, something in the mid to upper 20 foot range weighing 4-6,000 lbs would be doable, with adding the transmission cooler.

Truck towing / safe limits | Good Sam Community

14 Replies

ib516
Explorer II
Oct 11, 2013
goofasap wrote:

And what questions should I be asking that I haven't?

Unless I missed it....what is the truck's axle ratio? That is really an important one when discussing towing. Look at the RPO sticker - likely in the glove box.

Look at the "G" section.

GU5 - 3.23
GU6 - 3.43
GT4 - 3.73
GT5 - 4.10
blt2ski
Moderator
Oct 11, 2013
I've towed both over and under GCWR, have felt unsafe both over and under, along with very safe both over and under GCWR.

I have generally speaking felt safe under the vehicles GVWR, as long as I was under both the front and rear axel capacities. If over an axel wt capacity, then things get goofy. I have also felt safe over gvwr, as long as I am under the axel wt capacities.

At the end of the day, as long as one is pulling speed wise what would be considered safe to an leo, braking per state rules, trailer is not uncontrollably swaying side to side, no bad handling from the trailer or tow rig, you are generally speaking going to be safe.

On the other hand, if the trailer sways side to side uncontrolled, it will not matter HOW MUCH under/over your ratings you are, you are in a very UNSAFE situation!

Marty
fla-gypsy
Explorer
Oct 11, 2013
Never exceed any of the truck makers maximum ratings and it is by definition "safe" in my opinion. I use Skips method for determining which numbers to use for the TT.
maxwell11
Explorer
Oct 11, 2013
yes you do need a transmission cooler, but review the size of your radiator.

I had an transmission cooler installed on a gmc truck, but its radiator set in front of the cooling system radiator and cut my cooling capacity.

I did not watch the fuel gauge, I was always watching the temp gauge.

you may need a bigger radiator, if you have a trans cooler installed.
my truck sure did,

advice from a guy that has tow a lot over the years.

get the biggest, hairiest, strongest, truck you can afford with the most brake capacity, you will never be sorry no matter what trailer you buy.

going up or down a long steep hill, you cannot have too much power or too much brake capacity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bmanning
Explorer
Oct 10, 2013
Terryallan wrote:
bmanning wrote:
skipnchar wrote:
I always consider ONLY the trailers GVWR when fitting trailer to truck. Anything else just doesn't cut it. Empty weight is useless as NOBODY drags around a completely empty trailer. Tongue weight is also a factor but I don't go by partially loaded weights there either. I use 15% of the trailers GVWR so I factor in the worst case situation where the tongue is the heaviest it will ever be. From there I see how it fits with the full factory ratings for the truck. My safety margin is not any 80% rule etc. but using the worst case figures up front.
Good luck / Skip

I like that strategy; easy to figure and an effective way to decide if the TV is capable enough...

I don't use the GVW of the trailer. But mostly because I know how much weight I'm going to add to the dry weight. My TT will never even be close to it's GVWR. So for me it's useless. Unless it's only 1000lbs

However. Were I a new TT owner like the OP. It might be good to use for the first time, as long as it does not have 3000lbs of carrying capacity. AFTER ALL. your going to have to load a bunch of junk into A 4800LB dry trailer, to get it to a GVWR of 8000lbs. I don't see it happening. Unless it is a toy hauler,

Mine has a dry weight of 4811 lbs. Wet it weighs 5900lbs. The GVWR is 7200lbs. So I've got 1300 lb of GVWR I will NEVER use. But If I had to buy a TV to tow the weight I don't have. I would need more TV.

True, for those like yourself who are experienced and care enough to cross the scales it'd be unnecessary but for "average Joe & Jane out RV shopping" going by 15% of GVW will save the headache of realizing, after the fact, that they have too little tv.
Terryallan
Explorer II
Oct 10, 2013
bmanning wrote:
skipnchar wrote:
I always consider ONLY the trailers GVWR when fitting trailer to truck. Anything else just doesn't cut it. Empty weight is useless as NOBODY drags around a completely empty trailer. Tongue weight is also a factor but I don't go by partially loaded weights there either. I use 15% of the trailers GVWR so I factor in the worst case situation where the tongue is the heaviest it will ever be. From there I see how it fits with the full factory ratings for the truck. My safety margin is not any 80% rule etc. but using the worst case figures up front.
Good luck / Skip

I like that strategy; easy to figure and an effective way to decide if the TV is capable enough...

I don't use the GVW of the trailer. But mostly because I know how much weight I'm going to add to the dry weight. My TT will never even be close to it's GVWR. So for me it's useless. Unless it's only 1000lbs

However. Were I a new TT owner like the OP. It might be good to use for the first time, as long as it does not have 3000lbs of carrying capacity. AFTER ALL. your going to have to load a bunch of junk into A 4800LB dry trailer, to get it to a GVWR of 8000lbs. I don't see it happening. Unless it is a toy hauler,

Mine has a dry weight of 4811 lbs. Wet it weighs 5900lbs. The GVWR is 7200lbs. So I've got 1300 lb of GVWR I will NEVER use. But If I had to buy a TV to tow the weight I don't have. I would need more TV.
bmanning
Explorer
Oct 10, 2013
skipnchar wrote:
I always consider ONLY the trailers GVWR when fitting trailer to truck. Anything else just doesn't cut it. Empty weight is useless as NOBODY drags around a completely empty trailer. Tongue weight is also a factor but I don't go by partially loaded weights there either. I use 15% of the trailers GVWR so I factor in the worst case situation where the tongue is the heaviest it will ever be. From there I see how it fits with the full factory ratings for the truck. My safety margin is not any 80% rule etc. but using the worst case figures up front.
Good luck / Skip

I like that strategy; easy to figure and an effective way to decide if the TV is capable enough...
skipnchar
Explorer
Oct 10, 2013
I always consider ONLY the trailers GVWR when fitting trailer to truck. Anything else just doesn't cut it. Empty weight is useless as NOBODY drags around a completely empty trailer. Tongue weight is also a factor but I don't go by partially loaded weights there either. I use 15% of the trailers GVWR so I factor in the worst case situation where the tongue is the heaviest it will ever be. From there I see how it fits with the full factory ratings for the truck. My safety margin is not any 80% rule etc. but using the worst case figures up front.
Good luck / Skip
ependydad
Explorer
Oct 10, 2013
goofasap, I wrote this page with my in-laws in mind who had a very similar question:
What can I tow?

The problem with using the gross combined weight rating is you'll likely run out of payload and exceed the GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) before you're able to hit or exceed the GCWR.
orlandimal
Explorer
Oct 10, 2013
It would help if you would provide the approximate weight and length of the TT's that you are considering. If you are looking at 35' TT's weighing 9000 lbs the answer would be absolutely not based on your vehicle. However, something in the mid to upper 20 foot range weighing 4-6,000 lbs would be doable, with adding the transmission cooler.

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Truck towing / safe limits

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