weight of trailer and truck size

Dog Trainer wrote:

troubledwaters wrote:
People jumping to conclusions without having the most basic of information, like Payload Rating for starters.

OP, you can research this and come to some very sound conclusions for yourself by checking out this site. clicky

Your going to need the payload rating, FAWR and RAWR on your truck from the yellow sticker on the door; then your going to need to know some basic info on the TT. You will have to make some reasonable assumptions about how you will be loading the TT and truck (both cargo and people). Lacking all this information, everything else is just jumping to conclusions.

No conclusions to Jump to. That truck will not safely tow the trailer the OP is asking about. So spend all the time you want researching it but the short answer to the OP'S question is too much trailer for that truck.

Not wanting to be argumentative, but I will anyways. I'll bet you a $1,000 I can tow that trailer with that truck "safely" for the next 10 years.

But that is not the real answer is it; and what does "safely" mean. I at least gave the OP the basis for real information to arrive at his own fact based conclusions. Everybody else gave him nothing.

troubledwaters wrote:
People jumping to conclusions without having the most basic of information, like Payload Rating for starters.

OP, you can research this and come to some very sound conclusions for yourself by checking out this site. clicky

Your going to need the payload rating, FAWR and RAWR on your truck from the yellow sticker on the door; then your going to need to know some basic info on the TT. You will have to make some reasonable assumptions about how you will be loading the TT and truck (both cargo and people). Lacking all this information, everything else is just jumping to conclusions.

No conclusions to Jump to. That truck will not safely tow the trailer the OP is asking about. So spend all the time you want researching it but the short answer to the OP'S question is too much trailer for that truck.

People jumping to conclusions without having the most basic of information, like Payload Rating for starters.

OP, you can research this and come to some very sound conclusions for yourself by checking out this site. clicky

Your going to need the payload rating, FAWR and RAWR on your truck from the yellow sticker on the door; then your going to need to know some basic info on the TT. You will have to make some reasonable assumptions about how you will be loading the TT and truck (both cargo and people). Lacking all this information, everything else is just jumping to conclusions.

Short answer- No. That's too much trailer and not enough payload.

I thin you will run out of payload with that trailer. Verify the numbers and take a serious look at everything else you will be hauling; passengers, firewood, camping equip, they all take away form payload.
You will be near 1000# with just the tongue weight of the trailer or more if you put anything in it or fill the water tank.
Not enough truck IMO and that's a mistake any of us has only made once.

It's all about the payload. Get an understanding on tow capabilities of your truck and realize the closer you are to the max of any of the limits the worst the tow experience will be.

gserve wrote:
I just purchased a new 2017 Chevy Silverado 1500 double cab pickup with the standard bed. It has the 5.3 V8 and towing package with built in brake controller 4.3 axle. The GVWR is 72000. According to the manual it looks like I can tow a 9800lb trailer. I am looking at a trailer with a 8600lb GVWR. Can I safely tow this trailer? Never really understood how to figure what I can tow. Any help or advise appreciated.

No way the axle is 4.3 ... most likely GM's ubiquitous 3.42, not the best for towing, 'though the 6 speed narrow ratio transmission will help. No way GVWR is 72000 either ... guessing you mean 7200 lbs. I recently upgraded from my 2005 Avalanche to a 2012 Silverado Crew Cab 4x4, same 5.3L, same 3.42 axle ratio, same 6-spd transmission, but GVWR is 7000 lbs ... I wouldn't tow a trailer weighing any more than ~ 6000 lbs loaded & ready to camp with this truck.

If you really want to understand what you can safely tow with your truck you want to weigh it with a full tank of gas. If you're in it at the time it's on the scales subtract your weight from the scale reading. The result is the truck's actual base weight as it sits there ready to be hitched to a trailer. Subtract that number from it's GVWR which is listed on the driver's side door jamb sticker and the result will be the truck's actual payload capacity which you'll use to account for the weight of all people and all cargo in the truck plus any tongue weight transferred from the trailer to the truck. Exceed that and you'll most likely exceed the truck's GRAWR (Gross Rear Axle Weight Rating) ... and count on it, you'll hit that wall l-o-n-g before you come anywhere near the truck's GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating).

Here's a sample of my own Trailer Tow Capacity Worksheet.

See my signature line below. It speaks volumes, then you decide if this truck will do what you are asking?

Maybe? Frankly, there is not enough information provided yet. There are a few ratings for the tow vehicle that tend to limit RV tow weight below the tow ratings. Payload and receiver ratings are most common. If you plan to have a lot of weight in the truck while towing (cab and bed), then the amount of payload left for trailer tongue weight is reduced for example.

7000 pounds dry is really pushing the limits of even the most capable half ton. That's close to 8k loaded for a long weekend with 1000 pounds of tongue weight. Is this your first travel trailer?

BTW, your axle ratio is likely 3.42.

To answer your first question. Safely tow? Yes, you can safely tow up to the specs from GM. Will you have a pleasant experience towing that weight with a loaded truck? Heck NO! First things first. Load up like your going camping and get an accurate weight. Then search out GCWR dor your truck and do the math.