Understanding towing weights?
I appreciate everyone's patience. I'm reading a lot and trying to get a good understanding of what shouldn't be as confusing as I think it is subject. LOL!
When I started this process, I was looking at a 3/4 ton diesel 4x4 SB truck, thinking I have seen lots of people running up and down the highway pulling rigs much larger than what we're looking at.
Now, I am starting to think there's a lot of rigs overloaded out there on the roads.
Just working from manufacturer published numbers for both the truck and trailer, so I can get into the right ballpark.
The truck; 3/4 ton crew cab, SB, 4x4, diesel, max hitch 18.5k, GCWR 27.5k, but only 3553 max payload.
The trailer; 34' fifth wheel, GVWR 13k, curb weight 10.2k, dry hitch 1960.
Assuming they're telling the truth, I thought I'd be fine. But, with encouragement from here and scratching a little deeper I saw a different picture.
Truck payload 3563 max. Add 5th wheel hitch, 36 gal fuel, 2 people, and the trailer tongue weight and you have 29k on-board just like that. That only leaves 663lbs for anything else to be carried on the truck.
And what if like others here have said, the tongue weight listed is off by just 10%? Add a small generator, ice chest, small emergency tool bag, and now your at full tilt max rated payload of the truck. Forget about that over-sized 60 gal replacement fuel tank, I can't carry another 24 gal of fuel, +168lbs.
Does this look like I'm finally getting this right? Looks like everything is going to turn on the truck rated max payload number? None of the GVRW, GCWR, tow capacity is really going to come into play, because the first lowest limiting factor is going to be payload?
Patience for a newby please?
When I started this process, I was looking at a 3/4 ton diesel 4x4 SB truck, thinking I have seen lots of people running up and down the highway pulling rigs much larger than what we're looking at.
Now, I am starting to think there's a lot of rigs overloaded out there on the roads.
Just working from manufacturer published numbers for both the truck and trailer, so I can get into the right ballpark.
The truck; 3/4 ton crew cab, SB, 4x4, diesel, max hitch 18.5k, GCWR 27.5k, but only 3553 max payload.
The trailer; 34' fifth wheel, GVWR 13k, curb weight 10.2k, dry hitch 1960.
Assuming they're telling the truth, I thought I'd be fine. But, with encouragement from here and scratching a little deeper I saw a different picture.
Truck payload 3563 max. Add 5th wheel hitch, 36 gal fuel, 2 people, and the trailer tongue weight and you have 29k on-board just like that. That only leaves 663lbs for anything else to be carried on the truck.
And what if like others here have said, the tongue weight listed is off by just 10%? Add a small generator, ice chest, small emergency tool bag, and now your at full tilt max rated payload of the truck. Forget about that over-sized 60 gal replacement fuel tank, I can't carry another 24 gal of fuel, +168lbs.
Does this look like I'm finally getting this right? Looks like everything is going to turn on the truck rated max payload number? None of the GVRW, GCWR, tow capacity is really going to come into play, because the first lowest limiting factor is going to be payload?
Patience for a newby please?
