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Towing capacity

JimVan
Explorer
Explorer
Will a weight distributing hitch increase the towing capacity of a van if the Van has a 6800-pound rating, could you tow a 7000-pound trailer?


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Jim & Vanessia
Winnebago Minnie 2500 rls
2015 Silverado 4x4
9 REPLIES 9

atreis
Explorer
Explorer
NO. It may increase the permitted tongue weight though.
2021 Four Winds 26B on Chevy 4500

mkirsch
Nomad II
Nomad II
In the real world, there is no immediate consequence for exceeding the "tow rating" by 200lbs. There is no "tow police" waiting in the bushes to shoot out your tires and drag your family off to the gulag the second you go one pound over.

More than likely you won't even be able to tell the difference between 6800 and 7000.

That said, in real world terms, 6800lbs behind a van rated to tow 6800 is going to be a big load. On passenger vehicles, those ratings are definitely on the limit of driver comfort. Performance and handling, while not "unsafe" on a well-maintained vehicle, may try your patience.

Over time with frequent enough use, you may notice accelerated wear and tear in your tow vehicle. If you don't keep up with maintenance, THAT can become an unsafe condition on the road (i.e. running worn/fatigued tires loaded to capacity increases the chance of a failure).

Putting 10-ply tires on half ton trucks since aught-four.

Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
Grit dog wrote:
bikendan wrote:
NO


YES


Iโ€™m kidding
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5โ€ turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

APT
Explorer
Explorer
Many vehicles and receivers have two sets of limits, one as weight carrying and another with weight distributing. In that case, towing limits are increased as long as the vehicle limits are also higher. Here is mine for example:



GM rates my Suburban tow rating at 9400 pounds. The receiver does not mean I should tow 10,000 pounds. You need to take the lowest limit of all your ratings.

Also, if your tow rating is 6800 pounds, you will want to stay closer to 5000 pounds dry or lower. People add weight from dry/empty ratings. Typically, 500-1500 pounds for long weekends.
A & A parents of DD 2005, DS1 2007, DS2 2009
2011 Suburban 2500 6.0L 3.73 pulling 2011 Heartland North Trail 28BRS
2017 Subaru Outback 3.6R
2x 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV (Gray and Black Twins)

Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
bikendan wrote:
NO


YES
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5โ€ turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

1320Fastback
Explorer
Explorer
No it does not work like that. A hitch capacity will not replace the weight rating from vechile manufacturer.
1992 D250 Cummins 5psd
2005 Forest River T26 Toy Hauler

JIMNLIN
Explorer
Explorer
6800 lbs to 7000 lbs....not enough to worry about. 200 lbs is just another passenger.
Your biggest concern is the hitch weight over loading the vehicle's RAWR = tires/wheels rear spring pack.
"good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" ............ Will Rogers

'03 2500 QC Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs Westach
'97 Park Avanue 28' 5er 11200 two slides

bikendan
Explorer
Explorer
NO
Dan- Firefighter, Retired:C, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur:W, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever(RIP:(), 2014 Ford F150 3.5 EcoboostMax Tow pkg, 2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255 w/4pt Equalizer and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes

1492
Moderator
Moderator