2004 Silverado Towing Capacity

[DLHarrison]

Hey Gang - I need a sanity check to go over my calculations. I have a a 2004 1500 Extended Cab Shortbed Silverado 4 x 4 with a 5.3 liter engine, HD towing capacity, 3.73 rear end fitted with E Rated truck tires. The weight of the truck, loaded for traveling is 5,760 lbs (actual weighed weight with trailer hitch, full tank of gas, my wife and our dog, extra 5 gallon of gas). The only thing that is carried in the bed of the truck is the extra gas can.

The travel trailer is a 30 foot Heartland Mallard with a dry weight of 5048 pounds and a dry hitch weight of 464 pounds. The loaded weight of the trailer ( full tank of water, two batteries, two loaded propane bottles, food, cooking and camping equipment, and miscellaneous stuff) is 6,480 pounds. The total actual weight was 12,260 pounds (weighed at a local grain handling facility in town). The maximum GCWR for the truck is 13000 pounds. The difference is 740 pounds (13000 lbs - 12260 lbs) so I am under the maximum weight for the truck. I tow with a E2 Weight Distribution Hitch with 1,000 pound rated torsion bars on the WDH. Please review my calcs and give me you comments. Thanks!

[TomG2]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

Truck GVWR......that is a number that really doesn't much matter.
I can register truck for 12K, 14K regardless of mfgs GVWR

You are confused. Taxable or licensing classifications are exactly that. The one provided by the engineers who built his pickup is what matters. Are you the chief engineer at Ford or GM who assigns the GVWR based on many factors? Not just tire ratings, not just axle ratings, etc. etc. The fact is that they don't even tell us all the things that go into their number. But I think it might be as valid as the guy on the Internet who thinks he can assign any number that he wants.

[Sandia_Man]

You stated GVWR = 6400# and weighed tow vehicle = 5760#, this leaves payload capacity of 640#. Tongue weight for good towing results averages 12-15 percent of TT weight, which amounts to nearly 800# at 12 percent, tongue weight is is over 950# if closer to 15 percent. As posted above, GCVWR doesn't mean all that much since this towing combination will exceed payload capacity well before reaching GCVWR.

Another factor is the length, sway will be excessive when towing in windy conditions and at highway speeds, sure a high quality WD/SC hitch will help some, but it can't change the physics of your towing combo. Short trips on flat roads will be doable but long excursions will no doubt be problematic, any major elevation changes or poor weather conditions will only worsen an already uncomfortable towing scenario.

[Old-Biscuit]

TomG2 wrote:

DLHarrison wrote:
I am not picking or choosing what numbers that I want to believe in - I am asking for help and advice. I take offense to your suggestions that i am picking and choosing data.

One poster enumerated the ratings that "He" thought were important rather than listing all pertinent ratings. Happens all the time on these forums, nothing to do with Dave. To me, "All ratings matter". I have driven overloaded vehicles and it is not fun. I now tow with vehicles with excess capacity and it is fun. GVWR takes the entire vehicle into consideration, not just one component at a time.

Truck GVWR......that is a number that really doesn't much matter.
I can register truck for 12K, 14K regardless of mfgs GVWR

But if I exceed Axle/Tire ratings then problems ensue.

SO YES "HE" believes Axle/Tire ratings and TOTAL weight of combo are the MOST important ratings ....stay at/under them and you will have a 'matched towing combo'.
Simple.



OP.........
Truck RAWR is probably 3800# (limiting factor)
Truck Rear Tire....3042/ea-----6084# total
Trailer tires.....1760/ea------7040#/total 4 tires

Need to figure how much weight is on Trucks Rear Axle when trailer is fully hitched (WDH on)
Need to figure how much truck total weight is with trailer fully hitched (WDH on)
Need to figure how much trailer tongue weight is


You have trucks 'camp ready weight'-----5760#
You have trailers 'camp ready weight'---6480#

*****It appears those two sets of numbers are with truck/trailer hitched???
(5760 Plus 6480====12,240# (you stated 12,220 total)

If that is hitched weight you need truck by itself (weight with front, rear axle and truck total) to figure how much is on truck rear axle/tires and trailer tongue weight.

[DLHarrison]

Gentlemen - thanks for your comments and advice. Based on your comments and advice, I will be looking for a Chevrolet 2500 in January - distribution from my 401(k). Until then, I will take a flatland trip out to Texas and back. Thanks again for your help!

Dave

[TomG2]

Based on the erroneous engineering of looking at rear axle ratings as the be all and end all of payload, Ford would only have to build Rangers with a variety of rear axles ranging up to one ton dually. Bogus thinking. A tow vehicle's GVWR reflect the total vehicle (Gross means total). I am not suggesting ignoring tire, axle, horsepower, or any other rating that is germane to a tow vehicle. Simple to look at only one, but wrong.

We can save Ford and GM a ton of money by simply combining axle ratings to arrive at gvwr ratings.

[TomG2]

DLHarrison wrote:
I am not picking or choosing what numbers that I want to believe in - I am asking for help and advice. I take offense to your suggestions that i am picking and choosing data.

One poster enumerated the ratings that "He" thought were important rather than listing all pertinent ratings. Happens all the time on these forums, nothing to do with Dave. To me, "All ratings matter". I have driven overloaded vehicles and it is not fun. I now tow with vehicles with excess capacity and it is fun. GVWR takes the entire vehicle into consideration, not just one component at a time.

[JIMNLIN]

GVWR is a poor number to use for how much load is placed in the bed of a truck as evident of some newer gen trucks with a high gvwr based payloads are exceeding the trucks rear axle numbers. The op has a older 1500 truck with a low 6400 gvwr so it can be safe to use it or the trucks small RAWR package (3800 ?).

LDT makers aren't about to produce a truck that isn't up to using the sum of the axle ratings used as its gvwr. Nor are they using one ton DRW rear suspension under a 1/2 ton truck.
Like Ford fleet service weight specs tell us;
4) Gross Axle Weight Rating is determined by the rated capacity of the minimum component of the axle system (axle, computer-selected springs, wheels, tires) of a specific vehicle. Front and rear GAWRs will, in all cases, sum to a number equal to or greater than the GVWR for the particular vehicle. (snip)

[TomG2]

DLHarrison wrote:
I plan on taking a trip this October to Texas and look to upgrade to a Chevy 2500 in early Winter.

Dave

I hope your idea of "Early Winter" is September. You are really going to enjoy Big Bend. Even more so in your new pickup.

[DLHarrison]

TomG2 wrote:
Pick and choose the ratings you want to believe in but I see no reason that the same engineers who assigned one value are wrong on the next. GVWR and the resultant payload rating are the most accurate and easily understood.

My buddy and I put a dually rear axle under his old half ton Ford. That did not make it a one ton truck as some would have you believe based on axle ratings. A tow vehicle is the sum of all parts, not just one or two.

I am not picking or choosing what numbers that I want to believe in - I am asking for help and advice. I take offense to your suggestions that i am picking and choosing data.

[DLHarrison]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
5 important ratings


Truck/trailer GCVWR-----stay at/under that number
Trucks RAWR.............stay at/under that number
Trucks Rear Tire Max Load ---stay at/under that number
Trailer Axle Ratings....stay at/under that number
Trailer Tire Max Load--------stay at/under that number


Run the numbers then GO Camping!

Hi -

The GCVWR (gross combined weight rating) is 13,000 lbs (from the owners manual for the truck). The weight of the loaded truck and trailer is 12,260 lbs.

The truck RAWR - where do I find this number? Do I re-weigh the truck?

Truck tire max load - 3,042 lbs

Trailer axle ratings - where do I find this number? Do I have to re-weigh the trailer? The trailer is equipped with dual tires.

Trailer tire max load - 1,760 lbs

Thanks for your help -

Dave

[TomG2]

Pick and choose the ratings you want to believe in but I see no reason that the same engineers who assigned one value are wrong on the next. GVWR and the resultant payload rating are the most accurate and easily understood.

My buddy and I put a dually rear axle under his old half ton Ford. That did not make it a one ton truck as some would have you believe based on axle ratings. A tow vehicle is the sum of all parts, not just one or two.

[Old-Biscuit]

5 important ratings


Truck/trailer GCVWR-----stay at/under that number
Trucks RAWR.............stay at/under that number
Trucks Rear Tire Max Load ---stay at/under that number
Trailer Axle Ratings....stay at/under that number
Trailer Tire Max Load--------stay at/under that number


Run the numbers then GO Camping!

[mattmountz94]

If you say it tows fine then don't worry. Sounds like you are over payload by a few.

Say you weight 150 plus your previously weighed truck =5900.

Trailer using your 10% pin weight you are at 650lbs .

5900+650= 6550. Over payload by 150 if you are only 150. Boy i wish i was that light. And also if the 10% pin weight is correct

[SoundGuy]

DLHarrison wrote:
The GVWR for the truck is 6,400 pounds.

Which isn't much for a 1/2 ton truck. 😞 Subtract the truck's actual base weight with a full tank of gas from it's GVWR and what you have left is it's real world payload capacity. Allow ~ 900 lbs for gross tongue weight and what do you have left? - enough to also accommodate the weight of everyone and all additional cargo? :@

[DLHarrison]

TomG2 wrote:

DLHarrison wrote:
Will you please clarify your question regarding payload on the Silverado?

Exactly as stated. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating minus actual weight equals Payload or the amount of weight that can be loaded onto the pickup in the form of tongue weight, passengers, and cargo. Many owners are surprised and disappointed to find only a few hundred pounds are available for trailer tongue weight. PS: Actual weights, not brochure weights which can be off by fifty percent or more.s

GVWR is usually posted somewhere on the tow vehicle. Yours is probably in the 6,200 to 7,000 pound range.

The GVWR for the truck is 6,400 pounds.