Am I Calculating This Correctly?? Silverado 1500

[scardillo59]

First post so please be gentle...

I have a 2016 Silverado 1500 with a 5.3L V8 and the 3.42 gear box. Full crew cab, short bed and 2WD. The dealership I bought it from said the following:

Vehicle Weight: 4,700 lbs
Towing Capacity: 9,400 lbs
GCWR: 12,000 lbs
Tongue Weight: 1,200

We are in the process of purchasing a travel trailer that weighs 6,192 without any camping supplies or other stuff in it. If I am calculating it based on towing I come up with the following:

9,400 lbs-6,912 lbs(trailer),-550lbs (family weight),-1,000 lbs (supplies-we won't fill the tanks), -619 lbs (tongue weight) =319 to spare.

If I am using the GCWR of 12,000 lbs then I subtract all that and the truck and I am in the negative. Is that correct? I was going to use a WDH (Equalizer) as well.

Are the above numbers correct? If so, then game over on that trailer.

Thanks!

Steve

[kerrlakeRoo]

scardillo59 wrote:

Artum Snowbird wrote:
I have a truck that weighs 7300 pounds, a one ton diesel. I haul a fifth wheel that weighs about 8500 pounds. I wish I had more truck, better acceleration, much better brakes too. Uphill and downhill are my shortcomings, but flat and level it seems fairly well balanced in all the conditions I have encountered. Combined, it is 42 feet long.

You have a light truck, a heavy trailer, and a family depending on your choices. I would really like to see you with a bigger truck.

I would love a 2,500 so I would be certain I'd be okay but that's not in the cards right now. Problem is that I have a family of 5 and we need a bunkhouse travel trailer. If I could find one that is around 24 feet and under 5,000 lbs that would make me much happier.

Look around a little more then, In just a few minutes I found one,
a 24 ft box, Double bunks, U-dinette and 4700 lb empty weight.
Keystone passport 2400BH

[SoundGuy]

scardillo59 wrote:
I have a 2016 Silverado 1500 with a 5.3L V8 and the 3.42 gear box. Full crew cab, short bed and 2WD. The dealership I bought it from said the following:

Vehicle Weight: 4,700 lbs
Towing Capacity: 9,400 lbs
GCWR: 12,000 lbs
Tongue Weight: 1,200

Baloney, I'd eat my hat if this truck weighs just 4700 lbs! I've been towing with GM's ubiquitous 5.3L coupled to a 3.42 axle since 2006, recently purchased a 2012 Silvy, and with a full tank of gas it weighs 5565 lbs on the scale. Subtract that from it's listed GVWR of 7000 lbs and that leaves me with a real world payload capacity of just 1435 lbs. Subtract my weight, that of my wife, a large dog, plus any cargo I may carry in the back of the truck while towing and what I have left is the truck's real world remaining payload capacity, that which I use to accommodate any tongue weight transferred from the trailer to the truck.

Currently I tow a 19' couple's trailer averaging ~ 4600 lbs with an average gross tongue weight of ~ 600 to 625 lbs and it fits nicely with this truck's capabilities. I previously towed a 24' KZ Spree averaging 5500 lbs loaded and ready to camp with an average gross tongue weight of ~ 750 lbs with my 2006 Silvy and 2005 Avalanche, both with the same engine / axle configuration but with the older wide ratio 4-spd transmission, and certainly wouldn't have wanted to tow much more with either truck. With the current 6 spd I wouldn't want to tow much more than 6000 lbs, especially with the weight of a family chewing up so much of that valuable payload capacity. IMO this trailer you're talking about is too heavy for your truck.

[Edd505]

I pulled a 5W just under 5K with a 1500 Extended cab long bed GMC & the 5.3 here in NM. Two trips and I was looking for more truck. DW drives the 1500 & I went F250 diesel. Good luck but I think you'll find the truck anemic pulling 7K.

[owenssailor]

The 5.3 is a fine motor. You do need to let it rev to get the power. That is no problem. The 3:42 axle with the 6 spd tranny also works fine. When towing use the tow/haul function and let the truck do its thing. The only time i use manual is on very steep slopes - like 8 to 11 percent.

Your problem is going to be payload. The yellow sticker tells you what that is. My 2012 was about 1600 lb.

A 6200 lb empty trailer will end up at somewhere close to 7400 lb ready to camp. 12 % tongue weight will be over 1000 lb. This will leave you around 600 lb for family and any other cargo.

It will be pretty well impossible to stay under the payload rating when you start at 6200 lb empty.

Try looking for lighter trailers that have bunks. A friend has a Coachmen bunkhouse that is much lighter. He tows it with a Toyota Highlander. I don't know the weights but it is way less than 5000 lb empty.

We have towed the trailer in my siganture coast to coast to coast with a similar truck to yours but with less power from the 2012 5.3

Good luck

[SouthpawHD]

Artum Snowbird wrote:
I would consider you able to haul a nice double ended tent trailer. You get a full bed at either end, lots of room inside, and it tows well behind your crew cab. Sometimes we just have to limit ourselves and accept we can't have it all.

^^^Yes, that ^^^.

Or a bunkhouse hybrid. Had a Jayco with quad bunks in hw back and a fold-out queen in the front. Only issue in this particular model was it was front end heavy making for a high tongue weight.

[GeoBoy]

scardillo59 wrote:

Artum Snowbird wrote:
I have a truck that weighs 7300 pounds, a one ton diesel. I haul a fifth wheel that weighs about 8500 pounds. I wish I had more truck, better acceleration, much better brakes too. Uphill and downhill are my shortcomings, but flat and level it seems fairly well balanced in all the conditions I have encountered. Combined, it is 42 feet long.

You have a light truck, a heavy trailer, and a family depending on your choices. I would really like to see you with a bigger truck.

I would love a 2,500 so I would be certain I'd be okay but that's not in the cards right now. Problem is that I have a family of 5 and we need a bunkhouse travel trailer. If I could find one that is around 24 feet and under 5,000 lbs that would make me much happier.

Take a look at one of the Lance bunkhouse TT's.

[LarryJM]

scardillo59 wrote:
First post so please be gentle...

I have a 2016 Silverado 1500 with a 5.3L V8 and the 3.42 gear box. Full crew cab, short bed and 2WD. The dealership I bought it from said the following:

Vehicle Weight: 4,700 lbs
Towing Capacity: 9,400 lbs
GCWR: 12,000 lbs
Tongue Weight: 1,200

We are in the process of purchasing a travel trailer that weighs 6,192 without any camping supplies or other stuff in it. If I am calculating it based on towing I come up with the following:

9,400 lbs-6,912 lbs(trailer),-550lbs (family weight),-1,000 lbs (supplies-we won't fill the tanks), -619 lbs (tongue weight) =319 to spare.

If I am using the GCWR of 12,000 lbs then I subtract all that and the truck and I am in the negative. Is that correct? I was going to use a WDH (Equalizer) as well.

Are the above numbers correct? If so, then game over on that trailer.

Thanks!

Steve

I'll only point out that I think your belief that you won't fill your tanks is overly optimistic and a recent thread on asking who hauls water or not indicated approximately the following:

67% travel with full tanks
15% don't normally travel with full water tank
18% travel with 1/2 full tanks or more.

I would recommend in your calculations on wt. you include at least 1/2 fresh water since you will probably end up in that 85% that carry at least 1/2 tank or more of water.

Larry

[JIMNLIN]

The 5.3 Is an OLD outdated motor, that makes pretty horrible power either way, that putting 7k behind it in the hills will make you want to bite your nails off.

The op has a 2016 ET3 5.3 engine not a '2003 5.3 with a 6/8 speed tranny. Nite and day different.
I see your posting this on other 5.3 threads so enlighten yourself on the new gen EcoTec 5.3 subject. The new ET3 5.3 puts out 355 hp and 383 pound torque.
My wife has a 2016 1500 just like the OP only its a 4wd/6 speed tranny. It comes with a 9400 lb tow rating also. The ET3 5.3 handles that weight fine in the hills. I had to add Sumo springs to the 4000 RAWR with a 3460 lb axle load. Most 1500 4x4 trucks sit level when empty and can sag with 1000 lbs in the bed.

The OP won't have any problems towing a 6192 lb dry weight plus say 1500 more for loading = 7692 lb wet weight trailer.
The ET3 5.3 is a strong towing engine for what it is so forget about using OD when towing.
I use manual mode with the 6 speed tranny and 3rd and 4th towing the 10k hauler with my blue tractor in the hills and 5th out on the flats. Eliminates all the up and down gear shifting and TC clutch lock and unlocking events.

[Artum_Snowbird]

I would consider you able to haul a nice double ended tent trailer. You get a full bed at either end, lots of room inside, and it tows well behind your crew cab. Sometimes we just have to limit ourselves and accept we can't have it all.

[dodge_guy]

The 3.42 and 6speed auto is the same as an old school 3.73 and 4 speed auto. It will tow just fine.

[scardillo59]

Artum Snowbird wrote:
I have a truck that weighs 7300 pounds, a one ton diesel. I haul a fifth wheel that weighs about 8500 pounds. I wish I had more truck, better acceleration, much better brakes too. Uphill and downhill are my shortcomings, but flat and level it seems fairly well balanced in all the conditions I have encountered. Combined, it is 42 feet long.

You have a light truck, a heavy trailer, and a family depending on your choices. I would really like to see you with a bigger truck.

I would love a 2,500 so I would be certain I'd be okay but that's not in the cards right now. Problem is that I have a family of 5 and we need a bunkhouse travel trailer. If I could find one that is around 24 feet and under 5,000 lbs that would make me much happier.

[Artum_Snowbird]

I have a truck that weighs 7300 pounds, a one ton diesel. I haul a fifth wheel that weighs about 8500 pounds. I wish I had more truck, better acceleration, much better brakes too. Uphill and downhill are my shortcomings, but flat and level it seems fairly well balanced in all the conditions I have encountered. Combined, it is 42 feet long.

You have a light truck, a heavy trailer, and a family depending on your choices. I would really like to see you with a bigger truck.

[scardillo59]

Is there any way to increase my towing capacity with changing out the gear box for a 4.10 and/or beefing up the Springs and brakes?

[IDman]

With that gear ratio, you will be best to stay in flat country. I had one in Colorado and I was going up hills (not mountains) at 10-15 mph. Not fun or safe!

[Roadpilot]

The specs on a light crew cab 1500 (LT) show:

weight 5333
payload 1740

The door sticker will surely be higher weight and lower payload.

I've had a Silverado. Avalanche and Tahoe with the 5.3 and now the 3.42 rear end. I love the engine for it's reliability but it's a weak engine for towing. I have towed a 4,000 pound (real empty weight) and the same trailer weighing 6000 pounds. The 4000 weight I've towed long distances and the truck did pretty well. When weighing 6000 pounds I towed it locally and would not want to tow it a long distance or up mountains. I think the truck would do it, but I would be a nervous wreck.