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

[scardillo59]

Edd505 wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:

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.

Think that's what everyone is saying too much trailer for that truck? Plus family, food, and equipment. Look for a bigger truck so you & family can travel safely.

Not getting a bigger truck. Not in the cards. I've decided against the original travel trailer and am now trying to find a 26 ft trailer that weighs 4700 lbs or less to suit my needs.

[Edd505]

SoundGuy wrote:

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.

Think that's what everyone is saying too much trailer for that truck? Plus family, food, and equipment. Look for a bigger truck so you & family can travel safely.

[scardillo59]

LarryJM wrote:

scardillo59 wrote:

LarryJM wrote:

scardillo59 wrote:
Okay, I walked away from the Salem Cruise Light that we were going to buy. The weight was too much. Thank you to whomever suggested the Keystone 2400BH. That seems to be a better fit at 4,700 lbs. The truck officially weighs 5,035lbs with no passengers. Passengers weight approximately 550 lbs. The tongue weight is approximately 600 lbs. Add roughly 800 lbs of gear and we are still under 12,000 lbs.

Does anybody see a problem with a 4,700 lb camper with a Silverado?

Thanks!

Steve

Yes you are making numbers up like "approximatelys" and "roughly 800lbs" which is now down from your original estimate of 1,000 and you are still ignoring the HIGH probability of carrying at least some water. Your family of 5 is going to add more than just 800lbs (or they are going to only be wearing skivvies during the winter and subsisting on bread and water every other day) and that 550 is going to go up not down ... unless you start leaving someone at home by themselves.

Your cherry picking numbers so that they add up to whatever spec your truck is capable of is IMO a sure way to guarantee a REALLY, REALLY MISERABLE towing and camping experience ... typical newbie "rose colored" glasses approach.

Larry

My kids are very small. Also, if I was doing the rose colored glasses approach then I would not have bothered posting here and I certainly wouldn't have walked away from the camper my wife absolutely loved causing a massive argument. My approximations are based on what some of my friends said they put in their RVs. I appreciate feedback but not your approach. Feel free to not comment.

Steve

Simply parking your trailer and sitting on the ground staring at each other because you haven't accounted for lawn chairs, bikes, firewood, toys, etc., etc. is one way of as they say "making family memories", it's just not the kind I now look back on having left my "rose colored glasses" at home. 800 lbs for a family of five including food, drinks, clothes, bedding, etc. etc. is IMO very unrealistic. Really skimping I would guesstimate closer to 1200lbs is more realistic and in a couple of years 1500lbs would not surprise me. Just a six pack of pop/beer comes in at around 5lbs and a liter of water at 2lbs ... it really adds up quick.

That 2400BH has a GVWR of close to 6800lbs and your 4700 shipping wt. I bet will be close to 5000 to 5200 before you add the first item of personal gear into it and ready to travel I bet you will be pushing 6000lbs with about 750lbs TW.

Larry

I appreciate your concern for my family and our packing abilities.

[LarryJM]

scardillo59 wrote:

LarryJM wrote:

scardillo59 wrote:
Okay, I walked away from the Salem Cruise Light that we were going to buy. The weight was too much. Thank you to whomever suggested the Keystone 2400BH. That seems to be a better fit at 4,700 lbs. The truck officially weighs 5,035lbs with no passengers. Passengers weight approximately 550 lbs. The tongue weight is approximately 600 lbs. Add roughly 800 lbs of gear and we are still under 12,000 lbs.

Does anybody see a problem with a 4,700 lb camper with a Silverado?

Thanks!

Steve

Yes you are making numbers up like "approximatelys" and "roughly 800lbs" which is now down from your original estimate of 1,000 and you are still ignoring the HIGH probability of carrying at least some water. Your family of 5 is going to add more than just 800lbs (or they are going to only be wearing skivvies during the winter and subsisting on bread and water every other day) and that 550 is going to go up not down ... unless you start leaving someone at home by themselves.

Your cherry picking numbers so that they add up to whatever spec your truck is capable of is IMO a sure way to guarantee a REALLY, REALLY MISERABLE towing and camping experience ... typical newbie "rose colored" glasses approach.

Larry

My kids are very small. Also, if I was doing the rose colored glasses approach then I would not have bothered posting here and I certainly wouldn't have walked away from the camper my wife absolutely loved causing a massive argument. My approximations are based on what some of my friends said they put in their RVs. I appreciate feedback but not your approach. Feel free to not comment.

Steve

Simply parking your trailer and sitting on the ground staring at each other because you haven't accounted for lawn chairs, bikes, firewood, toys, etc., etc. is one way of as they say "making family memories", it's just not the kind I now look back on having left my "rose colored glasses" at home. 800 lbs for a family of five including food, drinks, clothes, bedding, etc. etc. is IMO very unrealistic. Really skimping I would guesstimate closer to 1200lbs is more realistic and in a couple of years 1500lbs would not surprise me. Just a six pack of pop/beer comes in at around 5lbs and a liter of water at 2lbs ... it really adds up quick.

That 2400BH has a GVWR of close to 6800lbs and your 4700 shipping wt. I bet will be close to 5000 to 5200 before you add the first item of personal gear into it and ready to travel I bet you will be pushing 6000lbs with about 750lbs TW.

Larry

[scardillo59]

drsteve wrote:
My guess is your truck should be fine with a TT that size. Take a look at the tire loading sticker inside the door. It will say something like "the weight of cargo and passengers should not exceed xxxx lbs." That is the number to look at because it's the first one you will bump up against with a 1/2 ton truck. Forget the combined towing number.

Loaded trailer tongue weight + weight of trailer hitch (~100 lb) + family + gear in truck needs to be less than this number. Figure 13% of the loaded trailer weight for tongue weight. Without a trip to the scales it's all guesswork, but the TT will probably be ~6000 lb. ready to camp, which works out to 780 lb on the tongue.

I may have missed it, but does your Silverado have the factory towing package?

Thank you! Yes, it does have the factor tow package. Just not the controller for the trailer brake which was kind of silly since the hook up is there.

[drsteve]

My guess is your truck should be fine with a TT that size. Take a look at the tire loading sticker inside the door. It will say something like "the weight of cargo and passengers should not exceed xxxx lbs." That is the number to look at because it's the first one you will bump up against with a 1/2 ton truck. Forget the combined towing number.

Loaded trailer tongue weight + weight of trailer hitch (~100 lb) + family + gear in truck needs to be less than this number. Figure 13% of the loaded trailer weight for tongue weight. Without a trip to the scales it's all guesswork, but the TT will probably be ~6000 lb. ready to camp, which works out to 780 lb on the tongue.

I may have missed it, but does your Silverado have the factory towing package?

[scardillo59]

LarryJM wrote:

scardillo59 wrote:
Okay, I walked away from the Salem Cruise Light that we were going to buy. The weight was too much. Thank you to whomever suggested the Keystone 2400BH. That seems to be a better fit at 4,700 lbs. The truck officially weighs 5,035lbs with no passengers. Passengers weight approximately 550 lbs. The tongue weight is approximately 600 lbs. Add roughly 800 lbs of gear and we are still under 12,000 lbs.

Does anybody see a problem with a 4,700 lb camper with a Silverado?

Thanks!

Steve

Yes you are making numbers up like "approximatelys" and "roughly 800lbs" which is now down from your original estimate of 1,000 and you are still ignoring the HIGH probability of carrying at least some water. Your family of 5 is going to add more than just 800lbs (or they are going to only be wearing skivvies during the winter and subsisting on bread and water every other day) and that 550 is going to go up not down ... unless you start leaving someone at home by themselves.

Your cherry picking numbers so that they add up to whatever spec your truck is capable of is IMO a sure way to guarantee a REALLY, REALLY MISERABLE towing and camping experience ... typical newbie "rose colored" glasses approach.

Larry

My kids are very small. Also, if I was doing the rose colored glasses approach then I would not have bothered posting here and I certainly wouldn't have walked away from the camper my wife absolutely loved causing a massive argument. My approximations are based on what some of my friends said they put in their RVs. I appreciate feedback but not your approach. Feel free to not comment.

Steve

[LarryJM]

scardillo59 wrote:
Okay, I walked away from the Salem Cruise Light that we were going to buy. The weight was too much. Thank you to whomever suggested the Keystone 2400BH. That seems to be a better fit at 4,700 lbs. The truck officially weighs 5,035lbs with no passengers. Passengers weight approximately 550 lbs. The tongue weight is approximately 600 lbs. Add roughly 800 lbs of gear and we are still under 12,000 lbs.

Does anybody see a problem with a 4,700 lb camper with a Silverado?

Thanks!

Steve

Yes you are making numbers up like "approximatelys" and "roughly 800lbs" which is now down from your original estimate of 1,000 and you are still ignoring the HIGH probability of carrying at least some water. Your family of 5 is going to add more than just 800lbs (or they are going to only be wearing skivvies during the winter and subsisting on bread and water every other day) and that 550 is going to go up not down ... unless you start leaving someone at home by themselves.

Your cherry picking numbers so that they add up to whatever spec your truck is capable of is IMO a sure way to guarantee a REALLY, REALLY MISERABLE towing and camping experience ... typical newbie "rose colored" glasses approach.

Larry

[scardillo59]

Okay, I walked away from the Salem Cruise Light that we were going to buy. The weight was too much. Thank you to whomever suggested the Keystone 2400BH. That seems to be a better fit at 4,700 lbs. The truck officially weighs 5,035lbs with no passengers. Passengers weight approximately 550 lbs. The tongue weight is approximately 600 lbs. Add roughly 800 lbs of gear and we are still under 12,000 lbs.

Does anybody see a problem with a 4,700 lb camper with a Silverado?

Thanks!

Steve

[2112]

WNYBob wrote:
Have you thought of a lighter camper and a tent for the kids?

They would have a blast on their own, and if it rains they can squeeze in for a night.

This is what we did. The kids and their friends loved it.

[Tyler0215]

No way does that truck weigh 4700# even empty. Fill up with gas, and family and get to a scale. Then you have a starting point without guessing.

[mkirsch]

yillb wrote:
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.

Baloney. It is a 2016. The direct-injection 5.3 in the 2014-up trucks has nothing in common with the previous 5.3 except displacement.

The direct-injection 5.3's make impressive power, though it will still need to rev up to pull hills with a trailer that heavy. If you freak out every time your engine exceeds 2000RPMs and fear that it's going to blow up, then a 7000lb trailer probably not for you.

The 3.42 6-speed combination pulls every bit as well as a 3.73 with 4-speed and gives a 4.10 4-speed a run for its money. Some people will insist that you MUST have a 3.73 or 4.10 axle, but all that will get you with the 6-speed transmission is a 1st gear that you will shift out of in a split second, lower top speed, and higher RPMs at all speeds all the time. Just let the transmission do its job.

[jerem0621]

Check out the Jayco Jay Flight 26BH and a similar floor plan on the Wildwood 261 BHXL comes in Sub 5,000 lbs as well. I am considering this floor plan as my truck has a lower tow rating and I need to be very sensible with what I pull.

Also, pay no mind to those who say your 360 HP truck is going to struggle. It will turn some RPM. Just let it rev. Your trucks power makes my measly 250 hp look very slow...yet I will pull a similar sized trailer just fine.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[drsteve]

I have a friend who has decades of towing experience with different vehicles and rigs, who now has virtually the same truck you have. He tows a hybrid with it, and is very happy with the performance. He also says he wouldn't want to pull a whole lot more with that setup.

[WNYBob]

Have you thought of a lighter camper and a tent for the kids?

They would have a blast on their own, and if it rains they can squeeze in for a night.