rbpru wrote:
Yangop,
From all this rhetoric you should be able to step back, take a breath and understand that you need to know,
• The GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating), this is the maximum total weight your vehicle was designed to carry. This should be on a sticker on your vehicle.
• The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), it is the weight of your vehicle when it left the factory, plus people, cargo, or stuff that was added such as a truck cap, bed liner etc. If you do not know this number; weight the vehicle at a truck (CAT) scale.
The difference between these two numbers is how much more weight (tongue weight) you can add to your vehicle and still remain within your vehicle’s design limits.
You will hear all sorts of opinions such as.
• If you do not have a 50, 70 or 80% cushion, your combo is unsafe. This is not true. What is true is the closer you come to the design limits the more wear and tear on the vehicles component parts.
• This that or the other combination will give you a “white knuckle” ride. What is a scary ride for some folks is just a heavy pull for others. It is the same for truck, bus and wind buffets, rain, snow and a host of other things that upset some but are taken in stride by others.
Finally, keep in mind that the TT dealer is looking at the same vehicle charts you are.
• He probably has dozens of happy customers that are pulling less than their max towing weight but have no clue as to what their max cargo capacity is.
• Since max cargo capacity is based on the specific vehicle’s options, the TT dealer does not have a clue.
• Likewise the dealer does not know if you haul everything but the kitchen sink or you are a minimalist.
Your answer is all in the numbers and your personality, either you have a vehicle that has the necessary towing options for the TT you wish to purchase or it does not. Either you are satisfied with your proposed combination or you are not.
Example, my F-150 E-Boost is maxed out with my 5000 lbs dry weight TT and all our stuff. The combo has performed well on both sort and long hauls for the last 15,000 miles.
thank you for this. my experience here has been very fruitful
