how much weight can i tow?

[RoyC]

I have the setup in my signature. The camper unloaded is 3500 pounds. I believe my truck towing capacity is 12K. It moves my camper with ease. So, with the unloaded camper on the truck, roughly how much can I tow - as in a travel trailer on the way to a winter home base 1500 miles away - some mountains no rush.
edit: I don't want to strain the truck - she's my other baby.
edit2: I don't run the 16.5" rims anymore but some of the strongest 16" wheels and tires.

[Farmerjon]

RoyC,
That 5000 lb trailer should be within what you can handle.

[jefe_4x4]

Bob is correct. What you can tow is directly tied to your GCVW rating of the truck. My Dodge 2500 had an 8800 pound GVW, all to do with the wimpy little stock tires, and the GCVW rating was 19,300 pounds. It would have been higher if I had the 4.10's and an auto trans. The truck weighs around 7000 pounds wet. The difference between these two numbers is the maximum of what I can carry and/or tow. I know I have exceeded this maximum weight on occasion.
I remember reading on the Turbo Diesel Registry some years ago about a towing weight spitting match. Some of the Dodge 3500 guys have towed for a short distance 32000 pounds, or upwards, but the clear winner was a guy with 5th wheel, a farmer who towed a 3 axle, duals, (that's 12 tires) with an abundance of hay bales about 2 miles down a country road with a mind boggling 53,000 pounds, gross. The chatter stopped dead in it's track with that one. Nothing broke, no harm, no foul, but he was the clear winner, and I don't think he got up enough speed to have to use any brakes, as they would be hopelessly outgunned by his momentum. I think he put a picture up at the time I thought, "Gee, what a tiny little model truck you have there."
jefe

[Farmerjon]

RoyC wrote:
I see what you are saying. I have the info from the trip to the scales. As I recall, I am only about 200 lbs under the weight limit of the tires. How does tongue weight (that is what we are talking about, correct?) correlate with trailer weight?

Tongue weight should run about 10% of gross trailer weight, to little and you can get a lot of sway to much and the wheels can pop:)
A weight distributing hitch can help distribute some weight to the front axle.

[RoyC]

OK the scale receipt says 4600, 6140, 10660; that's front axle rear axle and total.

Rear tire limits are 3415 lbs ea; 6830 total so I have 700 lbs left over, correct?

my gcwr is 22K Lb (from my manual) so I am ok there up to 10K or so of trailer which is way bigger than I was thinking. I was thinking of something in the 20 to 25 foot length, so 5K Lb roughly? I think I should be ok if I have everything correct. Thanks much for saving me a bunch of homework and ineffective rummaging about.

P.S. My current tires are Toyo 16 inch tires with the weight limits I quoted. I still have the 16.5 Vision rims but without tires. They are mucho $ so I hope I don't feel the need to buy those for even two wheels much less four. I could buy an extra truck for that price!

[bobndot]

rear axle cap. yes , various trailers will have different hitch weights . The 19.5's and wheels should work ok . But hitch weight is something you have to consider.
The number to also look at is the GCWR gross combined weight rating.

Your owners manual should have this info.

here is an example chart of 2006 plus . 15,000-16,000#

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/towing/towing-capacity/vehicle/gcwr11.htm

[RoyC]

I see what you are saying. I have the info from the trip to the scales. As I recall, I am only about 200 lbs under the weight limit of the tires. How does tongue weight (that is what we are talking about, correct?) correlate with trailer weight?

[RCMAN46]

I would think the limiting factor will be rear axle tire capacity. The only sure way to find out how much they are loaded is a trip to the scales. With some measurements of wheel base of truck and distance from rear axle centerline to hitch ball you can then calculate the amount of tongue weight the tires will be able to handle.

[bobndot]

I tow 2 different single axle trailers at about 2500# each with my 04 2500HD 6.0 gasser with no problems.
What I would suggest is to install a new receiver like a Curt 2.5" and an ext. bar reduced down to accept a standard 2" mount. "E-trailer" sells them.
The OEM 04 factory hitch is weak . Being that an extension is needed on the truck camper, i opted for the 2.5" to offer a little more beef .


I guess you'll be ok between what I tow and this guy who carries spare campers in case one leaks. :B