Tow numbers

[snarkee]

I have a 2014 silverado 1500 and I want to make sure I understand the numbers

My trucks gvw is 7200 according to the door tag
The payload is 1723
The tow capacity is 9600

So I gassed up and hit the scale (single scale)

With just me inside, the truck weighed 6000

The truck with the trailer connected without the wdh and
the trailer off the scale was 6840. Therefore my tongue weight is 840lbs

My truck and trailer weight is 12360 total

And my loaded trailer weight was 5480(plus the 840 hitch) totalling 6320 (trailer sticker wet rating is 6800 so I have room to spare)

My question is, with 7200 registered door tag truck gvw, and my truck with trailer tongue weight is 6840lbs, does that only leave me with 360lbs truck gvw to spare?

[snarkee]

Thx for the info

[jerem0621]

Yea don't look at the axle ratings at all...that's where math gets really fuzzy with trucks.

Your gross axle weight ratings added together are likely about 500-1000 lbs more than your GVWR. This means you can technically be under your axle ratings and still be above GVWR...

This is why a lot of people disregard the payload sticker and go with axle ratings and try to stay under that. It's not just half ton tow'ers who do that. Lots of 3/4 ton and 1 ton tow'ers do the same thing.

I can't with my minivan. My axle ratings added together equal the GVWR.

Good luck no matter what you decide to do.

Thanks,

Jeremiah

[snarkee]

Too complicated for me when I only have access to a single scale

[lawrosa]

Your doing it wrong...

You need the axle ratings and you are not weighing correctly. Your numbers are wrong I would think there is not enough info...

You need to weigh with WD activated and without it activated...


I have a 1/4 ton pulling 4500 lbs and still have 500 lbs to work with...

So...

Step 1: Weigh the TV with the trailer attached.
Three weight measurements are required for step 1: TV front tires (steering axle), TV rear tires (drive axle) and all trailer tires (axles). Drive onto the scale so that your steer axle is positioned on platform 1, your drive axle on platform 2 and your trailer axles on platform 3.

Step 2: Weigh the TV with the conventional trailer attached and WD system deactivated.( dont have to leave scale. Detach and re attach after weighing)

This is for RVers wanting to know the true tongue weight of the conventional trailer. Simply weigh the towing combination on the scales without the weight distribution system activated. Caution: Only disconnect the WD system near the scale location. It may be extremely unsafe to tow on the highway without the WD system activated.

STEP 3: Weigh the TV without the trailer attached.
Two weight measurements are required for step 2: TV front tires (steering axle) and the TV rear tires (drive axle). Drive onto the scale so that your steer axle is positioned on platform 1 and your drive axle on platform 2.



Anyway these are the 3 weigh #'s you want...

Weighing #1 -- TT attached and Weight Distribution Activated
Let Front Axle Load be "FA1"
Let Rear Axle Load be "RA1"
Let TT Axles Load be "TT1"

Then, while in same position on scales, take
Weighing #2 -- TT attached and Weight Distribution Not Activated (WD bars unloaded, but hanging in place)
Let Front Axle Load be "FA2"
Let Rear Axle Load be "RA2"
Let TT Axles Load be "TT2"

Then, drive off scales and drop TT. Return to scales and take
Weighing #3 -- TV only -- TT Not Attached
Let Front Axle Load be "FA3"
Let Rear Axle Load be "RA3"


From the above values, you can calculate:

TV weight truck alone = FA3 + RA3

Gross Combined Weight = (FA1 + RA1 + TT1)
{should also be equal to (FA2 + RA2 + TT2) if scale weights are correct}

TT Weight = Gross Combined Weight( they will five you this weight) - TV alone Weight

Tongue Weight = (FA2 + RA2) - (FA3 + RA3) will be without WD activated
Tongue Weight = (FA1 + RA1) - (FA3 + RA3) will be with WD activated

Load Transferred to TT axles
when WD System is Activated = TT1 - TT2 from above...


The above is the only way with those three weights... Let us know what you get..

See my link here/...

http://forums.woodalls.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/27282746.cfm

[kaydeejay]

snarkee wrote:
Kind of pathetic if you ask me. Doesn't leave me any room after my wife and boy hop in the truck

I bet many people think they are well within their limits but aren't. My trailer it's even that heavy at all and I'm still going to be over the limits of my truck

1723# of payload is quite a lot more than SOME 1/2 tons. Think about it, that is actually more than 3/4 of a ton.
If you knew you were going to buy that size of trailer you probably should've gone with a gasser 3/4 ton to give yourself some more reserve.
As you have painfully learned, tow capacity is only half of the equation! Payload will usually bite you first.

[fla-gypsy]

You are officially educated on the 1/2 problem. This issue carries over to many 3/4 ton trucks when equipped with the heavy diesel option and 4x4 axles

[snarkee]

I already already added LT e rated tires

[MackinawMan]

snarkee wrote:
Kind of pathetic if you ask me. Doesn't leave me any room after my wife and boy hop in the truck

I bet many people think they are well within their limits but aren't. My trailer it's even that heavy at all and I'm still going to be over the limits of my truck

I'll give you credit for doing the work to figure things out and recognizing the issue....a number of people don't bother/care to.

And FWIW different gears in the rear end won't help your problem, it's the 1/2 ton suspenion that is the culprit.

[Perrysburg_Dodg]

therink wrote:

snarkee wrote:
The trailer was loaded as if I was ready to camp ( minus food)

I'm a bit pissed because I thought I knew what I was doing when I purchased the truck

To think the dealer tried to force 3.08 gears on me.
I thought all GMC/Chevy truck dealers were required to have a "truck specialist" on staff?

It won't change your tow ratings, but if you plan on Towing a lot you may want to consider replacing the stock P rated tires with LT E rated. It will help with stability and sway.

X2 on the tires. Not sure you need to go into E rated tires but a good set of Light Truck D rated tires inflated to the max 65 psi when towing will help with stability and sway. Link to Load rating chart.

Good luck Don

[lbrjet]

About 150lbs of tongue weight will be moved to the trailer axles by the action of the WDH. You can add that to the available truck payload. You would have weigh with the WDH attached to see exactly what your remaining payload is.

[therink]

snarkee wrote:
The trailer was loaded as if I was ready to camp ( minus food)

I'm a bit pissed because I thought I knew what I was doing when I purchased the truck

To think the dealer tried to force 3.08 gears on me.

It won't change your tow ratings, but if you plan on Towing a lot you may want to consider replacing the stock P rated tires with LT E rated. It will help with stability and sway.

[snarkee]

The trailer was loaded as if I was ready to camp ( minus food)

I'm a bit pissed because I thought I knew what I was doing when I purchased the truck

To think the dealer tried to force 3.08 gears on me.

[therink]

As far as travel trailers are concerned, (due to being tongue heavy versus say a boat trailer), most TTs over 6k are 3/4 ton truck territory.

It is unfortunate that the truck manufacturers are misleading with the tow ratings. You will likely be ok but not the best scenario.

[Old-Biscuit]

Did you notice that the 'payload' (1723#) dropped to just 1200# (7200# truck GVWR minus 6000# truck weight)? Subtract that tongue weight (840#) and that leaves you with 360# of payload/GVW.
Hopefully the trailer was loaded camp ready when you weighed?

And that the tow rating of 9600# is unrealistic?
With that 6840# trailer you have run out of truck (with wife/boy and anything stuff they put in truck).

MFGs numbers and real world actual numbers never match up

Same holds true for 250/2500, 350/3500 etc.

[snarkee]

Kind of pathetic if you ask me. Doesn't leave me any room after my wife and boy hop in the truck

I bet many people think they are well within their limits but aren't. My trailer it's even that heavy at all and I'm still going to be over the limits of my truck