Hello all!Can someone clarify something for me? If a truck's max gooseneck trailer loaded weight is 15,100 lbs (as per manufacturer towing guide - it is a Ford) - how can the max cargo weight rating be 1792 lbs?If I understand correctly, the max cargo weight rating is all the weight that can be put into/onto the truck (passengers, their things) PLUS the, for example, weight of the gooseneck pin of the loaded, 15,100 lbs trailer.Ford's towing guide says: "Cargo Weight Rating shown in chart is maximum allowable, assuming weight of a base vehicle with required camper option content and a 150-lb. passenger at each available seating position".Does this mean the allowed payload is AFTER 5 passengers? if I removed 3 passengers, does that add 450 lbs to payload capacity (max allowed cargo weight as per Ford)?In addition, what gooseneck trailer weighs 15,100 lbs (max loaded trailer weight spec as per Ford) but only 1792 on the hitch (as per max allowed cargo weight)? This would imply that only 12% of the loaded trailer weight is on the hitch. Does this sound right? I know this is not the case for my loaded horse trailer with living quarters (but then horse trailers with living quarters tend to be front heavy).Am I understanding this right?Thanks!

Well typicality goose-neck trailers are flatbeds and you can adjust the load to get the pin weight down.

That truck per door sticker does not have the payload to tow that trailer.Now, if you know the actual tare empty wieght of the truck, subtract that from the sum of the gross axle wieght ratings, assuming you can load evenly, that is your max payload you should out on the truck. Max payload and trailer do not tyically equal ea other. If you are pulling a ball mount with 10-15%hitch at, you can pull more than a gooseneck/5w setup that need 15-25% he to tow properly. Reality is, one needs a larger gvw/payload truck for a 15k trailer with a bed monut, vs a ball/bumper mount trailer. Something many do not take into account choosing a truck or trailer.Then again if you want to discuss federal bridge laws vs warranty ratings, your perfectly legal wieght wise with that combo. You may or may not get ticketed for other requirements.Marty

What may be confusing the OP is that there are multiple ratings involved with tow vehicles. Some will say that you can exceed one but not the other. Some are related, some are not. I don't plan on exceeding any. Not payload. Not tow rating. Not rear axle. Not front axle. Not tire ratings. Not hitch ratings. Not frontal area restrictions. And so forth. I think most manufacturer rating are conservative except for Tow Rating. It will take a little effort but most of these can be found on the truck itself or on the Ford towing guide.

Yes to actually tow the "maximum" trailer weight all other parameters must be at a minimum or zero. BTW every trailer is not an RV or horse trailer. Plenty of flatbed trailers can be loaded with a low profile and low gooseneck weight. What is not listed is the realistic RV weight with 25% on the hitch, this must be calculated by the user for your own situation.

Good points. I have a 36' triaxle GN sock trailer that I load adults or young in the trailer to keep under my 2500 Dodge/Cummins RAWR or my old '98 3500 DRW crew cab 4wd beater RAWR. Same with the GN flatbeds. We load them depending on how much hitch load was needed for a 3/4 ton with 6k+ RAWR or a 4500 Dodge cab/chassis with a 11500 RAWR. A triaxle GN trailer can tow just fine with a big difference in hitch load percentages....all depending on how the weight is distributed. Also a GN trailer like a LEQ can have a 30-35+ percent hitch weight as the axles are usually placed farther aft than the normal 15-25 percent trailer chassis. Same with some types of GN equipment trailers that can be ordered with axles placed to satisfy a low or high hitch load percentages. Just stay under your trucks RAWR number. A pick up truck front axle carries little to non of a trailers hitch weight.

Towing capacity vs max cargo weight rating | Good Sam Community

rhagfo
Explorer III
Jan 10, 2021
Well typicality goose-neck trailers are flatbeds and you can adjust the load to get the pin weight down.
blt2ski
Moderator
Jan 10, 2021
That truck per door sticker does not have the payload to tow that trailer.

Now, if you know the actual tare empty wieght of the truck, subtract that from the sum of the gross axle wieght ratings, assuming you can load evenly, that is your max payload you should out on the truck.

Max payload and trailer do not tyically equal ea other. If you are pulling a ball mount with 10-15%hitch at, you can pull more than a gooseneck/5w setup that need 15-25% he to tow properly. Reality is, one needs a larger gvw/payload truck for a 15k trailer with a bed monut, vs a ball/bumper mount trailer. Something many do not take into account choosing a truck or trailer.

Then again if you want to discuss federal bridge laws vs warranty ratings, your perfectly legal wieght wise with that combo. You may or may not get ticketed for other requirements.

Marty
TomG2
Explorer
Jan 10, 2021
What may be confusing the OP is that there are multiple ratings involved with tow vehicles. Some will say that you can exceed one but not the other. Some are related, some are not. I don't plan on exceeding any. Not payload. Not tow rating. Not rear axle. Not front axle. Not tire ratings. Not hitch ratings. Not frontal area restrictions. And so forth. I think most manufacturer rating are conservative except for Tow Rating.

It will take a little effort but most of these can be found on the truck itself or on the Ford towing guide.
time2roll
Nomad
Jan 10, 2021
Yes to actually tow the "maximum" trailer weight all other parameters must be at a minimum or zero. BTW every trailer is not an RV or horse trailer. Plenty of flatbed trailers can be loaded with a low profile and low gooseneck weight. What is not listed is the realistic RV weight with 25% on the hitch, this must be calculated by the user for your own situation.
JIMNLIN
Explorer III
Jan 10, 2021
Good points.
I have a 36' triaxle GN sock trailer that I load adults or young in the trailer to keep under my 2500 Dodge/Cummins RAWR or my old '98 3500 DRW crew cab 4wd beater RAWR.

Same with the GN flatbeds. We load them depending on how much hitch load was needed for a 3/4 ton with 6k+ RAWR or a 4500 Dodge cab/chassis with a 11500 RAWR.

A triaxle GN trailer can tow just fine with a big difference in hitch load percentages....all depending on how the weight is distributed.
Also a GN trailer like a LEQ can have a 30-35+ percent hitch weight as the axles are usually placed farther aft than the normal 15-25 percent trailer chassis. Same with some types of GN equipment trailers that can be ordered with axles placed to satisfy a low or high hitch load percentages.

Just stay under your trucks RAWR number. A pick up truck front axle carries little to non of a trailers hitch weight.
ognend
Explorer
Jan 10, 2021
Thanks. So to translate in English, there are gooseneck trailers that could weigh 15,100 lbs but weigh much less than 1790 lbs on the pin. They are just not RVs and horse trailers with living quarters. In order to be legal and under the max requirements for towing a living quarters horse trailer, one should move to a truck that can handle the load properly - as in handle a payload of 25% of the gooseneck GVWR on the pin.

This is a 10,000 GVWR 6.7L 3/4 powerstroke (2016), 4x4 with a crew cab (all payload detracting factors). It has a max towing capacity (gooseneck/5w) of 15,100 and max payload of 1792 (as per Ford's towing guide). I have been debating moving to one of the new gassers since they seem to have a better towing/payload rating, are cheaper to maintain etc. The trailer has a GVWR of 12,700 lbs (so realistically 25% of that is 3,200 lbs - which is right near the max for the similarly configured gasser 6.6L Chevy or 7.3L Ford). It is only my wife and I so we have the 450lbs "left over" on the truck payload for the remaining 3 adults calculated/assumed in the payload rating provided by the manufacturer(s).
MFL
Nomad II
Jan 10, 2021
The payload number on door, 1,792 is just the weight of your truck, as it left the factory, subtracted from 10,000 registration wt. That means your truck weighed 8,208 as a finished truck as shipped.

You need to weigh your truck, ready to tow, full fuel, passengers, and gear. Weigh axles separately, to determine how much is left to add to rear axle. For example rear axle weighs 3,350, and your RAWR is 6,350. You can add 3K to rear axle, such as pin wt of a FW or gooseneck trailer.

Jerry
TomG2
Explorer
Jan 10, 2021
Don't worry about GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) That only takes into consideration the whole vehicle. Look at Rear axle rating and disregard Front axle, engine, frame, brakes, steering, transmission and other components that make up the rest of the tow vehicle. Big enough rear end and you are good to tow. (Sarcasm off now)

I repeat, "Look at all the ratings" as a starting point. Then weigh to verify.
ognend
Explorer
Jan 10, 2021
MFL wrote:
The payload number on door, 1,792 is just the weight of your truck, as it left the factory, subtracted from 10,000 registration wt. That means your truck weighed 8,208 as a finished truck as shipped.

You need to weigh your truck, ready to tow, full fuel, passengers, and gear. Weigh axles separately, to determine how much is left to add to rear axle. For example rear axle weighs 3,350, and your RAWR is 6,350. You can add 3K to rear axle, such as pin wt of a FW or gooseneck trailer.

Jerry, thanks. Is this the legal aspect or the practical aspect? In other words - if you were in an accident and taken to the scales (does this happen in real life?) and you were over the 1792 lbs payload on the pin but under the (RAWR - scale weight of rear axle) calculation - which one is chosen as the legal definition of overweight?
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Jan 10, 2021
Sure there’s a legal aspect. In determining fault the more violations of law and the more pounds exceeding manufacturer’s limits, the more likely the finder of fact will go against you. Don’t confuse the ability of a truck pull weight and to carry weight. PS - My Chevy half ton has 1712 pounds payload capacity. So a 3/4 with 1792 doesn’t impress me ...diesel or gas.