Terryallan wrote:
travelrider73 wrote:
I'm researching both a tow vehicle and a 5er combo and want to make sure that whatever we end up with as a tow vehicle will do the job no matter where we travel. The steepest grades I can think of are in the Rockies, hence the title of this topic.
So, how much of a safety margin between the manufacturer's stated towing capacity and what you actually purchase would you want to have in order to be comfortable with occasional steep grades?
Thanks!!!
Honestly. You can SAFELY tow right up to the manufacturers posted capacity. They did the research, and math. No need for you to redo it, and lower the capacities the engineers developed.
Exactly! In fact, it is quite possible to safely exceed the GCWR of some trucks. I towed a 32 foot fifth wheel over the Rockies, the Cascades, and the Sierras several times before I weighed the rig and found it to be a little more than a ton and a half OVER the GCWR of the truck (it was UNDER all GVWR and GAWRs)! No, I do NOT recommend that anybody do that, I'm simply stating that I did it, and nothing bent or broke, nobody was injured or died, and there were no accidents.
