Towing with 1500

[Slick87SS]

I am looking buy a used TT for me and my family. Def want a bunk house trailer with slide for the extra room. I will be towing with Silverado 1500 with 9200 tow cap. and 1850 payload. Also I will be using WD hitch. What should I be looking for as far as dry weights for trailers. It would be our first TT though I do have experience towing my 14 foot work trailer I wouldn't want a white knuckle trip every time I pull it. Most I have checked out and liked are anywhere between 5800-6900 dry weight. Any info would be super helpful.

[opnspaces]

Glad you had a great time. I haven't had my trailer out in months, just waiting for the deserts to cool down then I can start again.

Those blown 40 amp fuses are your reverse polarity fuses. If they blew then somebody at some point hooked the battery up backwards. If all is well now then take a picture of how the batteries are wired before you pull the wires for whatever reason. Usually black or red is positive and white is negative, but not always. So look at yours and make note for the future.

[itguy08]

Glad it all went well for you guys. These modern 1500's do better than most give them credit for. Ours handles out trailer well and also did great this weekend.

Backing will get easier for you in time. We're on our 4th outing with ours and I'm finally getting the hang of it. I just need to get the wife to remember she goes on the passenger side in the back to help me. I can see perfectly on my side! 🙂

[Slick87SS]

Sorry just getting back to posting. The trip went well! Truck pulled nicely and we had a great time at the campground although I do understand the "driveway camp first now". We got there and started to set up and I started losing interior lights and and other systems slowly but surely. Apparently I popped two 40 amp fuse for the converter and had no idea where to begin! Thanks to the folks at Beach Acres campground for all the help!!! I know we are newbies to the TT world and there is more gear to add to the weight of the trailer but the equalizer 4 point hitch kept it level and straight. Backing in was an adventure but not bad. All in all our first trip in trailer went well! Thanks for all the help!

[Camper_G]

Samsonsworld wrote:

Camper G wrote:
My trailers "unladen" weight is 4600 and the gvwr is 6k. GVWR..NOT GCVWR! Read my post. That's 2400lbs.

So sorry! I posted this at 0400. 1400lbs.

[IdaD]

itguy08 wrote:
Google "Medium Duty Truck" and you'll see they are not a F150, F250, F350. They are your box truck chassis.

Yes there is a big difference between a chassis cab 4/5000 and a 2/3500. There is also a big difference between a 2/3500 and a 1500. The label you use is irrelevant, they are a different class of truck.

[hondaCT90]

2004 silverado king cab - spent it's life pulling:
(2) different cargo trailers loaded with equipment near or beyond limits
22ft boat I/O 220 merc stern drive, truck bed always loaded with 6 scuab tanks and bags of gear

25ft Nash TT

multiple loads of gravel, dirt, etc through the years

wife only knows one way to drive...stop..and go-fast

233,00 miles when I traded it in..at that point..not burning, nor leaking oil, tranny solid..
I'm religious about oil/fluid changes...water pump at 150k..it was even easy on tires and brakes.

couldn't be more happy with what I got from that truck..shoulda kept it as a local round town runner...

[itguy08]

IdaD wrote:

I'm going to need a source on your 150k lifespan figure or it's made up too.

A heavy duty truck isn't over-designed, but it is designed to haul more and more often (duty cycle). A half ton isn't under-designed, but it is designed with a different purpose. I don't doubt for a second that a heavy duty truck would hold up better at max GCVWR than a half ton at max GCVWR, especially a diesel HD truck.

You could have the exact same discussion about a 2500/3500 versus a chassis cab 4500/5500. Different class, different purpose. This is not a complicated concept.

I posted this a few days ago:

1st of all, 150, 250, vast majority of 350 (non dualies) are not Medium Duty trucks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_truck

Light duty trucks have payloads less than 4,000 lbs.

The best I've got is the Ecboost torture info here where they say they tested it to 150k:
http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2011/01/what-the-inside-of-a-torture-tested-ecoboost-v-6-looks-like.html

You also need to look no further than the service schedule in your own truck - notice where it stops. That is generally the design life.

Google "Medium Duty Truck" and you'll see they are not a F150, F250, F350. They are your box truck chassis.

[IdaD]

itguy08 wrote:

IdaD wrote:

It isn't some made up thing at all. But believe whatever makes you feel better about the truck in your garage if you want.

No source = made up. There is no mythical over-designing to a 3/4 or 1 ton truck. Period. They are ll designed to do what they are rated for and have an acceptable lifespan. That is usually 150k in these trucks.

I'm going to need a source on your 150k lifespan figure or it's made up too.

A heavy duty truck isn't over-designed, but it is designed to haul more and more often (duty cycle). A half ton isn't under-designed, but it is designed with a different purpose. I don't doubt for a second that a heavy duty truck would hold up better at max GCVWR than a half ton at max GCVWR, especially a diesel HD truck.

You could have the exact same discussion about a 2500/3500 versus a chassis cab 4500/5500. Different class, different purpose. This is not a complicated concept.

[Samsonsworld]

Camper G wrote:
My trailers "unladen" weight is 4600 and the gvwr is 6k. GVWR..NOT GCVWR! Read my post. That's 2400lbs.

[RandACampin]

Camper G wrote:

RandACampin wrote:

Camper G wrote:
...snip...
STOP SHOPPING TTs BY DRY WEIGHTS! They are useless numbers. What is the campers gvwr your looking at? If it's that heavy "dry" i think you'll be at the trucks limits when loaded and I'd not want to work a brand new truck that hard. ....just my .02

This is very bad advice. Going by the CVWR is useless, there are numerous trailers out there that have HUGE CCC for example the Keystone Summerland 2980BHGS. Dry weight 6328 CCC of 3187+715 on the tongue for a total of 10230, witch would exceed the OPs specs. The "accepted norm" for loading 1000-1500 lbs, putting the realistic weight at 7328-7828, well within the OPs limit, Your way...not so much.

So if you went strictly BY GVWR you would rule out a lot of choices because NOBODY except Lucille Ball is going to carry 3K plus pounds of cargo.

Better to use realistic numbers than the GVWR in all cases.

Says you! I think your response is "very bad advice " unless you scale the truck and trailer you don't know what the real numbers are. Much better to error on the side of caution then go by the dry weight when trying to make a decision. I can't tell you how many threads I've read over the past 9yrs here where folks ask "my dry weight is 7000 (example) and my tow rating is 7400 (again example) can i tow this? The answer is almost always no!!


That's not even close to the OPs situation nor the example I gave and you know it.

You do what works for you and I'll do the same. My trailers "unladen" weight is 4600 and the gvwr is 6k. GVWR..NOT GCVWR! Read my post. That's 2400lbs.

Are you sure about that. Maybe that's why you have problems understanding.

Loaded for a trip with all the gear inside my weight was 5340 lbs so I'm less than 700 lbs from my gvwr. So tell me how "useless" that information is again?

You bought a trailer with low CCC. As I said and provided an example of there are many lightweight trailers with huge CCC. If you can't see that strictly going by GVWR would rule out a light trailer with a bog GVR ell then you can't be helped.

If someone is (would be) that close on numbers that your going to make an issue out of this then I'd tell folks they need more truck in my opinion.

[COLOR=]I agree, if someone is close on their number they need either a bigger truck or a smaller trailer,

I agree, if they are that close then yes, they either need a bigger truck or smaller trailer. However your blanket statement of "unloaded weight is useless" is completely wrong. There are many trailers out there with huge CCC that ill never be achieved. Math, and real orld experiences prove it.

however blanket statement like yours "unloaded weights are useless" are totally incorrect, math, and real world experiences prove it, and they don't help the inexperienced RVer.

Utilizing dry weights when trailer shopping can get in-experienced folks in trouble! But that's just my opinion! I've seen it here many times in posts.

Thanks for proving my point. In your own situation you only loaded 740 lbs. Your no-where near your GVWR. So I will say it again...Telling someone to shop by GVW rating may rule out some very doable choices for them simply because it's a light trailer with heavy running gear. Once again BAD ADVICE on your part.

[2112]

Slick87SS wrote:
Final decision is an Aspen Trail 2810bhs with dry weight of 6475 towed by my 2015 Silverado double cab 5.3 V8. Pulled it home yesterday and I feel it did well but the trip was fairly short from the dealership. Heading out this weekend for our inaugural trip and will update you all again after my that. I'm a newbie so this aught to be comical. Stay tuned lol! Thanks for the info you all provided in helping me make a decision.
P. S. Any tips for a newb will be greatly appreciated ????

Driveway Camp First!!!

Spend two days camping in the driveway to get familiar, discover issues or problems with the TT, determine what you need/don't need etc...

Don't operate the air conditioner using an extension cord unless it's a short heavy duty cord.

FWIW to the weight police crowd, my 2011 F150 has 2083lbs of payload.

[Camper_G]

RandACampin wrote:

Camper G wrote:
...snip...
STOP SHOPPING TTs BY DRY WEIGHTS! They are useless numbers. What is the campers gvwr your looking at? If it's that heavy "dry" i think you'll be at the trucks limits when loaded and I'd not want to work a brand new truck that hard. ....just my .02

This is very bad advice. Going by the CVWR is useless, there are numerous trailers out there that have HUGE CCC for example the Keystone Summerland 2980BHGS. Dry weight 6328 CCC of 3187+715 on the tongue for a total of 10230, witch would exceed the OPs specs. The "accepted norm" for loading 1000-1500 lbs, putting the realistic weight at 7328-7828, well within the OPs limit, Your way...not so much.

So if you went strictly BY GVWR you would rule out a lot of choices because NOBODY except Lucille Ball is going to carry 3K plus pounds of cargo.

Better to use realistic numbers than the GVWR in all cases.

Says you! I think your response is "very bad advice " unless you scale the truck and trailer you don't know what the real numbers are. Much better to error on the side of caution then go by the dry weight when trying to make a decision. I can't tell you how many threads I've read over the past 9yrs here where folks ask "my dry weight is 7000 (example) and my tow rating is 7400 (again example) can i tow this? The answer is almost always no!!

You do what works for you and I'll do the same. My trailers "unladen" weight is 4600 and the gvwr is 6k. GVWR..NOT GCVWR! Read my post. That's 2400lbs. Loaded for a trip with all the gear inside my weight was 5340 lbs so I'm less than 700 lbs from my gvwr. So tell me how "useless" that information is again? If someone is (would be) that close on numbers that your going to make an issue out of this then I'd tell folks they need more truck in my opinion. Utilizing dry weights when trailer shopping can get in-experienced folks in trouble! But that's just my opinion! I've seen it here many times in posts.

[itguy08]

As I've said before there's a lot of "compensating" going on here. Things are a lot different today than they were 10-20 years ago.

[Telemarc]

The best way to answer this question is to talk to people who actually drive them.. We just bought a 2015 F150 with Max tow package and a Blackstone 280 RKSB . I have been run up and down the coals on this forum and constantly have to keep my threads from getting hijacked into a weight issue or tail wagging the dog. The trailer is 7800 lbs dry and I figure we will be just under 10,000 loaded. So before we bought we talked to every blackstone owner we saw on the road , in the park, at the dealer. Most of these guys are working up in the oil patch so tow them all across B.C. and Alberta. A perfect test for setup and trailer. Bad roads, bad conditions, bad weather. Most of the rigs were set up with F-150 3.5 ecoboost.turbos and maybe 25 percent were 1 ton diesels. All had either Equalizer or Sway Pro hitches. All said they towed like a dream and noone had sway issues with the trailers. All had lots of power to tow the 10,000. So considering this was REAL input we bought accordingly. Truck is rated for around 11,900 lbs towing and 2100 lbs payload.