Truck and Trailer Towing Weight Question

[RVNoob123]

Hello folks,

We were at an RV show and bought a travel trailer. After working with the rep we decided on the model listed below to haul with our truck. My question is:
With the specs listed below do you feel we are good with our choice? I just want to make sure the load is not too much for the truck.

Here we go:

2017 Silverado 1500,Z71 LTZ 5.3 Liter V8, 8 speed trans., 3.42 gear ratio with towing package (not max towing package) The specs say it can haul up to 9,300 LBS. We have heard not to be past 60% of the total the truck can haul. We are at 65%. We do not plan on hauling any cargo above 1,000 LBS and carry many items in the bed of the truck.
Max payload 1,710 LBS.
GVWR 7,200 LBS.

Trailer info:

2018 Keystone Cougar 24SABWE
Dry weight is 5,910 LBS, Loaded GVWR 7,800 LBS. tongue weight is 650 LBS. They say this is designed for 1;/2 ton trucks like mine (so the rep says)

I just want to be sure when we are traveling up inclines and down we would be fine. I figured this to be the best place since there is a lot of experienced travelers here that could probably help.

Thanks so much in advance!

[rbpru]

Depending on your camping style, calculating water weight and holding tank volumes etc. is more trouble than it is worth.

For a weekend trip to the state parks, our trailer weighs several hundred pounds less then an extended road trip. Over the course of a long road trip the weight shifts as tank and consumables vary.

In the end if your weight limit depend on water or no water, it is easier to just accept the fact that at times your rig will be over weight.

[Huntindog]

RVNoob123 wrote:
We do not plan on hauling any cargo above 1,000 LBS and carry many items in the bed of the truck.
Max payload 1,710 LBS.
GVWR 7,200 LBS.

You have 1710 #s of payload to work with.
The TW will detract from the available payload.
Forget about the 650# hitch weight. That is for an empty TT. You NEED 10% Minimum TW. More is better, for quite a few reasons. 15% is generally the upper limit of what the equipment can handle. So splitting the difference at 12.5% of 7800# GVWR gives you 975# of TW.. Then there is the WD hitch weight of 100-120#. Call it 100, and you have 635# left. How much do the passengers weigh?
How much do you want to haul in the bed? You stated 1000#s! That's not gonna be doable.

You MAY be able to shave the TW down some... BUT. TTs can shift TW around a lot in the course of a trip. Lots of things get moved and consumed and it all changes the TW. So I do not advise planing on cutting it close on TW. Especially with a new TT, and no experience with it's weight distribution, and how much it may change on you. TTs just handle better with more TW. In fact most if not all of the integrated sway control hitches use the TW for creating their resistance to sway. The more TW, the more sway control.

You MAY also be able to stay on a diet to keep the GVW of the TT under control... But this can be limiting on how you would like to use it. Having not done this before... You do not know. In fact most of us that have been doing this awhile now use our units quite a bit differently than we originally imagined.

I am not going to state my opinion on you and your setup. For myself, knowing what I know now, I would want more truck. But my usage is likely not your usage, or any others usage. I do not like to be limited by my equipment as to what I can do. Others are OK with camping under equipment restriction needs.

That is your choice as well.

[HuckleberryHunt]

I agree with most of the previous replies. You'll be at the upper limit on your truck's capabilities, but you should be able to tow that trailer fine. However, you'll need to be content with going slow and careful and that trailer might feel like it's pushing your truck around a bit. Also going up hill (particularly the Passes) or against a headwind will make you wish you had a bigger truck.
I towed a 6K TT with a 2003 Silverado 1/2 ton (towing package) for 10+ years around Washington. Patience and caution are your friends....and a properly set up WD hitch.
Take criticism with a grain of salt and educate yourself (like you're doing). There are a lot of knowledgeable and experienced people on this site full of good info.

[gmw_photos]

This thread was a refreshing change from the way things usually go around here. You got some solid advice from some guys that are actually towing in the real world with setups like yours.

I agree I think you have a very workable combo. Careful, correct setup of the WD hitch is going to be key to your success.

Don't be too surprised if a certain forum poster comes along here shortly to advise you, "too much trailer for a 1/2 ton truck. You need a bigger truck or a smaller trailer". He always chimes in on matters like this.

[RVNoob123]

Wow what a great amount of info here. I love this forum. Thanks to everyone posting as you have made it easier to understand things so much clearer.
That being said the 7,800 is loaded with cargo, water, the whole 9 yards. I never plan on traveling with full water and since there are so many gas stations I will keep 1/2 tank when going over passes. I will make sure to keep it under 7k. Total capacity for my truck and trailer with all the goodies can't exceed 15k pounds. I will weigh prior to first trip so I know what I need then get the 4 point sway as that seems like a really great idea.
Can't really turn back now so with new tires and the sway bar I feel more confident.

Thanks again. I read all of these more than once so it sinks in 🙂

[Terryallan]

RVNoob123 wrote:
Hello folks,

We were at an RV show and bought a travel trailer. After working with the rep we decided on the model listed below to haul with our truck. My question is:
With the specs listed below do you feel we are good with our choice? I just want to make sure the load is not too much for the truck.

Here we go:

2017 Silverado 1500,Z71 LTZ 5.3 Liter V8, 8 speed trans., 3.42 gear ratio with towing package (not max towing package) The specs say it can haul up to 9,300 LBS. We have heard not to be past 60% of the total the truck can haul. We are at 65%. We do not plan on hauling any cargo above 1,000 LBS and carry many items in the bed of the truck.
Max payload 1,710 LBS.
GVWR 7,200 LBS.

Trailer info:

2018 Keystone Cougar 24SABWE
Dry weight is 5,910 LBS, Loaded GVWR 7,800 LBS. tongue weight is 650 LBS. They say this is designed for 1;/2 ton trucks like mine (so the rep says)

I just want to be sure when we are traveling up inclines and down we would be fine. I figured this to be the best place since there is a lot of experienced travelers here that could probably help.

Thanks so much in advance!

Something to know. Hauling is completely different than towing. Your HAULING capacity is in truth the payload capacity. You put 9300lb on your truck, It will squash it. Also do know that every pound you put in the truck takes that pound away from the towing capacity. So if you load 500lb in the truck. Your towing capacity is lowered by 500lb.

In truth to find exactly what your towing capacity is. Load it as you would for camping. Gear, family, what ever. Take it and weigh it. Subtract that from the tow capacity. What is left is what you can tow.
BTW. you only count tongue weight once. And it goes against the payload of the truck.

[rbpru]

I run my F-150 at or near its max cargo. I do this because it is the truck and trailer combo I ended up with and it is what the F-150 was designed to do.

It pulls fine, but running near the max cargo limit comes at a price. Whether you farm, work construction or tow; running near the limit adds wear and tear.

After 77,000 miles. of which 30,000 miles was towing I replaces tires, brakes and shocks. That is simply the cost of four years of RVing. In my case we like the way it pulls and also the way it rides day to day.

If I had a bigger or heavier TT I would need a bigger truck. Fortunately, we have the "right size" TT for us. I have no idea who invents the 80 or 60 or whatever percent rules for TTs and TVs. I prefer to go by the manufacturers specifications. They designed the darn things.

[APT]

I estimate you will be right around 7000 pounds loaded with 900-1000 pounds of loaded TW. I think that will be a great towing combination. Use a WDH with integrated sway control. Use the transmission's tow/haul mode any time the TT is connected. Happy Camping!

[Huntindog]

ScottG wrote:
Dry weight is meaningless.
What is the GVWR of the trailer?
Also, the 60% thing is more internet nonsense. Your truck is perfectly safe right up to its max capacities.

I had always heard 80%.... Regardless, the purpose of the recommendation is to keep newbies from getting into trouble.
Because you can NOT tow right up to the 9300# capacity. That is an advertising number. You will (especially in a 1/2 ton) exceed other ratings well before the tow rating is hit. So the rule is not a myth... Rather a general rule of thumb. Newbies don't know what all the ratings are, and how to figure it out. So a percentage of 80% is easy to figure, and in many cases keeps them out of trouble.

Now that said... with the way the rating wars have heated up in the truck market lately, 60% may not be unreasonable for a new recommendation. Keep reading as you will be getting info on just how to figure it. With what you have stated in your OP... It looks like you will be close. Maybe over.

[owenssailor]

We have the same truck as you except I have the max tow option. Our trailer weighs around 6600 lb loaded. This trip has covered around 8000 miles including some long up and down 6-7% grades. The truck handles the trailer with no problem at all.

[afidel]

It's going to completely depend on how many are in the truck and how much you carry in the bed. We have a MUCH smaller trailer at with 4 adult sized people plus a 10 year old and provisions for a 3 week trip we were at about 90% of rated capacity on both front and rear axle, GVWR and on the trailer axle (but not much CCC there). If I had a 6k dry weight trailer we would have been pretty heavily overloaded unless we could have moved most of the stuff out of the bed an into the trailer.

[rbpru]

By now it is obvious that cargo capacity is the most likely limit for the combo mentioned.

The only way to know the real numbers,rather than a guesstimate, is on the CAT scales.

I agree with the others the combo suggested will most likely exceed the max cargo limit of a half ton when loaded for the road.

[ktmrfs]

KD4UPL wrote:
Fully loaded you'll have about 1,000 pounds on the hitch of that truck. Adding the weight of your passengers and gear will probably put you pretty close to the payload capacity of that truck. The yellow door sticker will tell you the payload.
It should be fine.
I don't know where these crazy 60% or 80% rules come from; people who can't do the math of actual weights I guess.

I'll also estimate your real tongue weight will be between 900- 1000lbs. use that for how close you are on cargo capacity.

start with 690 empty, add 60lbs for full propane tanks, and 60lbs/battery, your at or over 800. then add what's in the pass through and the other stuff in the trailer, and you'll end up between 800 and 1000lbs.

For comparison I have a outback 295RE with an empty verified tongue weight of near 800lbs. Don't recall the exact number. Actual tongue weight with full propane, loaded trailer, and 4 batteries and full water tank. 1450lbs. empty water tank subtracts 100lbs.

[badsix]

i'm about the same numbers you are, last time I was out the trailer weighed in at about 7000 ready to camp with water. I had about 500 in the truck 2 people and a gen in the back. I pull 27' with a 2010 gmc crew cab, same spec as yours. it pulls great, you'll have no problems. I have enough power to go up any passes at above the speed limit if needed. going down with the trans in tow mode you very seldom need to use the brakes usually holds at about 55mph.
Jay D.