Tycho wrote:
APT wrote:
Your Expy is likely limited by either the as equipped payload or the recevier rating of 890 pounds. Check the driver's door sticker for max combined weight of occupants and cargo shall not exceed weight.
Sticker says shall not exceed 1385#s. How is that number different than max payload number I found or is it the same and the door is just the more accurate number?
Door sticker is the max cargo.
Trailer hitch sticker is the MAX that the hitch can handle safely.
Yellow door sticker cargo weight includes driver AND FULL TANK OF FUEL.
You subtract any other passengers and cargo placed in the tow vehicle from that yellow sticker cargo weight.
The result left over is the max cargo available your vehicle can handle safely.
Now if the max cargo you calculated from the yellow sticker exceeds the hitch rating then use the hitch rating as the max tongue weight you can tow.
IF the max cargo you calculated from the yellow sticker IS LESS THAN the hitch rating then use the LEFT OVER CARGO rating you calculated from the yellow sticker as the max tongue weight you can tow.
The tongue of the trailer becomes "cargo" of the vehicle.
You should have a min of 10% to 15% of the trailer weight as the tongue weight for a STABLE tow.
So, a 5,000 lb trailer should have 500 lbs to 750 lbs of tongue weight.
6,000 lb trailer should have 600 lbs to 900 lbs of tongue weight.
7,000 lb trailer should have 700 lbs to 1,050 lbs of tongue weight.
Keep in mind, weight distribution hitch will ADD some weight to the tongue.. typically figure in about 100 lbs..
A general rule of thumb is that you WILL run out of available "cargo" weight before you run out of any other weight.. So the reality is AVAILABLE CARGO is your limiting factor.
The weights I described above ARE FULLY LOADED WEIGHTS, NOT "DRY" OR "EMPTY" WEIGHTS!!!
Buying by using DRY or EMPTY weights without figuring in ALL the "stuff" you load into the trailer will often put you into a potential overload situation..
