Yet another tow/weight question...
First time poster. I anticipate become a full-fledged member of this site/community as I get started. Like many, I am confused about my truck's towing capacity. I've read every word of this thread ...
Forum Discussion
SlothHorn wrote:
Thanks so much for all the info.
1. The two we're looking at have dry weights of 4,883 and 5,120.
2. I'm sure most newbies say this, but, we don't anticipate having too much added weight to the calculations above. Family is less than 500 total. We're not planning on taking anything more than the usual cooler, food, clothes, dishes, etc... We may take our bicycles as well.
Yes, lots of newbies say that...very rare for them to come back and say they got it right. You would be amazed how much stuff winds up stuffed in various places and you don't realize it because it went in one piece at a time.
Also keep in mind, if you travel with water in the tank, that counts against the payload. 50 gallons can be 400lbs...most people don't travel full but even 20gal so you can use the toilet at rest stops adds 160lbs.
One word of caution: be careful how you load the trailer. Generally 12-15% tongue weight is considered ideal and how you load can affect that.
- Above 15% and you will run out of truck payload faster.
- Below 10% and trailers become subject to sway and control issues.
