gmw photos
midwest
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To the OP, welcome to having the RV net weight police descend upon your parade like a ton of bricks ( pardon the pun ). Before you panic and run out and trade the 1500 on a new one ton dually, take your truck to the scales and get some real world weights. Compare them to the door sticker, paying particular attention to rear axle actual weight, vs capacity.
If you already have this new trailer, or can get it to the scale, get the actual weights.
Real numbers trump internet forum opinions spouted by guys that just want to spend your money on a new truck.
When you get some real data, come back here and let's discuss this further. There is a possibility you could in fact hook this all up and be within the axle ( and tire ) ratings, and have a good combo.
I spend seven months a year on the road in a lot of different campgrounds. Talk to a lot of people. Let's just say what I see out here in the real world is often quite different from what I see being yakked about on the forum. A lot of innernut keyboard experts out there....
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Terryallan
Foothills NC
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gmw photos wrote:To the OP, welcome to having the RV net weight police descend upon your parade like a ton of bricks ( pardon the pun ). Before you panic and run out and trade the 1500 on a new one ton dually, take your truck to the scales and get some real world weights. Compare them to the door sticker, paying particular attention to rear axle actual weight, vs capacity.
If you already have this new trailer, or can get it to the scale, get the actual weights.
Real numbers trump internet forum opinions spouted by guys that just want to spend your money on a new truck.
When you get some real data, come back here and let's discuss this further. There is a possibility you could in fact hook this all up and be within the axle ( and tire ) ratings, and have a good combo.
I spend seven months a year on the road in a lot of different campgrounds. Talk to a lot of people. Let's just say what I see out here in the real world is often quite different from what I see being yakked about on the forum. A lot of innernut keyboard experts out there....
Yeah. Some of us only been doing this for 40 years or so. We don't know nothin.
But I can tell you this. The brakes on a vehicle, any vehicle are only rated to STOP the GVWR of itself. Overload the vehicle, and you over load the brakes. You compromise your stopping ability, and your safety.
There is a lot more to towing safely than the weight capacity of the rear axle. Telling some one it is safe to well overload their TV is not a good idea. And the OP has almost ran out of payload when he hooks to that empty trailer.
1500 series trucks, make great TVs. but you got to stay inside their capacities.
BTW. there is another guy that wants to tow a travel trailer with a minivan. You should tell him that is OK as well.
Terry & Shay
Coachman Apex 288BH.
2013 F150 XLT Off Road
5.0, 3.73
Lazy Campers
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KD4UPL
Swoope, VA
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The tow rating of your truck (9,600 pounds you say) is based on an empty vehicle with a 150 pound driver. As you add the weight of people, truck accessories, and cargo the rating technically goes down.
The problem is the payload capacity of your truck is rather low and TT tend to have rather high tongue weight. A boat on a trailer or a flatbed hauling equipment, for example, will have a lower percentage of tongue weight than a TT. You might be able to tow a 9,600 pound boat but not a 9,600 pound TT. This is something the vehicle manufacture usually doesn't mention or hides in the fine print.
I don't know the axle weights of your truck, the payload of your truck, or the tongue weight of your fully loaded trailer. But, my guess is that when you are ready to go camping you will be exceeding the payload and likely the rear axle weight rating of your truck.
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ScottG
Bothell Wa.
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Joined: 02/25/2005
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Terryallan wrote:gmw photos wrote:To the OP, welcome to having the RV net weight police descend upon your parade like a ton of bricks ( pardon the pun ). Before you panic and run out and trade the 1500 on a new one ton dually, take your truck to the scales and get some real world weights. Compare them to the door sticker, paying particular attention to rear axle actual weight, vs capacity.
If you already have this new trailer, or can get it to the scale, get the actual weights.
Real numbers trump internet forum opinions spouted by guys that just want to spend your money on a new truck.
When you get some real data, come back here and let's discuss this further. There is a possibility you could in fact hook this all up and be within the axle ( and tire ) ratings, and have a good combo.
I spend seven months a year on the road in a lot of different campgrounds. Talk to a lot of people. Let's just say what I see out here in the real world is often quite different from what I see being yakked about on the forum. A lot of innernut keyboard experts out there....
Yeah. Some of us only been doing this for 40 years or so. We don't know nothin.
But I can tell you this. The brakes on a vehicle, any vehicle are only rated to STOP the GVWR of itself. Overload the vehicle, and you over load the brakes. You compromise your stopping ability, and your safety.
There is a lot more to towing safely than the weight capacity of the rear axle. Telling some one it is safe to well overload their TV is not a good idea. And the OP has almost ran out of payload when he hooks to that empty trailer.
1500 series trucks, make great TVs. but you got to stay inside their capacities.
BTW. there is another guy that wants to tow a travel trailer with a minivan. You should tell him that is OK as well.
Totally agree but there is always someone who takes self worth in insulting and disparaging forum members opinions. Unable to communicate without insults, vague or otherwise and boosting their self worth this way, they do so from the safety of of hiding behind a computer screen.
One small detail that you stated though that is often written here, A trucks brakes are (Per Ford and Ram at least) designed to stop the full combination weight it is rated for. That is not to say one doesn't need brakes on a trailer. That only means that the truck brakes are designed to provide sufficient braking when called upon in the event the trailers brakes are not up to the task.
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Lwiddis
Southern California :(
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Trying to think of a jazzy name to call GMW since when he disagrees he calls me “weight police.” Of course if I’m wrong no one dies or is injured and no manufacturer successfully defends on “exceeded maximum rated weight.”
“Talk to a lot of people.” I never learn much when I talk, GMW.
* This post was
edited 01/02/18 08:07pm by Lwiddis *
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad
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Terryallan
Foothills NC
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Joined: 06/28/2004
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ScottG wrote:Terryallan wrote:gmw photos wrote:To the OP, welcome to having the RV net weight police descend upon your parade like a ton of bricks ( pardon the pun ). Before you panic and run out and trade the 1500 on a new one ton dually, take your truck to the scales and get some real world weights. Compare them to the door sticker, paying particular attention to rear axle actual weight, vs capacity.
If you already have this new trailer, or can get it to the scale, get the actual weights.
Real numbers trump internet forum opinions spouted by guys that just want to spend your money on a new truck.
When you get some real data, come back here and let's discuss this further. There is a possibility you could in fact hook this all up and be within the axle ( and tire ) ratings, and have a good combo.
I spend seven months a year on the road in a lot of different campgrounds. Talk to a lot of people. Let's just say what I see out here in the real world is often quite different from what I see being yakked about on the forum. A lot of innernut keyboard experts out there....
Yeah. Some of us only been doing this for 40 years or so. We don't know nothin.
But I can tell you this. The brakes on a vehicle, any vehicle are only rated to STOP the GVWR of itself. Overload the vehicle, and you over load the brakes. You compromise your stopping ability, and your safety.
There is a lot more to towing safely than the weight capacity of the rear axle. Telling some one it is safe to well overload their TV is not a good idea. And the OP has almost ran out of payload when he hooks to that empty trailer.
1500 series trucks, make great TVs. but you got to stay inside their capacities.
BTW. there is another guy that wants to tow a travel trailer with a minivan. You should tell him that is OK as well.
Totally agree but there is always someone who takes self worth in insulting and disparaging forum members opinions. Unable to communicate without insults, vague or otherwise and boosting their self worth this way, they do so from the safety of of hiding behind a computer screen.
One small detail that you stated though that is often written here, A trucks brakes are (Per Ford and Ram at least) designed to stop the full combination weight it is rated for. That is not to say one doesn't need brakes on a trailer. That only means that the truck brakes are designed to provide sufficient braking when called upon in the event the trailers brakes are not up to the task.
Only Reason I mentioned about the brakes. Is because I was taught by a guy (Brakeman) that designs brakes for a major car company. He told me the brakes are only designed to safely stop the GVWR of the vehicle, and not the trailer. They will. but could take awhile. But he could have been wrong, or I may have misunderstood him. I been wrong twice that I know of![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/biggrin.gif "biggrin")
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APT
SE Michigan
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Joined: 06/09/2010
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At 7250 pounds dry, you will be 8000-8500 pounds loaded with 1100 pounds of TW. That is really pushing the comfortable limits of most half ton owners. But many people do it. If you have ~1500 pounds of payload, then your suspension will feel quite soft as with passengers, cargo in bed, and TW the rear axle and GVWR will likely be exceeded.
Towing a high walled TT is about as difficult as it gets for the truck for any given weight. Besides a bit parachute, the trailer also has high side profile and catches any cross winds as well. A boat of 8000 pounds will tow better than a TT at 5000 pounds in most conditions for example.
You got what you got, so try it out. Use tow/haul trans mode. Use M4 to lock out 5th/6th gears. Learn how to adjust the WDH to restore 100% of front axle weight. Flush all the fluids. Start practicing at low speeds, <50mph and build confidence as you get up to 55/60/65mph.
* This post was
edited 01/03/18 04:54am by APT *
A & A parents of DD 2005, DS1 2007, DS2 2009
2011 Suburban 2500 6.0L 3.73 pulling 2011 Heartland North Trail 28BRS
2017 Subaru Outback 3.6R
2x 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV (Gray and Black Twins)
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gmw photos
midwest
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And so does my 50 years of experience doing this stuff trump the guys that have been doing this for 40 year ? Not really. Seriously guys, you don't need to get all butt-hurt when your comments are called out.
OP, I stand by my statement: take your truck and trailer to the scales. Come back with real numbers. The question is, as I stated earlier, can you stay within, specifically AXLE and tire ratings ?
Numbers count, because that is what the engineers at GM have assigned to all these various components.
Discussions of GVWR and payload are another part of the whole picture. We can see many 2500 series trucks running around loaded beyond the labelled GVWR, yet under the axle rating. Imagine that.
OP, don't let these guys get you down just because they are ganging up on both you and me. Get the real numbers, do the research, become an educated user. You might be surprised at what you learn.
And in the end, it may in fact be that you "are" over the axle limits. If so, you will know based on real data, not internet hype.
EDIT: no where in my post did I suggest to the OP he should tow in an unsafe or overloaded manner. My suggestion was to taake the rig to the scales.
As to the discussion on the brakes of the truck vs GVWR....hmmm....we seem to have some folks that know a lot about it. So which is it ? Are they designed to stop just the truck at GVW? Or is it GCW ? What are the parameters for that test ? How many times, or on what percent grade must they perform to what level ?
* This post was
edited 01/02/18 08:54pm by gmw photos *
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ScottG
Bothell Wa.
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Joined: 02/25/2005
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gmw photos wrote:And so does my 50 years of experience doing this stuff trump the guys that have been doing this for 40 year ? Not really. Seriously guys, you don't need to get all butt-hurt when your comments are called out.
No, what trumps your 50 years (or whatever you claim) is a snotty, insulting tone that tries to discredit other sensible and civil comments.
Communicating like that destroys what ever argument you're making and your credibility too.
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roaming_free
Iowa
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Let's try to remain friends here. I appreciate all of the feedback. I'll take the truck to the scales tomorrow and see how it turns out. We have not bought the camper yet, but if I can manage to get the weight within specs, I have no issue with taking two separate vehicles when we go to camp, we almost always do right now. I also have no problem reducing speed if it increases safety.
I'm also going to call the camper lot and ask them to put the camper on a scale and make sure that I didn't misremember details. The campers website lists the tongue weight at 800 lbs.
Thanks for the advice folks.
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