roaming_free
Iowa
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If I could ask another question. The weight distributing hitch will push some off the weight off the rear axle to the front, right?
It will be somewhat distributed across both axles?
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ScottG
Bothell Wa.
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Joined: 02/25/2005
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Yes! And the trailer axles too.
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rbpru
North Central Indiana
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It is important to understand the difference between towing capacity and payload capacity.
The towing capacity is model and feature specific. The payload is vehicle specific and is related to how many bells and whistles your truck has. The pay load or cargo capacity the vehicle will carry is usually listed on the door jamb.
If you have a proper WD Hitch your truck and trailer will ride level. If the trailer brakes are good the rig will stop okay.
However, you cannot escape the fact that the the truck is over loaded. That is you will exceed the design cargo limit and most likely the maximum axle ratings.
I did not know any of this then I bought my trailer, I assumed that my F-150 4x4 with a 9500 lb towing capacity would easily handle a 5000 lb dry weight trailer.
I was wrong. Across the CAT scales, my loaded for the road trailer weighs 6200 lbs. with 750 lbs. on the tongue. The door jamb sticker shows my fancy pickup's max cargo capacity, is 1411 lbs. That leave a bit over 650 lbs for two adults a large dog and camp gear.
So, as it turns out, I am at my max cargo limit. The combo works well and we have towed over 30,000 mile in four years. But there is no getting around the fact that the truck is at capacity for wear and tear and towing anything bigger is out of the question.
Folk do indeed tow above the rated limits of their vehicle but usually not that long or often. If you have a really bad trailer and tow vehicle miss match, no one will have to tell you, it is obvious.
Good luck and let us know what the scales showed.
Twenty six foot 2010 Dutchmen Lite pulled with a 2011 EcoBoost F-150 4x4.
Just right for Grandpa, Grandma and the dog.
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LarryJM
NoVa
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Terryallan wrote: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")
I was told the same thing about the brakes only being rated and tested for the full GVWR of the vehicle and not the GCWR of both by a professional that does vehicle FMVSS certification testing of a major truck brand. The test parameters are buried in the FMVSS testing protocals that contain the numbers, distances, time repetitions, etc., etc.
I agree with everyone else too much tail for that 1/2T dog and that puppy is not going to be happy with its current tail.
Larry
2001 standard box 7.3L E-350 PSD Van with 4.10 rear and 2007 Holiday Rambler Aluma-Lite 8306S Been RV'ing since 1974.
RAINKAP INSTALL////ETERNABOND INSTALL
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2112
Texas
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Good Grief Guys! Can we just start over?
Welcome to the forum roaming_free. You will find a wealth of knowledge here. However, it took three pages to get to payload. There is a yellow sticker on your driver door pillar that will look like this
![[image]](https://i.imgur.com/xwe1T6ql.jpg)
What I have circled is the remaining weight that can be added to the vehicle before you reach GVWR, referred to as payload limit. What is the value on your sticker?
What is the length of the trailer you want to tow? A long heavy trailer may be too much tail for your truck which will lead to sway issues.
Regardless what trailer you buy consider installing a set of Timbrems on you rear axle. They will help stabilize and level your truck.
My opinion is you will discover this is too much trailer for your truck but let's work through it to find out.
2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost SuperCab Max Tow, 2084# Payload, 11,300# Tow,
Timbrens, PullRite SuperGlide 2700 15K
2013 KZ Durango 2857
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SoundGuy
S Ontario
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Joined: 02/11/2015
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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.
A lot of innernut keyboard experts out there....
That's pretty disingenuous to even bring up the old, worn out "weight police" nonsense when the OP himself asked in his original post -
"Is there anything else that anyone thinks that I may not be considering?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions."
Well as a matter of fact I did think there was something the OP wasn't considering - this trailer he's talking about is WAY beyond the capabilities of his 1/2 ton Silverado ... and I'm speaking from the position of owning the same truck and having towed with several variations of it since 2006. Hey, the OP can do whatever he chooses but he asked for comment on his plans. ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/doh.gif "doh")
2012 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab
2014 Coachmen Freedom Express 192RBS
2003 Fleetwood Yuma * 2008 K-Z Spree 240BH-LX
2007 TrailCruiser C21RBH * 2000 Fleetwood Santa Fe
1998 Jayco 10UD * 1969 Coleman CT380
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SoundGuy
S Ontario
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roaming_free wrote:The campers website lists the tongue weight at 800 lbs.
That's the dry unloaded weight of the trailer tongue as it was manufactured and is nowhere near what it's loaded for camping gross tongue weight will or should be. This particular trailer, with a dry factory weight of 7250 lbs, is going to weigh several hundred pounds heavier once the dealer adds a few initial items such as a battery or two and propane in the tanks, along with water in the water heater tank and some reserve in the fresh water holding tank, so before you even begin to add your own gear you can bet it's dead weight as it sits there ready to be towed home will be at least 7500 lbs, if not more. That leaves you perhaps 1000 lbs or so to work with to account for the weight of everything you add to the trailer to prepare it for camping. Weight builds up quickly and you'll be surprised at how you can chew through that 1000 lbs, the reality being you'll likely find this trailer's GVW, loaded and ready to camp, won't be much less than it's GVWR. For sake of argument let's call it 8500 lbs - 13% to 14% gross tongue weight to gross trailer weight works out to about 1100 lbs to 1200 lbs of gross tongue weight, not 800 lbs. ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/eek.gif "eek")
As far as truck payload capacity is concerned forget about what might be listed in any brochure or owner's manual. The only number that counts is that which is printed on the driver's side door jamb sticker. You can confirm that number by filling the truck's fuel tank and taking it to a scale, if you're in it at the time subtract your weight from the scale reading - that's your particular truck's real world curb weight as it sits there ready to be hitched to a trailer. Subtract that number from it's GVWR and you'll have it's actual payload capacity, that which you will use to account for the weight of everyone and everything in the truck, plus the weight of your weight distribution system, plus any trailer tongue weight transferred to the truck once hitched up. Believe it, while all those other ratings must be considered, it's lack of payload capacity that will be your 1/2 ton truck's Achilles' Heel. ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/frown.gif "frown")
FWIW, I use a trailer weight calculator I custom modified for my own particular situation and it clearly shows I'm pretty well maxed out on payload capacity with my own 1/2 ton Silverado, towing a trailer that averages a mere 4800 lbs loaded & ready to camp. It's in .pdf format so if it helps any just PM me with an email addy that will accept attachments and I'll forward a copy you can modify with your own numbers. Numbers don't lie or exaggerate as do some pundits here on the forums who prefer to cloud these important issues with derogatory and cutesy comments like "weight police" and "innernut keyboard experts" but I can guarantee a calculator that doesn't exaggerate will be a real eye opener. ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/awink.gif "awink")
* This post was
edited 01/03/18 04:47am by SoundGuy *
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SoundGuy
S Ontario
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2112 wrote:Welcome to the forum roaming_free. You will find a wealth of knowledge here. However, it took three pages to get to payload.
Really? ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/scratchead.gif "scratchead") This thread is all about the OP's truck's payload capacity, or more correctly lack thereof, as has been from the beginning. Apparently you didn't read my own post back on Page 1, the first reply to the OP's query, in which I said -
"With a GVWR of 8600 lbs you could easily be running a gross tongue weight of 1100 to 1200 lbs of gross tongue weight, leaving very little payload capacity to account for the weight of everyone and all cargo in the truck when you're towing." ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/wink.gif "wink")
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APT
SE Michigan
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Joined: 06/09/2010
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roaming_free wrote:If I could ask another question. The weight distributing hitch will push some off the weight off the rear axle to the front, right?
It will be somewhat distributed across both axles?
Not quite. I'll use round numbers as examples. When you put 1000 pounds of dead TW on a TV ball, that will increase rear axle weight by about 1400 pounds and decrease the front axle weight by 400 pounds. This is because the weight is applied like a lever with the fulcrum the rear axle. The goal of a WDH is to shift that 1400 pounds from the rear axle back to the front axle and some to the trailer. This is where the front axle weighty restoration comes in. Most companies designing vehicles meant for towing weights requiring a WDH will specify in the owners manual how much to restore. So 100% would be the 400 pounds lost from the front axle. 50% would be only 200 pounds returned to the front axle.
Back to the example.
1000 pounds of dead TW
front axle -400
rear axle +1400
With WDH adjusted for 100%
front axle same as unhitched
rear axle +800 pound
trailer axles +200 pounds
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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2112
Texas
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SoundGuy wrote:2112 wrote:Welcome to the forum roaming_free. You will find a wealth of knowledge here. However, it took three pages to get to payload.
Really? This thread is all about the OP's truck's payload capacity, or more correctly lack thereof, as has been from the beginning. Apparently you didn't read my own post back on Page 1, the first reply to the OP's query, in which I said -
"With a GVWR of 8600 lbs you could easily be running a gross tongue weight of 1100 to 1200 lbs of gross tongue weight, leaving very little payload capacity to account for the weight of everyone and all cargo in the truck when you're towing." Unbelievable. I cleared my block list a few days ago and here you are being just as snarly and egotistical as ever. I see you still love the emojis
You are the first to make my 2018 block list. Happy New Year!
FWIW (probably not much) nobody explained to him how to derive his remaining payload capacity. OP never mentioned payload nor did he imply that he understood that is his limiting factor.
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