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10-25-2016, 02:32 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Western NC
Posts: 50
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HELP me figure out what I can tow.
I've looked at threads, read websites and everything else and now all the figures are going in circles in my head. Can someone please tell me a simple way to figure if the truck I'm looking at is enough for my TT and golf cart? Everything I read seems to contradict each other. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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10-25-2016, 02:47 PM
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#2
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Kanadian Kamper
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Southern Ontario
Posts: 8,113
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Go with a 1 ton dually, and you can tow whatever you want.
You can choose from Ford, GMC, Chevy, or RAM.
__________________
Ken and Terry
2018 Sunseeker 2430S-CD, nicely modified and carried by a 2017 Ford E450 Sport
Former Georgetown 330TS owner for 10 years with more mods than I can count, pushed by our 2017 GMC Terrain
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10-25-2016, 03:08 PM
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#3
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Pickin', Campin', Mason
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: South Western PA
Posts: 19,051
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__________________
2022 Cedar Creek 345IK 5th Wheel•Solar & Inverter•2017 Ford F-Series SCREW 4x4•Factory Puck•B&W Companion•TST Tire Monitor w/Repeater•Sinemate 3500w Gen.
F&AM Lodge 358 Somerset, PA - JAFFA Shrine - Altoona, PA
Days Camped ☼ '19=118 ☼ '20=116 ☼ '21=123 ☼ '22=134 ☼ '23=118☼ '24=64
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10-25-2016, 03:28 PM
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#4
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Mddle of the Rd Extremist
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 553
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Got mine.......
__________________
Dan, Carolyn & The Bandit (1999-2015 RIP...)
MCPO (Retired)
United States Navy ('65 - '87)
2014 Cedar Creek 38FL
2013 RAM 3500 6.7L diesel DRW Crew Cab
"When you get to the fork in the road, take it....."
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10-25-2016, 03:30 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 496
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I think most of the kind folks around here would be able to help you more if they knew the type, capacities and weight of your truck as well as the weights of the TT and golf cart.
__________________
2001 Ford F250 7.3l converted to F350 specs
2014 Flagstaff 8528RKWS
2006 model year Border Collie
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10-25-2016, 03:36 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,179
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Open the glove compartment. Glued to the door you will find payload data. Now, add up passangers, golf cart, and anything you might put in the truck. Subtract that from the trucks GVWR that is +/- how much load carrying capacity left over for hitch equipment and trailer hitch weight. Trailer hitch weight will be approx 12% of the trailers loaded ready to travel weight. Instead of guessing that, use the trailers GVWR.
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10-25-2016, 03:42 PM
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#7
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 15,243
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X2 on using cargo capacity of the truck, Do not use towing capacity.
__________________
2015 Freedom Express 248RBS
TV 2015 Silverado HD2500 Duramax
TST Tire Monitors
Honda 2000I + Companion
2 100W solar panels
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10-25-2016, 04:07 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Warwick, RI
Posts: 379
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10-25-2016, 07:36 PM
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#9
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Western NC
Posts: 50
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I can't find the ccc rating, but I did find the GCWR rating. Can I subtract the curb weight from that as well as passengers, junk, etc. and see what's left for my Tt? It has a dry weight of 7200. I'll be using a WD hitch. The truck I'm looking at is a Dodge 2500 4x4 crew cab with a short bed. 5.7 liter gas with a gvw of 8800. The gcwr is 17000. Hope this helps.
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10-25-2016, 08:13 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 496
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You can just subtract those figures to make sure you are not over total gcwr, but that is only part of the equation. In order to stay under the sticker ratings you would also need to make sure you don't exceed the trucks cargo capacity which you say is 8800. So take the fully loaded curb weight of the truck w fuel, you, junk, etc. and subtract it from the 8800. That gives you what the sticker says you shouldn't exceed for hitch weight. A WD hitch makes no difference when doing the math.
My uneducated guess is your truck is going to weigh 7000-7500 pounds or so loaded up. To stay within the ratings then you shouldn't have a TT with a hitch weight above 1300-1800 pounds. i.e., a fully loaded 10,000lb TT would theoretically have about 1200 pounds of hitch weight (at 12% average) and in the above guesstimated weights you would be under your capacities. Without actual figures I am just guessing though. Like was said above, you should use the gvwr of the TT to do the math. The TT might also have a different % hitch weight when fully loaded so that is why everyone will tell you to go to a CAT scale and weigh everything.
__________________
2001 Ford F250 7.3l converted to F350 specs
2014 Flagstaff 8528RKWS
2006 model year Border Collie
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10-25-2016, 08:29 PM
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#11
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 11,069
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If you are looking to buy, then just go ahead and bump to the 3500 for a small amount more. If you already have the ram 2500 then look at the inside door jamb. You will see on the tire loading sticker where it says "weight of occupants and cargo should not exceed X lbs". Using the curb weight isn't much help as each package option adds weight to the truck which will subtract from payload.
You can also do the most accurate thing and go weigh your truck with a full load of fuel, all passengers, pets and gear that will be in it when towing. Take the gcwr and subtract the total scaled weight to get your adjusted towing capacity. Take the gvwr and subtract the total Scaled weight to get your available payload. Next take your rear gawr and subtract your rear axle weight to see how much room available on the rear axle. Your loaded tt weight needs to be less than adjusted towing capacity. Your loaded tt tongue weight needs to be less than available payload.
Next you need to understand trailer weights. Never shop by dry weight. Best to shop by gvwr of trailer if you don't know how much gear you will add to a trailer although on average, most tend to add 1000-1500 lbs of stuff to a tt. Ideal loaded tongue weight will be 13-15% of loaded tt weight.
__________________
2014 Crew Cab Chevy Silverado 3500 4wd Duramax/Allison
2014 Sabre 34REQS-6
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10-25-2016, 08:31 PM
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#12
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Western NC
Posts: 50
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So if I understand correctly, the weight of the truck with passengers, fuel, etc combined with the hitch weight should not exceed the gvw of the truck. The gcwr should be more than the total truck weight and whatever your towing.
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10-25-2016, 09:00 PM
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#13
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 11,069
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The gvwr is the gross vehicle weight rating. This means it is the most a vehicle can weigh with anything in or on it. This includes passengers, pets, cargo and trailer tongue weight.
The gcwr is the gross combined weight rating. This means it is the most the truck plus what it is towing can weigh.
__________________
2014 Crew Cab Chevy Silverado 3500 4wd Duramax/Allison
2014 Sabre 34REQS-6
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10-25-2016, 09:04 PM
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#14
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 11,069
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The grawr is the gross rear axle weight rating. It is the most an axle can weigh with anything sitting on it. This would include the pin weight of a fifth wheel.
__________________
2014 Crew Cab Chevy Silverado 3500 4wd Duramax/Allison
2014 Sabre 34REQS-6
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10-26-2016, 07:38 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: WNC
Posts: 560
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Will the golf cart will fit in a short bed? A 4 wheeler barely fits in my sons short bed ram.... And a quick stop resulted in a new rear window.
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Retired Paramedic
2020 FSX 280RT
2005 Silverado 1500 Ext cab 5.3 H.O.
2011 HD Road King
Nights camped since 2019.....all of Em...Homes a 2001 Sea Breeze 36' 5 ER
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10-26-2016, 11:07 AM
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#16
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 11,069
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Another option is a toyhauler to put the golf cart in when towing.
__________________
2014 Crew Cab Chevy Silverado 3500 4wd Duramax/Allison
2014 Sabre 34REQS-6
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10-26-2016, 12:44 PM
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#17
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Northwest lower Michigan
Posts: 24
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Read many articles on vehicle weights and ratings (plenty of math) but another thing to consider is the intangibles. Where will you travel (mountains, plains), how far will you travel (close to home or cross country)? What types of weather do you anticipate ? How comfy are you on a long downhill with a maxed out TV with a road covered with wet snow or in a heavy rain with big crosswinds ? Personally I like little trailers and big trucks but I know that is not for everyone. A fellow camper in New York this summer told me "The truck needs to be the boss". Good advice.
__________________
2016 Palomino Solaire 201SS
2011 GMC 2500 Duramax
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