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Old 10-25-2016, 02:32 PM   #1
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Question 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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Old 10-25-2016, 02:47 PM   #2
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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.
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Old 10-25-2016, 03:08 PM   #3
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Old 10-25-2016, 03:28 PM   #4
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Old 10-25-2016, 03:30 PM   #5
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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.
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Old 10-25-2016, 03:36 PM   #6
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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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Old 10-25-2016, 03:42 PM   #7
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X2 on using cargo capacity of the truck, Do not use towing capacity.
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Old 10-25-2016, 04:07 PM   #8
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Someone from this site posted this before:
Towing Calculator based on Truck's Payload/CCC - Towing Planner
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Old 10-25-2016, 07:36 PM   #9
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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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Old 10-25-2016, 08:13 PM   #10
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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.
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Old 10-25-2016, 08:29 PM   #11
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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.
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Old 10-25-2016, 08:31 PM   #12
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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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Old 10-25-2016, 09:00 PM   #13
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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.
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Old 10-25-2016, 09:04 PM   #14
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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.
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Old 10-26-2016, 07:38 AM   #15
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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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Old 10-26-2016, 11:07 AM   #16
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Another option is a toyhauler to put the golf cart in when towing.
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Old 10-26-2016, 12:44 PM   #17
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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.
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Old 10-26-2016, 02:02 PM   #18
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Get one of these; your tow problems will be over:

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