Towing margin of safety.

[Huckyducky]

If I have 4800 pounds maximum combined dry weight and allowed cargo (including propane and water. What would you ask the towing capacity of the tow vehicle to have as a margin of, if not safety level, comfort level 10%, 20%? Also assume I've loaded the tow vehicle with it's acceptable hauling capacity. Thanks.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Huckyducky

If I have 4800 pounds maximum combined dry weight and allowed cargo (including propane and water. What would you ask the towing capacity of the tow vehicle to have as a margin of, if not safety level, comfort level 10%, 20%? Also assume I've loaded the tow vehicle with it's acceptable hauling capacity. Thanks.

I think the TV tire capacity is a much more crucial item to watch and I like at least a minimum of 20% more capacity than the actual load. JMO

[John4th]

I'd want at least 6800 pounds. A full ton or more over the gross weight rating of the trailer. Assuming you're not hauling a golf cart, ATV, motorcycle, or rick of firewood in the tow vehicle.


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[BigBaron]

I would get the most tow rating that your budget allows. The more you have, the more comfortable you'll be when towing.

[bikendan]

our HTT weighs around 5000lbs. loaded for camping.
i wouldn't want any TV less than what our Avalanche is capable of towing, which is 7200lbs.
but we live out West and have lots of mountain ranges to get over.

[thebrakeman]

Originally Posted by Huckyducky

If I have 4800 pounds maximum combined dry weight and allowed cargo (including propane and water. What would you ask the towing capacity of the tow vehicle to have as a margin of, if not safety level, comfort level 10%, 20%? Also assume I've loaded the tow vehicle with it's acceptable hauling capacity. Thanks.

I have no idea what "maximum combined dry and allowed cargo" means? Do you simply mean that the loaded trailer will be no more than 4800 lbs?

If so, simply add the weight of passengers and cargo that will be in the tow vehicle, and that will be the absolute minimum Tow Rating you will need. If you intend to go into more than gentle hills, add a bit more. If you intend to do a LOT of camping/towing (more than a few times a year), add a little more.

But if you camp like we do (in generally flat areas), you don't need to add a whole lot of margin. Us engineers have already done that. We have about 1000 lbs of margin with our current trailer, and it moves and handles like a champ.

[prof_fate]

tow rating includes the load of the tv - GCWR is the figure to look at.
TT tires are rec to have 20% margin...from the tire makers. FR seems to believe it cutting it very very close- my rims are rated BELOW what the C-rated tires are rated for...scary, huh?
GVWR of the TT is right at the max of the rims and 200lb or so below all four tires. Since many TT's are not build 'balanced' you can easily overload tires on one side but be under on total weight.

As for TV...Current TV is near max on payload but towing/GCWR we have about 1800lbs of margin. Our last TV was at max or a bit over and while I never felt unsafe, I feel a whole lot more relaxed with the new TV.

[dj3spots]

Originally Posted by BigBaron

I would get the most tow rating that your budget allows. The more you have, the more comfortable you'll be when towing.

X3. Buy for what you might want, not for what you got.


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[The_Rhino]

X4. Buy for what you might want, not for what you got.

Also assume I've loaded the tow vehicle with it's acceptable hauling capacity

IMO it sounds like you are going to run-out of hauling capacity before towing capacity which is often the case with light duty trucks & SUVs....

Although you never want to overload, IMO the safety margin really depends on the TV & the terrain you are covering. In some cases, the truck/SUV manufacturers provide aggressive tow rating numbers that will not yield good real world performance...

For instance, some 1/2 ton trucks & SUVs have the same or higher tow ratings as my '11 Ram 2500 (9,100 lbs.)... However, my 2500 has a payload capacity of 3,000 lbs., E rated tires, a stiffer frame, leaf springs, more braking power, etc. so it handles the same load with more control than any 1/2 ton will...

In subsequent years Ram increased the tow rating of my 2500 ST by 2,000 lbs. without making significant changes to the design. Therefore I am very comfortable operating at near capacity since my tow rating is a conservative number for my class of vehicle...