Towing question

[asquared]

There is a lot more than overall manufacturers stated tow capacity to look at as that number is given on a best case scenario with nothing but a driver in the truck..... let's look at how to figure out what you can tow.

First load your truck up with all passengers, pets and gear that will be with you when camping. Now go to a local Cat scale and weigh your truck with a full tank of fuel plus all of the above mentioned items. Put the front axle on the first scale pad and the rear axle on the second scale pad. (Bring a broom handle as the button to push us at truckers height).

Now take your trucks total scaled weight and subtract it from your trucks gcwr (gross combined weight rating) to get your adjusted towing capacity. Take your trucks scaled weight and subtract it from your trucks gvwr (gross vehicle weight rating) to get your available payload. Take your rear axle weight (drive axle on the paper) and subtract it from the max rawr (rear axle weight rating) to find out how much room you have available on your rear axle. You need to stay within all of these numbers with your loaded tt weights.

Your trailer tongue weight will be applied to your truck's payload. The dry tongue weight listed is kind of a useless number as it commonly does not include propane, battery etc. Your ideal tongue weight is 13-15% of the trailers loaded (not dry weight). You will not be taking a empty or dry trailer camping. Since you don't know how much weight you will be putting in, it is safer to calculate using tt gvwr, although I will tell you that on average people tend to add 1000-1500 lbs of gear, dishes, clothes etc to their tt. I highly doubt you will be loading 3000 lbs into a tt.

Once you look at all of these numbers you will have a pretty good idea of what you can tow. Don't let a salesman talk you into towing any heavier than that. Happy hunting.

[mileyjean]

Ok I am back at the drawing board again!!!! Here are some new numbers what do you think?

Truck specs
2010 ford 150 super crew 4x2
5.4 L3-valve V8
Axle ratio-3.55
GCWR-15,300
Max payload-1750
GVWR-7100
Max trailer weight-9800

TT
Surveyor -265RLDS
30ft 10in
Dry weight -5900
Cargo weight-3661
Hitch weight - 695

So what do you think with these numbers and I what kind of traveling could I do or not do with these numbers?

[MtnGuy]

Better. I pull a 28.6' Surveyor that has an empty weight of 4600 lbs., with about another 1000 lbs. of gear in it.........that is hard to believe, but the scales don't lie.

My shortcoming is the truck payload. Attaching a 700 lb trailer tongue on the hitch, some camping gear in the back, canoe and bikes hanging over the bed, and the missus, a 85 lb. fur baby, and me in the drivers seat, I am pretty darn close to my GVWR of 7200 lbs.

[asquared]

What does the tire loading sticker inside your drivers side door say? Look for "occupants and cargo not to exceed x lbs". This number will likely be way lower than 1750 lbs max payload. Subtract the weight of your family, pets and gear from that. What is left is available payload and the loaded tongue weight will need to be less than that.

[mileyjean]

1639lbs is max payload.

[Black]

Looks doable, but I think your truck will be at it's max capacity.

[whatzleft]

my 2000 Silverado K2500 has the 6.0 Vortex, the 4.10:1dgr I can't find all those numbers on my door sticker. I'm thinking I can pull 10,500 from what I read in the manual, but just not sure.
Only numbers in my door panel are;


GVWR 8600
GAWR FRT 4410
GAWR RR 6000

[grayfox]

FYI

Trailer Towing Guides | Trailer Life Magazine

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by asquared

What does the tire loading sticker inside your drivers side door say? Look for "occupants and cargo not to exceed x lbs". This number will likely be way lower than 1750 lbs max payload. Subtract the weight of your family, pets and gear from that. What is left is available payload and the loaded tongue weight will need to be less than that.

Tire loading sticker is usually for P tires and has nothing to do with it if you have switched to LR D or E tires, which should be the first thing done on any truck towing a trailer over about 3000# IMO.

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Tire loading sticker is usually for P tires and has nothing to do with it if you have switched to LR D or E tires, which should be the first thing done on any truck towing a trailer over about 3000# IMO.

Those are misleading statements. Yes, the tire loading sticker relates to the OEM tires. OEM P tires weight limits should exceed axle weight ratings. Just putting LT tires on a vehicle does not raise the axle ratings, or the GVWR of a vehicle.....that is determined by other factors.

If someone does not exceed their axle weight ratings, then their OEM tire weight ratings should not be exceeded...........if indeed the tires are rated more than the axle.

The P tires that came on my truck preformed admirably. I replaced them last year, not because of the thread depth, but because of their age At 45,000 miles, they still had 6-7 32nds of tread left on them, but I was concerned about pulling my camper to distant destinations with 8 year old tires. I replaced them with P tires, although I did move up to a 44 lb max psi tire instead of the 35 pis max of the OEM tires. I looked into going up to a C rated LT tire, but none could be found in my area......just Es. IMHO, E rated LT tires on a 1/2 ton truck is overkill if the axle ratings are not exceeded.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by MtnGuy

Those are misleading statements. Yes, the tire loading sticker relates to the OEM tires. OEM P tires weight limits should exceed axle weight ratings...

I disagree, that the stock tire load ratings exceed the axle ratings and if you want to eliminate a sway inhibitor, get either LR D or LR E tires on any truck regardless of whether it's a 1/2 T or not.

[Arefbee]

Have you looked at a Cherokee 254Q? I would bet the dealer can replace the couch with lounge chairs and get rid of the elevator bunk option. It sounds like with your small crew that the other units are a bit heavier than you need.

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

I disagree, that the stock tire load ratings exceed the axle ratings

My OEM tires were rated at 2205 lbs. maximum weight each, for a total of 4410 lbs with a rear axle weight rating of 3850 lbs......and 3750 lbs weight rating on the front axle.

The tire comments are not answering the OPs concerns, so let's get this thread back on topic.

[lbrjet]

Stock tire ratings will always exceed the sticker axle rating, period.


2010 F250 5.4L 3.73
2011 Flagstaff 831FKBSS
Equal-i-zer 4pt 12K