Towing rating on Chevy Silverado

[doeagle2009]

I have a 2004 Chevy Silverado with a tow rating of 4900 pounds. When I subtract people and cargo weight my tow capacity is 4500 pounds. I am looking at purchasing a travel trailer with an empty weight of 3910 pounds. I do not have a transmission cooler. Will IO have issues towing this trailer even though I will not exceed 4500 pounds?

[bikendan]

Sounds like your Chevy doesn't have the factory tow package and it has a v-6 engine.

Also need more info:
Payload capacity
Rear end ratio
Engine size
What make and model of trailer are you looking at.?

And is the 3910 number from the trailer's yellow weight sticker or from brochure/website bogus numbers?

[doeagle2009]

My Chevy doesn't have the factory tow package

Payload capacity:1554#
Rear end ratio:3.42
Engine size :4.6 L V6
What make and model of trailer are you looking at.? 2016 Coachman Freedom Express, 192 RBS

And is the 3910 number from the trailer's yellow weight sticker or from brochure/website bogus numbers? 3910# comes from subtracting maximum cargo (1990#) from GVWR (5900#). Trailer yellow sticker didn't have actual trailer weight printed on it.

Thanks!

[Seachaser186]

You could probably tow a pop-up camper. Even a small TT with the height would be a challenge with that vehicle.

[dannyabear]

Originally Posted by Seachaser186

You could probably tow a pop-up camper. Even a small TT with the height would be a challenge with that vehicle.

Yep, not nearly enough engine

[aufinger]

Originally Posted by doeagle2009

I have a 2004 Chevy Silverado with a tow rating of 4900 pounds. When I subtract people and cargo weight my tow capacity is 4500 pounds. I am looking at purchasing a travel trailer with an empty weight of 3910 pounds.

You don't subtract people and cargo from your Tow Rating. Your Tow Rating is the max allowable weight of the travel trailer when fully loaded with cargo and water. You subtract people, cargo and tongue weight from your Tow Vehicle's available Cargo Capacity ensuring you don't exceed it. Larry G.

[bikendan]

That trailer will will be closer to 4400lbs when it leaves the factory and you add a battery.

NO trailer weighs its dry weight when it leaves the factory.
That number is for a stripped down version of the trailer.

[CWSWine]

Originally Posted by aufinger

You don't subtract people and cargo from your Tow Rating. Your Tow Rating is the max allowable weight of the travel trailer when fully loaded with cargo and water. You subtract people, cargo and tongue weight from your Tow Vehicle's available Cargo Capacity ensuring you don't exceed it. Larry G.

The RVSEF (RV Safety and Education Foundation) that has been weighing RVs since the 1993 disagrees with you and the you do subtract people and cargo from the tow ratings. Here is their training video explain how to match a truck to RV and how to figure your tow capacity ratings.

Matching Trucks to Trailers

[rockfordroo]

GVWR for that trailer is 5900 lbs per the website below. That's the number you should be figuring with. Dry weight is a scam; it doesn't mean squat. The hitch weight is listed at 392 lbs, but I'm guessing that is dry also. Hitch weight should be 10-15% of total weight, so I'd figure it's really going to be 590 - 885 lbs.

Coachmen RV - Manufacturer of Travel Trailers - Fifth Wheels - Tent Campers - Motorhomes

I'm thinking you're pushing it.

[aufinger]

[QUOTE=CWSWine;1293073]The RVSEF (RV Safety and Education Foundation) that has been weighing RVs since the 1993 disagrees with you and the you do subtract people and cargo from the tow ratings. Here is their training video explain how to match a truck to RV and how to figure your tow capacity ratings.


Please tell me where I’m wrong. A truck has a GVWR. The combined truck’s Curb Weight, Cargo and Passengers cannot exceed the truck’s GVWR. A truck’s Tow Rating (Max Towing, Towing Capacity) is the allowable weight for a fully loaded towed vehicle. While in the video he’s backing out the weight of the passengers and cargo on a graphic showing both the GVWR and GCWR but not the tow rating as the OP asked about. He left everything left over as what the truck can tow. However, it’s my understanding that most trucks have a listed Tow Rating. In my case, my Tow Rating and GVWR equals my GCWR. My comment to the OP was based on information listed (on his door stickers and charts) for his truck to indicate that passengers and cargo in the truck determines if the truck exceeds the listed Cargo Capacity and GVWR, not necessarily to determine Tow Rating. If you go by the video, it suggests that you can exceed your listed Tow Rating if you do not max out your GVWR. I personally would suggest against advising someone to exceed any of their listed weights limits. Larry G.

[yetavon]

My 4 experiences
97 Dakota V-6 4x4 5000 Lbs tow limit, 2005 Antigua at around 3500 Towed it but was not ideal at all.
Upgraded to a 97 Silverado 2WD 5.7 without tow package, rated at 7500lbs....much better.
New trailer is close to 4500LBs....Tongue Weight about doubled and the 97 did the job but the truck was not well suited, soft suspension and needed LT tires.
Got an 05 Silverado 4X4 with tow package, even though rated about the same there is a huge difference in towing.

So my opinion is your truck will move your trailer around, mostly under a lot of strain, Until your Transmission dies from the excessive heat and stress., A cooler will by you some time to find a better truck.
Good Luck

[CWSWine]

Did we watch the same video? He said the Max Combine Weight Rating was 19,500 and the Max Tow Rating was 12,500 lbs but that 12,500 the truck could only way 6XXX lbs or it would exceed the Gross Combined Weight. He subtracted the real weight ready to camp from the Max Combine Rating and come with a Max Towing Rating of 11,500 since his truck was heaver and would exceed the Gross Combine Weight Rating otherwise. Bottom line the Two Capacity is figured by subtracting the vehicle weight from the Gross Combine Rating equals the the Max Tow for your Truck.

Gross Combine Weight Rating - Ready to Camp truck Weight = Max Tow Rating of Your Truck.

The heaver the truck the less tow capacity you have left to not to exceed the Gross Combine Weight Rating. Tow rating depends on how much the truck weights if you not going to exceed the Gross Combine Weight Ratings.

Edit -- Max Tow Rating is achieved from subtracting the base no option truck from the Max Combine Tow Rating so options in the truck and people do reduce the Max Tow Rating. More you truck weighs the more of the Combine Rating and less left over the RV. The Tow Rating on the website are off just like the payload ratings are figured from a NO OPTION Base truck.
[QUOTE=aufinger;1293111]

Originally Posted by CWSWine

The RVSEF (RV Safety and Education Foundation) that has been weighing RVs since the 1993 disagrees with you and the you do subtract people and cargo from the tow ratings. Here is their training video explain how to match a truck to RV and how to figure your tow capacity ratings.


Please tell me where I’m wrong. A truck has a GVWR. The combined truck’s Curb Weight, Cargo and Passengers cannot exceed the truck’s GVWR. A truck’s Tow Rating (Max Towing, Towing Capacity) is the allowable weight for a fully loaded towed vehicle. While in the video he’s backing out the weight of the passengers and cargo on a graphic showing both the GVWR and GCWR but not the tow rating as the OP asked about. He left everything left over as what the truck can tow. However, it’s my understanding that most trucks have a listed Tow Rating. In my case, my Tow Rating and GVWR equals my GCWR. My comment to the OP was based on information listed (on his door stickers and charts) for his truck to indicate that passengers and cargo in the truck determines if the truck exceeds the listed Cargo Capacity and GVWR, not necessarily to determine Tow Rating. If you go by the video, it suggests that you can exceed your listed Tow Rating if you do not max out your GVWR. I personally would suggest against advising someone to exceed any of their listed weights limits. Larry G.

[dannyabear]

Weight limits are irevalent when you don't have an engine big enough to pull a pop up

[flighht2k5]

Originally Posted by doeagle2009

My Chevy doesn't have the factory tow package



Payload capacity:1554#

Rear end ratio:3.42

Engine size :4.6 L V6

What make and model of trailer are you looking at.? 2016 Coachman Freedom Express, 192 RBS



And is the 3910 number from the trailer's yellow weight sticker or from brochure/website bogus numbers? 3910# comes from subtracting maximum cargo (1990#) from GVWR (5900#). Trailer yellow sticker didn't have actual trailer weight printed on it.



Thanks!

They never made a 4.6 v6.

[hondo]

Originally Posted by flighht2k5

They never made a 4.6 v6.

If its a V6 it is a 4.3 liter. The smallest V8 was a 4.8 liter.

[f5moab]

Originally Posted by dannyabear

Weight limits are irevalent when you don't have an engine big enough to pull a pop up

I would guess he could pull a popup trailer! The GVWR on some Flagstaff/Rockwood popups are 2148, and are towed with vehicles with smaller engines.

Can he pull the size trailer noted in the first message? Probably not. But he could tow a popup!

[Wilco]

With your limitations, a single axle travel trailer is about the largest your can tow and stay within your rating. Their GVWR is ~4000 lbs. You should look at the Coachman Ultra-light series of trailers (Apex, Clipper and Viking).

Get a gauge that allows you to monitor your transmission temperature and I think you will find a transmission cooler is required to keep from overheating your transmission. (A cheap method is to download an app to your smart phone and purchase an inexpensive bluetooth plug in adapter for you on board computer. This is what I did for my 2004 GMC Envoy and I can use it on most vehicles.)

[Burnking]

I had a Trailmanor with a V6. Pulled an Aliner and then a 23' Trailmanor, )2900 lb dry weight). Both were single axle () and light weight. Also folded-down for less wind resistance.

I would agree that towing a high profile trailer with that TV would be less than enjoyable!

[Springerdad]

Pass the popcorn, please.

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by Springerdad

Pass the popcorn, please.

Fun reading those trying to be nice while saying "forget the trailer and get a pop up or better yet a tent".