Towing with 2015 Chevrolet 1500 4x4

[nomad297]

Originally Posted by esloser

GCWR for the truck is 15,000 lbs.

You see? You no longer have a tow rating of 9,200 pounds.

Factor in the actual cargo weight in your truck, including the wet hitch weight, and that tow rating decreases even more.

Bruce

[Tdbrn]

I've seen a lot of changes about how a half ton truck now can do what a half ton truck 20 years ago couldn't do. But to me the big thing still is, sure you 'might' make it without any problems, especially if you have no hills or heavy duty grades to climb or descend.
But when you get that mass rolling can a half ton truck safely STOP it!
I'd say start smaller and move up when you can get the 3/4 ton truck. Why risk everybody? It won't be fun if anything should happen.

[rockfordroo]

My 2 cents: I think you need to look at a lighter TT. Better to be safe than sorry.

[ksmith954]

I hear You !

What I would take the truck as you would load it, to a cat scale, with whole family if possible, and that weight will give you a figure to work with.

[esloser]

I do live in New Jersey, which is relatively flat. I could see taking it to Western PA or down to DELMARVA for short weekends, but I most certainly won't be crossing the Rockies anytime soon. Worst case would be towing to Fl once per year and in immediate area on weekends during Spring, Summer, Fall

[Loraura]

Also, with a TT that long be sure you have a QUALITY sway prevention set up, not a friction bar type. You'll thank me later.

I think you are going to be very close, or over your GVWR with a TT that size long before you hit your GCVWR.

For comparison, I have a 2015 ram 1500 with 1490 GVWR and 10,500lb tow capacity (which means nothing because the tongue will overload the truck before we get there).

I tow a Coachmen Freedom Express 292BHDS with a dry sticker weight of 6104, and a GVWR of 7740.

Inside/on the truck
People: 410
Dog: 35
Blue ox: 96

Total payload used before camper hitched: 541

1490-541 = 949 payload available before hitching the TT up.

At 12% desired tongue weight, max trailer weight under current setup could be as much as 7908 before overloading the truck. This still assumes yeti and food/clothes are inside the camper near axles. however the TT should never weigh more than 7740, so i would overload the TT before overloading the truck WHEN LOADED PROPERLY.


So I can get 667 pounds more trailer within specs if we travel with bikes, cooler, clothes and food inside the camper near or behind the axles and not all on the the tongue.

However, remember that things you put inside the TT result in 12% of their weight on the tongue. Things put in the truck result in 100% of their weight on the truck, so loading stuff into the TT is needed to be sure I don't overload the truck.

You can't put the kids and wife in the TT, so you'll have possibly more weight in the truck, reducing your available payload by more.

You'll have to do the math on what you put in the truck before you start attaching the TT, then see if you have enough left to accommodate 12% of your wet TT weight.

It will be close.

[esloser]

That was my point in the original post though - doesn't weight distribution remove some of that weight from the tongue and push it back onto the trailer axle and some forward onto the truck's front axle thus freeing up some of the payload capacity for people and cargo? The numbers I saw were 25% / 50% / 25%.

That's the only way I can see the 9,200 lbs. working. I can't imagine that Chevrolet would build a truck and tout its towing capacity at 9,200 lbs and 1. not be able to do it at all and 2. not be able to do it safely. They are opening themselves up to a huge lawsuit if someone were to load their truck up with a 9,200 lbs trailer and wreck it. My guess is the 9,200 lbs would be on the light side of the capabilities so that there's a built in margin of error. Especially, in today's litigious society.

[ov845]

Originally Posted by esloser

Good Morning,



I know I've seen a ton of posts about this, but none that addressed my specific question.



We are a family of 5 (Ages: 14, 10, 10). We are looking at a Surveyor 32BHDS that comes in dry at 6,866 lbs and has a GVWR of 9,534 lbs. The max tow capacity of the truck per the manual is 9,200 lbs. and requires weight-distribution hitch for any weights above 7,500 lbs. The hitch weight of the travel trailer is 734 lbs.



I do not intend to camp anywhere without hookups. Water weighs 8.34 lbs for gallon so that means 717 lbs. of that gross weight will never be realized, leaving my max trailer weight at ~8,800 lbs.



Truck Payload = 1,746 (according to door sticker)

Truck GVWR = 7,200 lbs.

GAWR Front = 3,950 lbs.

GAWR Rear = 3,950 lbs.

Max Hitch = 1,200 lbs with weight distributing hitch



My question is why doesn't any of the analysis that I see done online not reference the impacts the weight distributing hitch will have on payload, hitch weight, or trailer weight? Why doesn't anyone take this into account when evaluating the towing capacity of their vehicle. My owner's manual clearly states that weight distributing hitches are required for anything over 7,500 lbs.



My understanding is that a weight distributing hitch will take 25% off the hitch and put it back on the trailer, take 25% off the hitch and put it on the front axle of the truck, and leave 50% on the hitch directly. With that being said (towing dry), if my hitch weight of the truck is 734 lbs, doesn't that mean that 183.5 lbs will be added onto the weight of the trailer to bring it to 7,049 lbs, another 183.5 lbs will be added to the weight of the truck's front axle, and the remaining 367 lbs will be on the hitch?

Consumer Beware! The owners manual is for several models. Unless you ordered the truck with the max tow package, you could be way short on towing capacity. The size of the cab(2 door, quad, crew), bed, engine, transmission, axle ratios and trim packages. Example, 2 1500's same cabs, beds, engine and transmission but different axle ratios 3:10 vs 3.73. The 3.73 has a tow package. One would tow 5,000lbs the other 9,000lbs. Just because a pickup truck has a hitch, that doesn't mean it has a tow package. Being the vehicle is a lease, the owner is responsible for damages to the vehicle when you turn it in. The dealership can run your VIN number and print out the list of options on that vehicle and the available towing capacity.


Happy Camping!

2012 Ram 1500 5.7L 3.92
2015 2809W WindJammer
Husky Centerline WDH

[Dabmeb]

Originally Posted by esloser

That was my point in the original post though - doesn't weight distribution remove some of that weight from the tongue and push it back onto the trailer axle and some forward onto the truck's front axle thus freeing up some of the payload capacity for people and cargo? The numbers I saw were 25% / 50% / 25%.

That's the only way I can see the 9,200 lbs. working. I can't imagine that Chevrolet would build a truck and tout its towing capacity at 9,200 lbs and 1. not be able to do it at all and 2. not be able to do it safely. They are opening themselves up to a huge lawsuit if someone were to load their truck up with a 9,200 lbs trailer and wreck it. My guess is the 9,200 lbs would be on the light side of the capabilities so that there's a built in margin of error. Especially, in today's litigious society.

Make it really simple on yourself, go to a cat scale and do a proper weight of the truck and trailer
Lots of links on here for the steps to do that.
You will be very surprised to get the actual numbers in front of you

[esloser]

GVWR, axle weight ratings, and payload was taken off stickers on door jams. GCVW was taken from manual based on my configuration - crew cab, short box, 4x4, and 3.43 ratio.

Believe it or not, Max Trailing bumps it up to ~12,000 lbs with the 6.2L gas engine. I'm noy sure what else you get besides transmission coolers and bigger engine.

[esloser]

Originally Posted by Dabmeb

Make it really simple on yourself, go to a cat scale and do a proper weight of the truck and trailer
Lots of links on here for the steps to do that.
You will be very surprised to get the actual numbers in front of you

Wish I could. This is presale.

I understand all of the weights. I don't understand why nobody takes into account weight-distributing hitches when running the numbers. Especially since the biggest limiting factor on these vehicles seems to be payload. If I can put 20-30% of that back on the trailer axles and off of the hitch, I would think that would naturally give me more room in the payload department. I think it would increase the trailer weight by that much while decreasing the truck weight by the same amount.

[Loraura]

Originally Posted by esloser

I can't imagine that Chevrolet would build a truck and tout its towing capacity at 9,200 lbs and 1. not be able to do it at all and 2. not be able to do it safely. They are opening themselves up to a huge lawsuit if someone were to load their truck up with a 9,200 lbs trailer and wreck it. My guess is the 9,200 lbs would be on the light side of the capabilities so that there's a built in margin of error. Especially, in today's litigious society.

Those trucks CAN tow 10000 lbs. of boat, or flat bed trailer building supplies that don't need heavy tongue weights to tow a barn door down a highway with stability.

[esloser]

Just found this link while researching weight-distributing hitches:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...rks-21385.html

Think that may have been the piece I was missing. Tongue weight isn't actually redistributed - just rear axle weight to front axle and trailer axles.

[Loraura]

Originally Posted by esloser

Just found this link while researching weight-distributing hitches:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...rks-21385.html

Think that may have been the piece I was missing. Tongue weight isn't actually redistributed - just rear axle weight to front axle and trailer axles.

That link was awesome, and answers his question.

"The WD hitch does not distribute “tongue weight”. It simply removes load from the TV’s rear axle and distributes it to the TV’s front axle and the TT’s axles. "

[mike.t]

Originally Posted by esloser

That was my point in the original post though - doesn't weight distribution remove some of that weight from the tongue and push it back onto the trailer axle and some forward onto the truck's front axle thus freeing up some of the payload capacity for people and cargo? The numbers I saw were 25% / 50% / 25%.

That's the only way I can see the 9,200 lbs. working. I can't imagine that Chevrolet would build a truck and tout its towing capacity at 9,200 lbs and 1. not be able to do it at all and 2. not be able to do it safely. They are opening themselves up to a huge lawsuit if someone were to load their truck up with a 9,200 lbs trailer and wreck it. My guess is the 9,200 lbs would be on the light side of the capabilities so that there's a built in margin of error. Especially, in today's litigious society.

You keep trying to convince yourself this is all going to work. OK your right go camping. Your flogging a dead horse.

[esloser]

Originally Posted by mike.t

You keep trying to convince yourself this is all going to work. OK your right go camping. Your flogging a dead horse.

Haha - exactly! Close enough for government work!

Now, I just have to go to the dealership to pay for it and pick it up.

[mike.t]

Originally Posted by esloser

Just found this link while researching weight-distributing hitches:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...rks-21385.html

Think that may have been the piece I was missing. Tongue weight isn't actually redistributed - just rear axle weight to front axle and trailer axles.

Again and again.I'm telling ya that horse stopped breathing long ago.

[Flybob]

Originally Posted by esloser

Just found this link while researching weight-distributing hitches:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...rks-21385.html

Think that may have been the piece I was missing. Tongue weight isn't actually redistributed - just rear axle weight to front axle and trailer axles.

You have received lots of very good information from experienced owners and almost universally, they do not recommend towing that trailer with that TV. Most all the responses included the math to back up their reasoning. I understand that you really want that TT and can not update to a larger TV but the numbers say that is a problem. You must make your own decision and no matter how many times you ask, 2 plus 2 will never equal 3.

[ov845]

Originally Posted by esloser

Just found this link while researching weight-distributing hitches:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...rks-21385.html

Think that may have been the piece I was missing. Tongue weight isn't actually redistributed - just rear axle weight to front axle and trailer axles.

You have to be careful shifting weight around can lead to be too light on the rear axle which can cause jack knife in light cross winds. I pulled a 7000lbs Windjammer with a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee but I had to add airbags in the rear springs. It did pull but a definite lack of power. According to the math I was over by 57lbs.


Happy Camping!

2012 Ram 1500 5.7L 3.92
2015 2809W WindJammer
Husky Centerline WDH

[Steveinthehills]

I find this topic very interesting. I tow my 4,000 pound TT with a chevy 1500 with a 5.3 motor and a 4:11 rear end. I tow 90% in the hills and mountains and find that I"m always thinking about how to neigotiate the next hill and what RPM would be best to get up the hilll. I find it interesting that people with much larger travel trailers pulling with a half ton pick up. Alfer all a half ton has weaker springs, transmissions, brakes and rear ends than say a 3/4 ton. Just because truck manufactures give a certain towing rates it doesn't necessarily mean that it is safe to tow a larger TT; also onsider after 50k on your tow vehicle your tranmission, rear end or turbo charger blows up. I think trucks need to be bigger than the trailers they pull, instead of the "Tail pulling the dog". That's just my opinion.