1/2ton Truck tow 261BHXL? - Page 3

Delco Bobby · 02-22-2018, 11:33 PM

I was looking at a new 2018 Chevy Silverado 1500 on dealers lot. As mentioned in this thread I ignored salesman's towing claims. I asked him for the payload number and he said he would have to look it up. then we looked for the yellow sticker inside the driver door but it was not there. Only the tire inflation sticker was there.

dalford · 02-22-2018, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delco Bobby

I was looking at a new 2018 Chevy Silverado 1500 on dealers lot. As mentioned in this thread I ignored salesman's towing claims. I asked him for the payload number and he said he would have to look it up. then we looked for the yellow sticker inside the driver door but it was not there. Only the tire inflation sticker was there.

That is the yellow sticker. Read what it says above the pressure info...

Kaadk · 02-22-2018, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delco Bobby

I was looking at a new 2018 Chevy Silverado 1500 on dealers lot. As mentioned in this thread I ignored salesman's towing claims. I asked him for the payload number and he said he would have to look it up. then we looked for the yellow sticker inside the driver door but it was not there. Only the tire inflation sticker was there.

On my Ram they’re one and the same. The line about payload is right above the tire inflation numbers.

zmandunk4 · 02-23-2018, 12:52 AM

So you guys are saying, that for the projected dry weight of the OPs camper he would have been short on being able to tow this with the Ram 1500 he described? I have the same exact truck that he posed in this scenario and just ordered the 287bhss which is roughly 6,100 lbs. dry. I was already nervous once I joined the forum about being able to tow it and now I am super freaked out. Of course my salesman said, "Sure, no problem, you'll be able to tow it no problem. You can even keep your same WDH", rated for 600 lb. tongue weight. Unfortunately just bought the truck and am now thinking about scrapping the camper order and forfeiting my $1000 deposit. I would love the new camper and we were super excited about it but, I don't want to put my family's or anyone else's at risk by towing a too heavy trailer. I have no clue what to do........

Z

zmandunk4 · 02-23-2018, 12:53 AM

Sorry for hi jacking the thread. It's late and I'm nervous. Lol

Z

gradeless · 02-23-2018, 01:55 AM

it is not just the tongue weight it is the weight distribution hitch. My adjusting the hitch you can increase and decrease the tongue weight. I had a 1994 Dodge Ram 360 with 3.5 gears. To get good ride and no sway the rear was more than 6" lower for the truck to be level. Just stepping on the rear bumper would lower the truck more than 3" so trial and error. Also depends on how you adjust the weight distribution. You can adjust most to raise the rear of the truck by throwing the weight back to the trailer axles.

In the ideal world your truck is level, the trailer is level by adjusting the hitch. With 35 years of the Avion site they pull best just slightly lower on the front. Just bought a 2018 Flaggstaff 29RKWS and the Reese Dual Cam Hitch would not fit because of the cheap frame (smaller rails and a cross brace just where the sway control mounts and no room to adjust to any other position). Dealer installed a new Equal-i-zer Weight Distribution antisway hitch. Had to return to dealer as the trailer went all over the place they checked and said it was perfect Made one trip white knuckled the whole way and when I got back reread everything and took every measurement and then moved the bracket two bolt holes (about 3") and the rear height of the truck moved less than ¼" inch. Much better. But compared to the Reese Dual cams it is a terrible hitch.

I use a 2011 F-150 Super Crew short Bed with the 3.5 with the Super Max Trailer package (11,300). No problem with the power to tow 35' Avions and works fine with the 29RKWS with no power problems just touchy on the weight adjustment as I had to give up the Reese Hitches. Had tires examined last year but will replace with the E rated tires (they were not available) in 2011. Could just buy a new truck but the New Tires with E rating should greatly improve the towing. Adjusting from 70 to 65 is about 3 mpg difference. Tows great at 80 but the mpg just isn't there. 55 gets about 13-14 but nobody drives 55. Slower acceleration also helps with the mpg.

The Dodge had the nicest rides because of the coil springs. Without a weight distribution hitch you would not want it. I had a 2004 GMC 1500HD dual Quad with 6.0L (4 doors 4 wheel steer). Fantastic Tow vehicle but engine noises, Transmission noises, rear axle noise (they were from the 1 ton GMC) and rear brake problems (Had both discs and drums on the rear same at the 1 ton) and $1200 for new Michlins badly weather checked at 5 years and I sold it. Big Mistake. the 1500HD Quadrasteer was made the same as the 1 ton for springs and towing but GM labeled it as a 1500HD. I had the only 2 wheel drive made by GM and that was in the 5th year of production. Steered like a tiny compact car due to the 4 wheel steering. Had the air lift suspension standard. When you went into a corner the truck would lift the outside. Taking the trailer through a big curve was like riding a roller coaster as the truck would lift the outside edge and the Reese dual cams would shift the trailer. You felt like you were locked on roller coaster rails.

Now if I could get a 3/4 ton with an EcoBoost Engine and 4 Wheel Steering I would be the first person to order it.

The weight distribution hitch determines how much weight goes to the ball.

timfromma · 02-23-2018, 04:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zmandunk4

So you guys are saying, that for the projected dry weight of the OPs camper he would have been short on being able to tow this with the Ram 1500 he described? I have the same exact truck that he posed in this scenario and just ordered the 287bhss which is roughly 6,100 lbs. dry. I was already nervous once I joined the forum about being able to tow it and now I am super freaked out. Of course my salesman said, "Sure, no problem, you'll be able to tow it no problem. You can even keep your same WDH", rated for 600 lb. tongue weight. Unfortunately just bought the truck and am now thinking about scrapping the camper order and forfeiting my $1000 deposit. I would love the new camper and we were super excited about it but, I don't want to put my family's or anyone else's at risk by towing a too heavy trailer. I have no clue what to do........

Z

Once you add propane tanks, batteries, water, groceries, clothes, pots, pans...etc you will probably be around 7500lbs. Using the 15% rule of thumb, that's a tongue weight of around 1125 lbs. Is your truck's payload rated for 1125lbs PLUS the weight of passengers and anything else in the truck?

zmandunk4 · 02-23-2018, 07:27 AM

According to the yellow sticker it’s 1145. Again, I appreciate the replies guys. There is a lot of good information here. The wife’s going to kill me if I have to get a new truck........

Z

timfromma · 02-23-2018, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zmandunk4

According to the yellow sticker it’s 1145. Again, I appreciate the replies guys. There is a lot of good information here. The wife’s going to kill me if I have to get a new truck........

Z

Normally, I'm quite a vocal opponent of anyone that drives with an overloaded vehicle. That being said, there are plenty of people who haul around more weight than they should and have no problems whatsoever. It's not something I would do but some swear by it.

ronheater70 · 02-23-2018, 07:59 AM

15% is kinda a worse case scenario in tongue weight IMO, so for example, say you have that same 7500 pounds and have 11% tongue weight, then you have only 825 pounds on your hitch and a couple hundred pounds extra suddenly available. You can easily measure your tongue weight with a bathroom scale and a few boards, then you know for certain what you have and make adjustments.. The key being somewhere between 10%-15%..
But realistically you kinda need to know what your trailer weighs to know if you fall in that 10-15% tongue weight. SO short of going to the scales, take the advertised dry weight, add the weight of your battery and (or two) and your pull propane tanks, then decide whether you are ever going to tow with water in your tanks and adjust accordingly. Personally for me, with two daughters and my wife and I, we have probably 120 pounds of clothes and shoes etc between us, add in some groceries and bedding and honestly we are under 750 pounds of stuff.. SO the key is to make the best guess you possibly can with what you have then weigh it. You may find out your not loading y our camper to full capacity, and that will lower your overall weight and drop your tongue weight.. On the flip side you may find out your overloading your camper and putting more weight on the tongue.. the point being you wont know, until you know.

Kaadk · 02-23-2018, 08:12 AM

I'm one of those that Tim refers to who's (sometimes) overloaded. Payload on my Ram is only 1140, I'm 240, and the tongue+WDH weight is around 900 lbs. So, when I'm solo in the truck, I'm within limits. Add wife, kids, dogs, booster seats, etc..., I'm over.

And while I can say I haven't had an issue, I wouldn't say I 'swear by it'. I make do because it's what I have, but I'm fully aware that it's not ideal. I keep my speeds down, I don't use cruise, I ensure I have plenty of braking room, and I try to keep my trips short. Max 3 hours out, and even at that, I'm tired by the time I'm done.

Before you go losing your deposit, try seeing if the dealer will let you take it for a 'test pull'. Throw some stuff in the trailer to (cinderblocks, boards, whatever the dealer has on hand) to simulate the trailer being under load, hook it up, and take it on quick pull around, hopefully hitting a highway or back country road where you can feel it at speed.

I'm not trying to scare you off, but at the same time, I don't want to tell you everything's going to be rainbows and sunshine either. It is doable, it's just not ideal.

rsdata · 02-23-2018, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Normally, I'm quite a vocal opponent of anyone that drives with an overloaded vehicle. That being said, there are plenty of people who haul around more weight than they should and have no problems whatsoever. It's not something I would do but some swear by it.

I agree...

Pack the truck and trailer appropriately... don't overload excessively with un-needed items... fill up water near the campsite. stay under the speed limit. Add a set of air bags if you have too... you can pull it. Be aware of liability concerns and get it weighed loaded the way you think will be right.

My yellow sticker with tire info and PAYLOAD. 1309#... not that I am bragging.

timfromma · 02-23-2018, 08:22 AM

It's a bit extreme but perhaps your wife can follow you in a second vehicle. Load up her car with as much stuff as you can to lessen the load on your truck.

Kaadk · 02-23-2018, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timfromma

It's a bit extreme but perhaps your wife can follow you in a second vehicle. Load up her car with as much stuff as you can to lessen the load on your truck.

That's exactly what we do if we have extra people. Friends, nieces, nephews etc. want to come along, then she follows with all of them in the minivan, and I run the trailer solo.

Another option we leverage is two trips. There's a local campground (30 mins away) that we stay at every year for their Halloween weekend. It can be real busy there on Friday nights, so I book in on Thursday night instead to avoid the rush of everyone parking. I head out there just myself to drop off the trailer, get everything set up, etc... Then go from there to work, after work, pack up the kids, wife, dogs etc and go back out to the campground on Friday night to spend the weekend.

zmandunk4 · 02-23-2018, 08:33 AM

I'm going to try the test run once it gets to the dealer. I ordered it and it will be in around mid April. We have never traveled with water in the old one and usually hit the grocery store once we hit camp (not that they add too much weight). I had never towed anything before last year and definitely don't want to push my luck with a camper that's too heavy. If I have to eat the $1000 and keep the old camper it's better than causing an accident. Should have came here first......

Z

dustman_stx · 02-23-2018, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneZero

I have to convince my wife to let me buy a Ford then though [emoji50]

You show up with it and say "Hey honey, look at my new Ford!" Nothing to discuss!!!!

gradeless · 02-23-2018, 09:17 AM

The weight a truck can handle is the springs and tires. The tow rating is the engine, cooling (oil, power steering, and radiator) and axle ratio. with Weight Distribution Hitch there is no problem. Check the engine and axle and your towing package in the tow charts to see how much you can safely tow. My 1994 Ram was a 360 cid and it towed a 30' Avion fine once I got the hitch adjusted. Dodge ½ tons have coil springs on the rear (makes for a really smooth ride) and they have more play. When the hitch was balanced, the rear of the truck was down 6" more than the front (compared to no trailer on the truck. Because of the 3.5 axle there was not a lot of power for climbing really big grades but it was adequate for towing a 6,000# trailer that was probably closer to 7,500% and up when it was loaded.

The 2018 Tow Guide by Trailer Life http://webcontent.goodsam.com/traile...wGuide2018.pdf shows the 2018 D-1500 with the V8 ranging from 7-9,000 depending on which model and towing equipment you ordered. The Towing packages are axles and cooling power.

The tow guide is fairly accurate. If you are near your max rating you might be lacking power for climbing some big hill or long grades but you are clearly safe.

On my Ford Towing package (11,300) they even modified the front of the frame so there is no way that anyone could put tow hooks on the frame (I wanted that) as it would restrict the air flow slightly. That is how careful they are on the cooling. Haven't needed to get the Ford Towed out of anything but the front of the frame is different with the Super Max Towing as it takes a lot of moving air to keep that little 3.5L cool with the twin turbos pushing the gas through it. Just how much air can a tow hook block mounted on your frame block?

Gear Ratios and Cooling power is what is needed for any towing. As you have been reading all the replaced Transmissions were from overheating (inadequate cooling power) and you fry the moving parts.

I ordered the towing package for my Chrysler Pacifica which changed the tow rating from 1,000 to 3,500 just so I could haul my lawn mover on a 12' Utility trailer without burning up the transmission. Heat build up from inadequate cooling has always been a problem with Chrysler products. If you buy the right towing package you will not have a transmission burning up. With the Pacifica the power comes from the transmission which is constantly shifting up or down at every change in the road. but how much can you expect a tiny 2.6L engine to pull?

Delco Bobby · 02-23-2018, 09:56 AM

Sorry guys, I was wrong. The sticker did not have tire pressure data. Only tire and wheel size plus GVWR and axle ratings. Nothing about payload. No other labels there.

I am expecting the photo to appear sideways since I am posting from my iPhone.

OneZero · 02-23-2018, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dustman_stx

You show up with it and say "Hey honey, look at my new Ford!" Nothing to discuss!!!!

She's already told me if I buy one, I am going by myself.

OneZero · 02-23-2018, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delco Bobby

Sorry guys, I was wrong. The sticker did not have tire pressure data. Only tire and wheel size plus GVWR and axle ratings. Nothing about payload. No other labels there.

I am expecting the photo to appear sideways since I am posting from my iPhone.

This looks like the VIN sticker on the actual door. I think the yellow one is typically on the door jamb, right by the driver seat? At least mine is.

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