Just picked up our new trailer and stopped at the scales to see where the numbers really were.
2011 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab 4x4 Short Box 5.3L 3.42 Ratio Heavy Duty Trailering Pkg
GVWR 7000# ............... GM Specs
GCWR 15000# ............. GM Specs
Max Trailer 9500# ........ GM Specs
GAWR Frt 3950# .......... GM Specs P265/65R18 Max 2489# (the axles will give up before the tires)
GAWR Rea 3950# ......... GM Specs
Shipping Weight 5329# .. from the GM shipping paperwork
As weighed 5860# w/ full fuel, approx 400# driver, passenger, stuff (winter jackets, backpacks, purse, laptop, etc) also bed cover
Front Axle 3540# ..(from CAT scale reweigh without trailer) (Steer Axle)
Rear Axle 2320# ...(from CAT scale reweigh without trailer) (Drive Axle)
with Trailer attached:
Front Axle 3340# ........(from CAT scale initial weigh with trailer) (Steer Axle)
Rear Axle 3300# .........(from CAT scale initial weigh with trailer) (Drive Axle)
Trailer Axles 4960# .....(from CAT scale initial weigh with trailer) (Trailer Axle)
Gross Weight 11600# ..(from CAT scale initial weigh with trailer)
Therefore, by calculation:
2011 Grey Wolf 28BH
As weighed 5740# w/ hitch, propane, battery, elec stabilizers, cargo rack, awning
Hitch Weight 780# this includes the WDH
Margins:
PU & Trailer 11600# ........... GCWR 15000# ..........Margin 3400# 78%
Trailer 5740# .....................Trailer GWR 7641# ....Margin 1901# 75%
PU w/ Trailer 6640# ............GVWR 7000# ............Margin 360# 95%
Tongue Weight 780# .........................................14% of trailer weight
Bottom line, we are about maxed out on the truck GVW side. Any luggage or additional stuff needs to go in the trailer. Our two boys (now grown) could still ride with us. Typically it will be just us as weighed. I think I am going to recheck the WDH setup and try to crank 200 pounds to the front axle.
The trailer advertises a dry ship weight of 5339 pounds. The sticker on the door says 5603. So we have an extra 264# for things like A/C, rear rack, elec stabilizers, etc. We added 163 pounds with the WDH, deep cycle battery, and filling the two propane tanks. So the 5740 empty weight makes sense.
The limiting factor on the trailer side is the GWR of the trailer. We have plenty of GCWR margin. So we have about 1900# of cargo max, the door on the sticker says that a full load of water adds 416#. We don't plan on hauling water, but we could if we wanted to. We need to be smart about how heavy we pack, put everything in the trailer roughly centered over the axles, and we should be good to go. We intend to camp light, and it will pull easier if not loaded down. But we have capacity if we need it.
It cost $10.50 ($9.50 for the first weigh, $1 for the second) to get the numbers. We pulled onto the scales, climbed up on the pole that holds the intercom (next time I will bring a stick so I can push the button from ground level!), gave them the 3 digits from my license plate for a truck number. Pulled around, got the weight ticket, asked if it was OK to drop the trailer. Dropped the trailer, reweighed just the pickup, picked up the ticket and rehooked the trailer. The CAT scales have three platforms, so you get the individual axle weights on the printout. (The trailer axles all weigh as one.) Find a scale here:
CAT Scale watch the video here:
How To Weigh | CAT Scale You will weigh like a standard trailer. The intercom conversation will be exactly like what is in the video near the end.
All in All, a good experience and I learned a lot about the numbers!
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