changing gears tt weight calculator

[boubou]

what am I doing wrong?


I don't know if I am doing anything wrong on that site but once I enter all the numbers for my 2010 Dodge Ram 4X4 1500 with the Hemi, it looks as if I can tow close to 7000 lbs.
When I enter the Tow vehicle RGAW which is the actual gross vehicle weight of the tow vehicle without trailer attached; in that box, I entered the number that was taken from the weigh in. we had two of us, two small dogs, hitch and a full tank of gas 61730 lbs . The program then tells me my maximum trailer should be 3513 lbs with a 527 lbs tw.
What is wrong here? it just seems wrong
When I weight the truck and trailer ( which weigh in loaded around 5700 lbs ), I am 80 lbs over my GVWR of 6700 but this weight calculator seems way off for some reason and I cannot make any sense of it.

[donn]

Welcome to the world of 1/2 ton towing. Confusion abounds. Most people are convinced that since they bought a truck (1/2 ton) they should be able to tow the world. In real life depending on what rear end ratio your grocery getter has you should be able to safely handle between a 5000 and 7000 pound trailer. 10% of that is around 700 pounds. But with a properly setup equalizer type hitch some of that weight will be transferred to the front axle and you will be just fine.

[LadyWindrider]

I don't want to be picky, but you typed in post #1, original post "When I enter the Tow vehicle RGAW which is the actual gross vehicle weight of the tow vehicle without trailer attached;"

Notice the RGAW, to me that means rear gross axle weight, not the GVWR which is the gross vehicle weight rating. Are you putting in the right numbers? Did you miss type something here? Just trying to help.

[boubou]

Originally Posted by windrider

I don't want to be picky, but you typed in post #1, original post "When I enter the Tow vehicle RGAW which is the actual gross vehicle weight of the tow vehicle without trailer attached;"

Notice the RGAW, to me that means rear gross axle weight, not the GVWR which is the gross vehicle weight rating. Are you putting in the right numbers? Did you miss type something here? Just trying to help.

This is why I asked the question... I MUST be mixing the numbers up
so the GVWR is 6700
Tow vehicle RGAWR is 3900 (so is the front)
and
Tow vehicle RGAW
Enter actual weight of tow vehicle's rear axle (Rear Gross Axle Weight), without trailer attached. That would be the number of the truck on the scale with people and dogs in it. So the number that came up on the CAT scale yellow sheet, I took the number from Drive Axle with is 2644

Are these the right numbers in the right places?
I don't have time now, but if not, of for the sake of clarity, I'll take a pic of the CAT yellow sheet and you can show me what I am doing wrong

[Herk7769]

Randy is correct.

RAGW is the actual weight of your rear axle (WITHOUT the trailer attached); not the entire truck in that spreadsheet.

Travel Trailer Weight Calculator
Right under RAGW it explains it.

RGAWR is your truck's maximum rear axle rating.

GVW (GTW) is your camper's Maximum "legal" Gross Weight Rating

GVWR is yout truck's maximum gros weight rating.

Actual Tounge weight is found by disconnecting the trailer while on the scales with the wheekls on one plate and the front skid on the plate in front of it.

It can also be calculated PROVIDED you take the WD bars (if equipped) OFF the hitch. Then weight the truck and camper together (with no WD bars connected); then drop the trailer and come back and just weigh the truck. Subtract the truck's weight (unhitched) from the truck's weight hitched (WD bars disconnected) and that will give true tounge weight as well.

Tounge weight can also be found in your drive way by using the instructions in the link below and a bathroom scale.
Tongue Weight Scale

Don't forget to take a reading of the board and pipe on the scale first (Tare Weight) and subtract that weight from the weight of the camper's tongue when added.

[boubou]

I was reading this again and realized the mistake in calculation.
The changing gears program prompts me to enter :Tow vehicle GVW
Enter actual weight (Gross Vehicle Weight) of tow vehicle.
Now, if I enter the number that is on the door, no problem, if I enter 5400 lbs with me and fuel, same, no problem. But if bump it up to 6173 lbs with full load, then the numbers tumble down.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by boubou

I was reading this again and realized the mistake in calculation.
The changing gears program prompts me to enter :Tow vehicle GVW
Enter actual weight (Gross Vehicle Weight) of tow vehicle.
Now, if I enter the number that is on the door, no problem, if I enter 5400 lbs with me and fuel, same, no problem. But if bump it up to 6173 lbs with full load, then the numbers tumble down.

This does not sound right still.

The program has boxes from top to bottom.
Put the numbers in order here from top to bottom so we can check the entries.

Lou

[boubou]

Lou, these first numbers are with empty truck at 5400 lbs
Item Qty Units Weight (lb)* Weight (kg)*
Tow vehicle GVWR
Enter Gross Vehicle Weight Rating as provided by tow vehicle manufacturer.
6,700 lb
Tow vehicle GCWR

Enter Gross Combination Weight Rating as provided by tow vehicle manufacturer.
14,000 lb

Tow vehicle maximum loaded trailer weight rating
Enter rating as provided by vehicle manufacturer.
8,450 lb

Tow vehicle maximum tongue weight rating
Enter rating as provided by vehicle or hitch manufacturer, whichever is less.
1,045 lb

Tow vehicle RGAWR
Enter Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating as provided by tow vehicle manufacturer.
3,900 lb

Tow vehicle GVW
Enter actual weight (Gross Vehicle Weight) of tow vehicle.
5,400 lb

Tow vehicle RGAW
Enter actual weight of tow vehicle's rear axle (Rear Gross Axle Weight), without trailer attached.

Trailer GVW (or GTW)
Enter actual weight (Gross Vehicle Weight or Gross Trailer Weight) of trailer.
5,800 lb

Trailer tongue weight
Enter actual tongue weight of trailer.
750 lb

Calculation Results
Maximum Trailer Weight
This is the maximum trailer weight based on the most restrictive tow vehicle ratings provided (tongue weight rating at 15% of trailer weight).

6,967 lb
Maximum Tongue Weight
This is the recommended maximum tongue weight, based on 15% of the calculated Maximum Trailer Weight.

1,045 lb

all is good, until I start adding people and gear into the truck. Bump it up to 6000 lbs (appx, have to go weigh again, last weigh was 6100 lbs with nothing in the bed, so makes no sense)

all I changed is the TV GVW
the results:
Maximum Trailer Weight

Trailer GVW exceeds Maximum Trailer Weight. The provided trailer GVW (or GTW) exceeds the calculated maximum trailer weight. You should either lighten the trailer or provide additional information for a more accurate calculation.
4,667 lb
Maximum Tongue Weight

Tongue weight exceeds Maximum Tongue Weight. The provided trailer tongue weight exceeds the calculated maximum tongue weight. You should either lighten the trailer or provide additional information for a more accurate calculation.
700 lb

if I put in 6175 for tv like I think it was weight at, I get a maximum trailer at
Maximum Trailer Weight
This is the maximum trailer weight based on the most restrictive tow vehicle ratings provided (GVWR - GVW remainder for tongue weight at 15% of trailer weight).

Trailer GVW exceeds Maximum Trailer Weight. The provided trailer GVW (or GTW) exceeds the calculated maximum trailer weight. You should either lighten the trailer or provide additional information for a more accurate calculation.
3,500 lb Maximum Tongue Weight
This is the recommended maximum tongue weight, based on 15% of the calculated Maximum Trailer Weight.

Tongue weight exceeds Maximum Tongue Weight. The provided trailer tongue weight exceeds the calculated maximum tongue weight. You should either lighten the trailer or provide additional information for a more accurate calculation.
525 lb

Crazy.
The way I read this, add a couple hundred pound in the truck, loose a couple thousand pound in the trailer.

[RJHuser]

Originally Posted by boubou

we had two of us, two small dogs, hitch and a full tank of gas 61730 lbs .

Wow - That's a heavy truck, or the dogs aren't that small (I won't say anything about the two people)!

(Sorry - I'm just joshin' with you, I couldn't resist!)

[boubou]

That's the reason I need to weigh truck again. There is a tonneau cover and running boards. 4x4 with 20 inch wheels.
I weigh 135 , spouse is 175, a chihuahua, a 25 lbs sheltie and another 13 lbs dog. I even loaded the truck very lightly, nothing in the bed.

[boubou]

Originally Posted by RJHuser

Wow - That's a heavy truck, or the dogs aren't that small (I won't say anything about the two people)!

(Sorry - I'm just joshin' with you, I couldn't resist!)

Lol, just caught that! A little too loose on the keyboard! Lolo 6173 lbs. even this makes no sense. Do cat scales weigh like this? Or do they round numbers off?

[cootr68]

Cat scales round off by tens.

[Labzy]

The GVWR on our Ram is 6800lbs and our payload is 1105lbs, subtract the 2 and you have a 5700lb truck. Are you sure your truck weight is 5400?

[Herk7769]

It has been a while since I used this calculator so here it goes:

2010 Dodge Ram 1500 Dodge Ram 1500 Car Buying Guide at CARandDRIVER.com- 2010 Dodge


Based on 2010 RAM 1500 Laramie QC with 5.7L Hemi and 3.92 gears

GVWR - 6700
FRONT GAWR - 3900
REAR GAWR - 3900

CURB - 5489
Curb Front - 3199
Curb Rear - 2290

Max Payload available 6700 GVWR - 5489 Curb = 1211 Pounds

Gross Combined weight rating - 13,000

Max Trailer Wt with WD hitch - 7211
MAx tongue Weight with WD hitch - 865

BOX 1 - 6700
BOX 2 - 13000
BOX 3 - 7211
BOX 4 - 865
BOX 5 - 3900

Here is where we both run into problems
So I used the CURB weights to figure it out

BOX 6 - 5489
BOX 7 - 2290

Actual Weight of the camper is asked here.
I left these blank so it would calculate the maximum size camper I can tow with these numbers

BOX 8 - BLANK
BOX 9 - BLANK

Safety Margin (a percentage less than maximum)
BOX 10 - Zero

Load Ratio of TT weight to Tongue 9% - 15% range

BOX 11 - 15%
Calculated maximum trailer weight = 5,767 pounds at a tongue heavy 15% of TT weight - or 865 pounds

BOX 11 - 9%
Calculated maximum trailer weight = 7,211 pounds at a tongue LIGHT 9% of TT weight or 865 pounds

BOX 11 - 13% (optimum)
Calculated maximum trailer weight = 6,654 pounds at a tongue wt of 13% of TT weight or 865 pounds

So, now we use your "actual weights" not curb weights.

BOX 1 - 6700
BOX 2 - 13000
BOX 3 - 7211
BOX 4 - 865
BOX 5 - 3900

BOX 6 - 6175
BOX 7 - BLANK

Actual Weight of the camper is asked here.
Again I left these blank so it would calculate the maximum size camper I can tow with these numbers

BOX 8 - BLANK
BOX 9 - BLANK

Safety Margin (a percentage less than maximum)
BOX 10 - Zero

Load Ratio of TT weight to Tongue 9% - 15% range

BOX 11 - 15%
Calculated maximum trailer weight = 3500 pounds at a tongue heavy 15% of TT weight - or 525 pounds

BOX 11 - 9%
Calculated maximum trailer weight = 5,833 pounds at a tongue LIGHT 9% of TT weight or 525 pounds

BOX 11 - 13% (optimum)
Calculated maximum trailer weight = 4038 pounds at a tongue wt of 13% of TT weight or 525 pounds

So putting 686 additional pounds in the truck reduces the available payload to a point where it reduces what you can tow based on the percentage of tongue weight available. Additional weight placed IN the truck is leveraged by the factor used to balance the camper. Every pound put in the truck reduces the available camper you can pull by 6.7 pounds (at 15% tongue load) at 9% tongue load every pound in the truck subtracts 11.1 pounds of allowable camper weight.

Easy numbers at 10% tongue load; for every extra pound in the truck you reduce the amount of camper you can tow by 10 pounds.


Did this help you?

[Herk7769]

Oh, more bad news.
All these numbers REQUIRE 17 inch wheels.
The 20 inch wheels have lower tow ratings.

but they LOOK cool

[boubou]

Originally Posted by Labzy

The GVWR on our Ram is 6800lbs and our payload is 1105lbs, subtract the 2 and you have a 5700lb truck. Are you sure your truck weight is 5400?

6700 (my ram GVWR minus 1263 payload: 5437

[boubou]

Originally Posted by herk7769

Oh, more bad news.
All these numbers REQUIRE 17 inch wheels.
The 20 inch wheels have lower tow ratings.

but they LOOK cool

Lmao! They are cool number aren't they?
So, bottom line for my application is:
Do not put anything in the truck, just load the trailer right up )))
Problem solved
i had pillows ( isn't that heavy!), cooler, dog stuff, books, computer etc... In the truck with us. It all adds up. No more. Stricked essentials travelling in truck i. The future. Rest goes into the trailer.