Trailer Weight???

[kcameron]

I was at the local RV/Trailer show the other day looking and wishing and it got me to thinking. We were talking to several dealers about the weights that out trucks pull and granted, the trailers I was looking at were at the 6-7K dry weight. And they come w/ load leveling and anti-sway protection. At what weight are these safety measures concidered prudent? I have a 2000 Z71, not that I have loaded it down or anything, but I just would like the info. Plus, I remember seeing a truck like mine pulling just a light 12-14 trailer and it sent him in a 360 in the middle of the road. Kinda scarry.....Thanks for the info,

[beck]

since you have a Z71 that is only a 1/2 ton correct?
Some other factors is bed size, engine and axle ratio.

reg cab
5.3L 3.73 short/long bed 8300/8200
5.3L 4.10 9300/9200

extended cab
5.3L 3.73 S/L 8000/7800
5.3L 4.10 S/L 9000/8800

These numbers are out of the silverado brochure. I have a 99 Z71 ext. cab and have a 7X16 enclosed trailer. It weighs 2300 lbs empty and probably close to 5000 with equipment. I think the trailer is a little on the heavy side for it, but with the load leveler it should help. This year I will try to get a better idea of the tongue weight and see if I can move some equipment around to have it balanced better.

for any more information you can find it at:

www.chevrolet.com (http://www.chevrolet.com)

[Richard Martin]

The safety measures become prudent the second you exceed the vehicle information sticker that is affixed to the door jam. The number that you are the most interested in (and the police if they pull you over) is the GCVW or Gross Combined Vehicle Weight. This is the amount that your truck and trailer are allowed to weigh. If you have a GCVW of 8800 pounds and your truck weighs 4500 pounds then your trailer can weigh a maximum of 4300 pounds loaded. Also, if you are involved in a really bad vehicle accident the accident investigators will be checking these figures also.

[LAWNGODFATHER]

This is really tricky

I have a 3/4 ton that has a GVW rating of 8800 and a gcvw rating of 15000 and it's licesned at 18k gvw.

But when you start dealing with 1/2 tons you must make damn sure you do not go over the sticker in the door.

my 1/2 ton says 6800 in side the door. and I'll be damned if it will stop much more than that. But I have towed close to 12000 gcvw.

Willl it do it yes most of the time.

Will it last doing it NO!!!

Can you stop in an emergancy NO!!!

Those specs inside the door are for carrying and stopping, mostly for STOPPING. Yes a 1/2 ton can pull a whole lot of weight but it cannot stop it.

DO NOT GO OVER THE GVW!! You hit me you will be broke for the rest of your life...................

[John DiMartino]

LGF,your truck is tagged for 18K? is that right?.My Dodge is 8800 GVWR,GCWR is 18000.I have it registered for 8800,my trailer is registered for 9900,which is its max GVWR,do I need to have my truck registered for the total weight too? I have run up to 17000 so far,and its an easy tow,and stopping is as easy as empty with the good trailer brakes.

[LAWNGODFATHER]

I guess we do it different here. GCVW (on the plates) is 18,000. Trailer just get tags so uncle sam can get more money.

John call the state highway patrol or DOT. They can answer better than I can about they way they have it set up.

Here they just use GCVW.

a 12,000# duelly can be reg for 24k

[John DiMartino]

thanks LGF,we do not have a weight # on the plate,just a max weight its registered for on the registration card we keep in the glove box.wwwwhen registering my trucks,there is no mention or box to fill in for towing (GCWR)info,only the unladen weight,and max GVWR,and # od cylinders.

[Forester]

Are all vehicle weight and trailer weight considerations based strictly on bumper pulls? Does a goosneck change any limits? Thanks.

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Originally posted by Forester
Are all vehicle weight and trailer weight considerations based strictly on bumper pulls? Does a goosneck change any limits? Thanks.

Entire load including trailer weight.

John we have a choice here. 1/2 ton either 6k-BL or 12k-BL

3/4 ton 6k-BL, 12k-BL, or 18k-BL

1 ton dually (single rear wheel same as 3/4 ton) 12k-BL, 18k-BL, or 24k-BL

1.5 ton dually 18k-BL, 24k-BL, or 26kBL as long as that's maximum load of 26k GCVW.

All over 26k require CDL and can reg at the lowest weight ratiing for the rear axle.

My 2.5 ton is reg for 42k-BL FARM.

Inside the door or somewhere on the vehical there is a sticker and it states the GVW that the truck can haul, hold, stop, whatever when it stands alone. (no trailer).

My Dodge 3/4ton says 8800, but it weighs 5400# only full of gas. So that would leave me with 3400# left, but it can carry 5000# no problem. It says it can tow a total of 15,000 including th truck.

I hope I helped with info.

[John DiMartino]

LGF,its amazing how much payload the options eat up!your truck has 3400 lbs payload,my 2000 Dodge weighs 6800 with no driver,full of fuel,and with plow frame,.leaving only 2K payload,the Cummins,quad cab,and all options really add a lot of weight.Yes im overloaded a lot wheni have the spreader in the back,and plow on.Wow,theres a 1400 lb difference in weight,I knew the Cummmins aded 500-I knew the quad cab added 500,I guess the rest of options adds another 400 lbs.My GCWR is 18000 per Dodge's ratings.The window sticker says i have a 11,450 lb tow capacity,which if you do the math is truely only 11K,since the truck with driver weighd 7000.Thanks for the info

[LAWNGODFATHER]

John

Actually the refferance chart for mine show it at 14,000 with a 4.09 rear end and yours at 18,000 with a 4.10 rear end, and mine has the 4.10 rear end also. So I guess I can haul 18,000 total GCVW as well, but I have towed that plus the truck's weight before.

Yes the options add up in weight as I don't have power window, power locks, carpet floor, power mirrors. It's a work truck.:D

But the A/C is much better than my '97s.

My plow weight 830# and I put 2 pallets of salt in the back at 5000# plus the spreader, and it handles it like it wasn't even there.

One thing about Dodges, you get 1 ton axle in the 3/4 ton. the back is 1 leaf spring less than the dually's and front is the same.

[John DiMartino]

My Ram handles the 980 lb boss V with no problems at all.With the 1 yd V box spreader that weighs about 3000 loaded with salt,the total is about 4000 lbs.The truck doesnt even hit the overloads unless the plow is off,and the spreader is heaped,then it just touches them.The ram doesnt droop or wallow,it stops great,and doesnt sway,so im very happy with it.It weighs about 11K fully loaded for plowing.As for my GVWR at 18000,it auto tranny limited,not engine limited,my auto is modified for more holding power,so I would hesitate to pull more if i needed.The onlything i notice is the steering is alittle heavy at low speeds on dry roads with the plow on,which i kinda expected,since the +500lb engine weight is right over the front end.

[f350]

my first truck was a 1/2 ton dodge. it was a 318, auto with a 3.55 limited slip. this truck would pull my 24ft enclosed car trailer that came in at 3500#'s. fully loaded with my car and fuel it weighed 7346#'s. i had equilizer bars installed with my hitch and this thing never flinched on the road. dodge list a 1/2 ton at a total trailer weight of 8000#'s if the right equipment was installed.

[matt35]

Got one 1/2 ton truck with overloads on springs and electric brakes on the trailer. 454 motor new and it will pull about anything or weight we like but the transmissions won't last over about 1 to 2 years.
Got new 3/4 ton chevie 2500 extended cab long bed and it pulls everything we got with no problems also with warrenty from dealer to do it.

[David Gretzmier]

I am a proponent against trailers, but then that is me. we just bought a brand new 15000 gvw chevy 3500hd. this thing has the new 502 big block, and huge 13/14"disc brakes on 19.5" rims. when hauling 6000lbs topsoil, and pulling a 10k trailer, with trailer brakes, I am still not sure if I could panic stop. It is adequate, but the next rig is 19000 gvw minimum. I am just looking for something that makes me feel totally confident in going up and down hills. I may have to go up to a low prow kodiak in the 25k range to get what i want. Dave g

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Originally posted by f350
my first truck was a 1/2 ton dodge. it was a 318, auto with a 3.55 limited slip. this truck would pull my 24ft enclosed car trailer that came in at 3500#'s. fully loaded with my car and fuel it weighed 7346#'s. i had equilizer bars installed with my hitch and this thing never flinched on the road. dodge list a 1/2 ton at a total trailer weight of 8000#'s if the right equipment was installed.

But how many will equip their truck properly? Not very many.


brand new 15000 gvw chevy 3500hd. this thing has the new 502 big block, and huge 13/14"disc brakes on 19.5" rims. when hauling 6000lbs topsoil, and pulling a 10k trailer, with trailer brakes, I am still not sure if I could panic stop.

David this is not for you.

This statment right here in a 1/2 ton is what my "DO NOT GO OVER THE GVW!! You hit me you will be broke for the rest of your life..................." statement was directed to.

I have seen to many jokers pulling way over their GVW in improperly equiped vehicals. And I know from experiance in a panic situation my 1/2 ton Dodge will not cut the cheese!!!

What limits a truck is it's stopping power.

Dave look into International 4700 low pro or Chevy/GMC low pro, they are very close in specs. Make sure you get a diesel, the gas GM 366's don't hold up well, and suck down gas like a dry well.

See if you can get a 24k truck not the 18k, better in weight carrying if you ever need it, and not much more money.