Yet another what can I tow question

[bigcolasc]

All these numbers are very confusing! I need help understanding what I can safely tow with my 1/2 ton truck. Can someone help me determine what travel trailer UVW and GVWR I should be looking at? Here are my truck specs:


2018 Silverado 1500 2WD Crew Cab
5.3L V8 Ecotec3
6-speed auto transmission
Gross Vehicle Weight - 3,178 lb
Rear Axle - 3.42
GVWR - 7,000 lb
GAWR FRT - 3,850 lb
GAWR RR - 3,950 lb
Max trailer weight - 9,400 lb
GCWR - 15,000 lb
Max tongue weight, hitch=weight carrying - 700 lb
Max tongue weight, hitch=weight distributing - 1,250 lb


Thanks!!!

[CharlesinGA]

Ride S40T wrote:
You also need to consider what length is safe to haul. Have seen this formula for length, pretty sure there's some science behind it but wasn't quoted: "Rule of thumb (20’ for 110” wheelbase + 1’ for each additional 4” of wheelbase)" That was adopted (plagiarized) from a veteran RVer on this forum. With this formula, my previous GMC 1500 was right at the safe limit of (27.9' calculated) and my RV is 28' hitch to bumper. For what it's worth.

I sometimes see that rule of thumb using 113 inches for the beginning wheelbase. I also see a rule of thumb that the distance from the ball coupler to the centerline of the rear most axle should not be more than twice? the tow vehicle wheelbase.

Charles

[hsq91]

You mentioned you'll be carrying your whole family. Assuming a family of 4 average sized people, you're looking at approximately 700 lbs for just passengers. With a loaded trailer at 7000 lbs, which is fairly conservative for a family, and a theoretical max tongue weight at 15% (1050 lbs), you're about at payload capacity.

In my research, a lot of these 1/2 tons are pushing the payload limit when you consider carrying a family and towing an appropriately sized trailer for a family.

[Ride_S40T]

You're going to hear varying degrees of good advice on RV forums and A LOT of solid recommendations based on years of experience. After considering any or everything read here, please please go out to one of the reputable sites like Shereline and run all the TV and TT specs. Find a worksheet that uses all the specs all the way down to the wheelbase, do not use a simple "pulling capacity" worksheet produced by TV manufacturers. "Can" you haul something that big behind a 1500 (any make)? Sure. Will it be unsafe or kill the truck? Possibly. Run the numbers, even those wheelbase specs are important. Let the science behind towing be your first guide. Then decide on a TT within those parameters. Lastly, please know dry weight & tongue weight issued by TT mfgrs can be a little optimistic on the low side. We used a tongue scale to find out our hitch weight is about 100lbs more than advertised.

Just a few tow capacity Links. Google, be our friend. http://changingears.com/rv-sec-calc-trailer-weight-tt.shtml https://www.huskytow.com/towing-calculator/ https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=2ahUKEwiSiKGvqrXgAhUO24MKHYk-A70QFjAAegQIChAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.popthetop.com%2Ffiles%2FTowingCapacityWorksheet.xls&usg=AOvVaw2fZsU5Xv3ayY7Zcblc9aui

And pulled from the site we’re on:

You also need to consider what length is safe to haul. Have seen this formula for length, pretty sure there's some science behind it but wasn't quoted: "Rule of thumb (20’ for 110” wheelbase + 1’ for each additional 4” of wheelbase)" That was adopted (plagiarized) from a veteran RVer on this forum. With this formula, my previous GMC 1500 was right at the safe limit of (27.9' calculated) and my RV is 28' hitch to bumper. For what it's worth.

[hondapro]

Grit dog wrote:

bigcolasc wrote:
This will be my first TT and I just don't want to have white knuckle rides. I'll have the whole family loaded in the truck and I just want to be safe. I doubt we'll travel much further than 4 hours away from our home location which is Columbia, South Carolina (smack dab in the middle of the state). We'll probably hit the mountains of NC or the beaches of SC mostly.

Looking at a few campers with a UVW of 5,500.

How much other towing experience do you have?
I've had a white knuckle ride towing an air compressor or gen-set behind a 3/4 ton at a very small percentage of the trucks rated capacity and had smooth rides towing well over the capacity of many trucks.
You can make a 14klb trailer comfortable behind a 1/2 ton if loaded right and set up right (not that I'm recommending towing that much, but I may have done it once...or 20 times, lol).

More to your question, pretty much any trailer you're looking at with a 5-6klb uvw will be handled well by your truck, if set up properly.
You can obsess over every pot, pan and case of juice boxes loaded up for the trip and make multiple trips to scales and produce spreadsheets and calculate, to the pound, your loads vs your rated capacities, but in the end, that truck will pull a med size TT quite well.

What cannot be accounted for is the driver's ability and experience, which is not insurmountable. Take it slow at first, minimize distractions, practice some before loading up the family for summer vacation and it'll be easy going.

In my opinion Grit is 100% correct.

[Road_Phantom]

Stick with a travel trailer around 25 ft, especially in the west with its high elevations.

[drsteve]

The short answer is that for the average half ton truck with the factory trailer towing package, and most towing situations, keeping the trailer under 8K ready to roll is a good idea.

[Grit_dog]

bigcolasc wrote:
This will be my first TT and I just don't want to have white knuckle rides. I'll have the whole family loaded in the truck and I just want to be safe. I doubt we'll travel much further than 4 hours away from our home location which is Columbia, South Carolina (smack dab in the middle of the state). We'll probably hit the mountains of NC or the beaches of SC mostly.

Looking at a few campers with a UVW of 5,500.

How much other towing experience do you have?
I've had a white knuckle ride towing an air compressor or gen-set behind a 3/4 ton at a very small percentage of the trucks rated capacity and had smooth rides towing well over the capacity of many trucks.
You can make a 14klb trailer comfortable behind a 1/2 ton if loaded right and set up right (not that I'm recommending towing that much, but I may have done it once...or 20 times, lol).

More to your question, pretty much any trailer you're looking at with a 5-6klb uvw will be handled well by your truck, if set up properly.
You can obsess over every pot, pan and case of juice boxes loaded up for the trip and make multiple trips to scales and produce spreadsheets and calculate, to the pound, your loads vs your rated capacities, but in the end, that truck will pull a med size TT quite well.

What cannot be accounted for is the driver's ability and experience, which is not insurmountable. Take it slow at first, minimize distractions, practice some before loading up the family for summer vacation and it'll be easy going.

[GrandpaKip]

bigcolasc wrote:
But isn't GWR subjective based on how much a person loads down the trailer?
Not really. It’s the max the trailer should weigh and not weigh more.

Doesn't it represent the maximum the trailer can be loaded down to?

Yes.
Worst case scenario: You load the trailer to its max, then take 13% of that for an optimal tongue weight. Theoretically, that will be the highest tongue weight you will have, though you can go to 15%.
That tongue weight figure will come off your payload.
Say you are looking at a camper that maxes out at 7000#.
13% of 7000 is 910.
That would be the max optimal tongue weight.
Say your truck has a payload of 1800#.
1800 - 910= 890
That leaves you with 890 for passengers, their stuff, whatever else is in the bed, and the weight of the weight distribution hitch (most figure about 100#).
Using the GWR gives you a max figure for your truck’s payload. To me, this is the easiest method to get an idea of what campers you can pull safely with your truck.

[bigcolasc]

But isn't GWR subjective based on how much a person loads down the trailer?

Doesn't it represent the maximum the trailer can be loaded down to?

[GrandpaKip]

bigcolasc wrote:
This will be my first TT and I just don't want to have white knuckle rides. I'll have the whole family loaded in the truck and I just want to be safe. I doubt we'll travel much further than 4 hours away from our home location which is Columbia, South Carolina (smack dab in the middle of the state). We'll probably hit the mountains of NC or the beaches of SC mostly.

Looking at a few campers with a UVW of 5,500.

You really need to look at the Gross Weight Rating, not the unloaded. Lots of us here have found out that figure has no basis in reality.
For example, our trailer’s brochure weight was around 3500#, the sticker from the factory was 3820#, and 4150# when I ran it over the CAT scales on the way home. The Gross Weight Rating is 6000# and always will be.

[Lwiddis]

“I doubt we'll travel much further than 4 hours away from our home location which is Columbia,..”

Nothing bad will happen within 4 hours of home no matter how overloaded you are. And nothing heats up that close to home either...tires, hubs, brakes, engines, transmissions etc. You are good at any weight!

[MFL]

Many are towing that size TT with a truck such as yours. I would be comfortable with that, but like I mentioned earlier, comfort zones vary. If you have towed a fair size boat, or other trailer of any size, you should have some idea. However, two people could tow the same trailer, using same truck, with different descriptions of experience.

A quality WDH, with built in sway control will make a difference in the towing, so don't cheap out on that.

Jerry

[bigcolasc]

This will be my first TT and I just don't want to have white knuckle rides. I'll have the whole family loaded in the truck and I just want to be safe. I doubt we'll travel much further than 4 hours away from our home location which is Columbia, South Carolina (smack dab in the middle of the state). We'll probably hit the mountains of NC or the beaches of SC mostly.

Looking at a few campers with a UVW of 5,500.

[MitchF150]

I've got a #7000 GVWR TT that started out at around #5500 dry and #700 dry tongue weight.. I've since loaded the HECK out of it! 🙂 I also usually carry a full fresh water load (58 gallons) which is basically in front of the axles, so.. It's heavy!

I've not crossed the scales with it, but just figure it's at it's GVWR and at least #1000 TW when all said and done.

The 13 F150 Ecoboost with MaxTow does a good job with it. It's about all I'd want to go to stay in my 'easy tow' category.. It can tow more, but then it just gets maxed out and that's no fun..

I've towed TT's regularly since 2002 with a couple of F150's and this is just what I'm comfortable with using those vehicles.

"Safely tow" is a term that really can't be judged since that also implies that you KNOW how to tow in the first place, right?w

Anyway, just don't make the mistake of looking at "dry" weights of trailers and comparing to your trucks "tow rating" and think you are good.. The results are usually not a fun tow..

Good luck!

Mitch