My truck: 2016 2500 5.7 4x4 crew cab short bed.
GVWR: 9,000 lbs.
GCWR: 18,300 lbs.
Payload: 2,370 lbs.
Max tow rating (per owners manual): 11,200 lbs.
Trailer:
GVWR: 14,000 lbs.
Unloaded weight: 4,820 lbs.
My question is, is this trailer too heavy for my truck? How much weight can I realistically put on the trailer and be under 26,001 lbs?
I know this post is a little older but will throw in my comments:
Anywhere close to 26,001 lbs. (assuming combined truck and trailer weight) will be a good bit overweight for both the truck and trailer.
The GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating...which is max weight) of the truck is not what it always weighs but rather how much total it can weigh (how much the manufacturer recommends) after loading it up with payload in the bed or cab. Stating that the payload is 2,370 lbs. basically states that the empty truck is around 6,600 lbs. Add a driver, passenger or two, fuel, a few things in the bed and you are easily in the 7,000 lb. range with the truck.
The GCWR (gross, or max, combined weight rating) is how much total the truck, with payload, plus the loaded trailer can weigh. So take that 18,300 lb. number minus around 7,000 lb. for just that truck and that leaves right around 11,200 lbs. mark which is approximately the stated max tow rating.
Now let's take an approximately 7,000 lb. truck and hook up the empty 4,820 lb. trailer for a weight of around 12,000 lb.
- "Legally" and per the truck manufacturer rating you can go up to 18,300 total, so if you are already at 12,000 that gives you 6,300 lb. of weight you can put on the trailer (and keep all the towing police on here happy.....). Again, 18,300 lbs. is the max the truck with a trailer is rated for which is nowhere close to 26k.
- Just per the trailer numbers you could put just over 9,000 lbs. on it but you would be technically overweight on the truck. Even if you did load the trailer to max you are at 14k on the trailer and a 7k truck for 21k lbs. total. Just to appease the towing police I'm not saying you should do this by any means.
In regards to how much weight you should tow, there is a difference between towing a trailer down a 50ish mph country road for a short distance versus towing 300 miles down a 70 mph freeway. Overall I think the trailer may be a little overkill for what the truck is "technically" rated for, but don't know if it is rated appropriately for the tractor as it depends on what size it is. For the trailer it could also be the deck size to accommodate the width and length of the tractor, and often to get a bigger deck you are limited with getting a heavier duty (heavier) trailer unless you custom order).