Actual Tow Capacity?

[Scottly]

And still, no one has said it...so I'll say it....BUY A 3500!! You're welcome.

 

[NH RAM]

And still, no one has said it...so I'll say it....BUY A 3500!! You're welcome.

When the comment of offering an upgraded suspension on the 2500 was made, I thought the same thing, it's an upgrade package called a 3500 . In my area though, 3500's are hard to come by, so I suspect many buy a 2500 instead and try to work within the limitations, then just supplement the suspension.

 

[JF19Longhorn]

Yeah, 2500's diesel suffer in the payload department.

My father-in-law has a 2019 2500 GMC diesel that's pretty decently equipped and his payload is less than my wife's 2020 F150 XLT.

 

[Riccochet]

Yeah, 2500's diesel suffer in the payload department.

My father-in-law has a 2019 2500 GMC diesel that's pretty decently equipped and his payload is less than my wife's 2020 F150 XLT.

You can build a GMC 2500 diesel with a 11,200 GVWR that gives you like 3500-4000 lbs of payload.

 

[crash68]

With the payload of my 1500 and nothing in the bed I'll still over 80% of my recommend payload.

If you're stopping at 80% as a safety factor, there's no need to. The weight ratings already have safety factor built in.

 

[Irishthreeper]

You have to know the pin weight, what make and model 5th wheel are you looking at? The pin weight of the 5th wheel will go against your payload. So, the driver, passengers, dogs, hitch, whatever you put into the truck plus the pin weight of the 5th wheel will probably eat up that 2234lbs., payload capacity. Then the stuff you add to the 5th wheel will add to the pin weight too.

Let's just use some light weight figures....
Driver weight: 150lbs
Passenger weight: 110lbs (spouse) 2 young kids: 160lbs
Stuff you put in the truck/5th wheel hitch too: 150lbs hitch +100lbs various camping items
Pin weight of the 5th wheel: 1400lbs pin weight

2070lbs., for everything you added to the truck....leaves you less than 200lbs., for anything else. The other is to check your axle ratings, you'd have to weight your truck to make sure you are not over the axle ratings. CAT scales probably the best way to know for sure.

To help make the point, my ‘21 2500 Hemi has a PL rating of just under 3100 lbs. Our 34 foot 5W has a hitch weight of only 1250 but after loaded up and with a pretty heavy slider hitch in the bed I weighed out with about 2300 lbs of used PL. About 700 lbs was from the loaded 5w so it mounts up pretty fast. We’re full timers so have more crap than most but that forward storage area is very tempting to load up with about anyone

 

[flashman252]

Looking at KZ 311TH10,

Looks like dry hitch weight is 1600 lbs and dry axle weight is 7210 lbs.

So let's say me (250, im a big boy), the wife and kids (140 + 60 + 100) which equals 550 lbs, then technically I have hit the max load capacity of 2234 that just popped up when I looked up my vin because 1600+550 is 2150. So I have to leave the great dane at home.

 

[Riccochet]

Looking at KZ 311TH10,

Looks like dry hitch weight is 1600 lbs and dry axle weight is 7210 lbs.

So let's say me (250, im a big boy), the wife and kids (140 + 60 + 100) which equals 550 lbs, then technically I have hit the max load capacity of 2234 that just popped up when I looked up my vin because 1600+550 is 2150. So I have to leave the great dane at home.

Dry pin weight does not include batteries (60-70 lbs each), propane (2x 30lb tanks at 55 lbs each) and anything else you put in the trailer forward of the axles. Like clothes, food, water, all the stuff in pass through storage.

You're over weight.

 

[flashman252]

Well I haven't bought the trailer yet but probably will still at some point lol.

 

[JF19Longhorn]

You can build a GMC 2500 diesel with a 11,200 GVWR that gives you like 3500-4000 lbs of payload.

I'm guessing he has the 9990 GVWR package or something, because a pallet of wood pellets and us in the cab puts him legally over the door tag.

 

[Adam E]

...I have a Weigh Safe True Tow hitch so I adjust my weight distribution based on my tongue weight each time I tow.

I just looked up the Weigh Safe True Tow. That's a super simple WDH to adjust! I have the Husky Centerline and it took me a few trips around the block to get it dialed in. I have a separate tongue weight scale so I have to weigh before I connect and I have to figure out the distributed weight by measuring the height change of the front and rear of my truck, which can't be the best way to make sure the weight is properly distributed.
The Husky works well though after seeing the WS WDH I'd buy that one if I was going to do it again!

 

[Loudram]

The simple adjustment is what I loved about it. You just have to make sure you are level when adjusting it. My driveway isn't long enough for my truck and trailer. My truck ends up partially in the street when I'm hooked up so I have to pull completely into the street or drive around the block to a large parking lot and then adjust it.

 

[TomB 1269]

If its a a 5th wheel toy hauler he may not be over weight yet but he'll be on top of it. His pin weight could actually decrease a very small amount (think like 10%) when the garage is properly loaded.
Toy haulers always have a high dry pin/tongue weight as they are designed to be counter balanced with toys in the garage. Look at toy haulers of the same size (and general layout / build) you will fin that the dry tongue weight is at least 50% higher in most cases closer to 2x to a similar travel trailer. This is so you can actually put 2000lbs of toy in the back and not have the thing tail loaded and wagging going down the road. But it also makes it hard to understand what its actual loaded tongue weight will be if you are looking to by one and your going to be near your limits.
In the end most travel trailers are designed to transfer 11 to 13% of its total weight to the tongue so even with a toy hauler you can take the GVRW and multiple by 13% and that should be close to what you will be looking at for a loaded tongue weight, but you have to put the weight it is designed for in the garage, i.e. side by side, quad, bike, etc.

 

[runamuck]

my 28' travel trailer has right at 10% tongue wt. but seems to tow fine. 6000# trailer wt.