What does max towing refer to

[blackbase]

Hey Guys,

Newbie question. What does the max towing weight on the tow guides and rams site refer too? Actual weight of the trailer (dry weight plus fluids and gear) or GVWR of the trailer?

Thanks!

 

[14hemiexpress]

Max towing means total weight of everything. If you have a max towing weight of 7000lbs and you have 1000 inside your truck includeing passangers and supplies in the bed you can only tow a 6000lb trailer. If you have 200lbs in the truck you can tow a 6800lb trailer. And that's part 1. Part 2 is your payload if you have 200lbs in the truck and your payload is 1400 you can have a 1200lb hitch weight but if you have 800lbs in the cab you can only have a 600lb hitch weight. Max towing includes everything include water tanks, supplies, fuel and liquids in equpiment. Another way to look at it we'll keep the numbers simple if you have a Max towing of 7000 and your truck weighs 5000 you have a gcvw of 12000 that means what ever you load in or on it you can't weight more that 12k between the truck and trailer. if your truck has 6800gvw your truck can't weigh more than that witch includes hitch weight, passangers and any supplies.

Hope this helps

 

[blackbase]

Thanks that helps

I understand the payload requirement, that its everything in the truck plus the hitch weight. My confusion is on the towing capacity. Ignore GCWR for now. Say my towing capacity is 5000 lbs. Trailer A hits a scale at 5000lbs. The GVWR is 5000 lbs. the numbers add up everything is ok (aside from not having the 20ish% of wiggle room) Trailer B on the scale is also 5000 lbs but the GVWR is 10000 lbs.

Is that considered over the towing capacity because the GVWR is over, even if its only loaded to 5000 lbs?

 

[stoney]

GCWR is the weight of everything, including the weight of the trailer, truck, cargo, etc....
This total weight is broken down into different sections i.e. payload, trailer weight, etc...
The website will state max trailer weight based on truck, model, etc.....plus it gives you the GCWR, pay load, and some other info I think.
The max trailer weight is the trailer loaded with everything i.e. cargo, water, tanks, batteries, etc.....NOT the dry weight of the trailer, have to figure most add another 1000 lbs to the trailer on top of the dry weight, depending on what you pack (heavy or light)

 

[blackbase]

Ok so max trailer weight is what it sits at on a scale loaded for camping in the case of a travel trailer.

Not what it could potentially weigh if you maxed out the trailer to its GVWR

Do I understand that correctly now?

 

[stoney]

Ok so max trailer weight is what it sits at on a scale loaded for camping in the case of a travel trailer.

Not what it could potentially weigh if you maxed out the trailer to its GVWR

Do I understand that correctly now?

GVWR is the rating for the truck and not what it is towing i.e. trucks, fluids, cargo, etc....
It DOES include the tongue weight though....but not the trailer weight.

All of these numbers need to be considered though, as one affects the other, which is why you want to have some wiggle room when determining what truck you need based on the trailer you intend to tow.

 

[blackbase]

GVWR is the rating for the truck and not what it is towing i.e. trucks, fluids, cargo, etc....
It DOES include the tongue weight though....but not the trailer weight.

All of these numbers need to be considered though, as one affects the other, which is why you want to have some wiggle room when determining what truck you need based on the trailer you intend to tow.

Sorry i meant the GVWR of the trailer.

Is Max towing # the weight of a trailer ready for camping. (fluids food etc)

or is max towing # the GVWR of the trailer

 

[stoney]

Sorry i meant the GVWR of the trailer.

Is Max towing # the weight of a trailer ready for camping. (fluids food etc)

or is max towing # the GVWR of the trailer

The Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) will be listed on the trailer tag somewhere, usually on the door to the trailer, nothing to do with the truck ratings.
GVWR refers to vehicles and not trailers (as far as I know).

The "Max Towing" chart is the weight of the trailer that the truck can tow.....which includes the trailer FULLY loaded with all that you intend to tow.

 

[blackbase]

Ok Awesome haha, I think we are on the same page now.

Thanks for your help

 

[14hemiexpress]

The gross trailer weight means that's the max the trailer can weigh. If a TT has a gross weight of 7000lbs but empty weights 5000 that means you can load 2000lbs into that trailer safely.

 

[blackbase]

I understand the Gross trailer weight. That dry weight plus gear cant be more.

My question is does the truck have to be rated to tow the gross trailer weight. Regardless of the dry weight or dry weight plus gear you put in it. (what it would scale at)

 

[PippinAin'tEasy]

Ram tells me my truck will tow 10k. The GVWR of my TT is #9591. I will CRUSH my GCVWR if I load it that hard. So I don't. Stay under truck GVWR with hitch and truck cargo weight then stay under GCVWR with loaded trailer weight. I preferred to do it that order to protect the more expensive investment. You can't fit more than 24 beers in a case but an 18 pack fits nicely all day long.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547 using Tapatalk

 

[14hemiexpress]

I understand the Gross trailer weight. That dry weight plus gear cant be more.

My question is does the truck have to be rated to tow the gross trailer weight. Regardless of the dry weight or dry weight plus gear you put in it. (what it would scale at)

No I pull a trailer all the time that grosses at 14k that's 2700lbs empty (equpiment trailer and my towing capacity is 8650). So if you have Max towing of 7k and you pick up a trailer that gross weight is 9k as long as it doesn't weigh more than 7k when your pulling it your in the clear.

 

[blackbase]

Awesome! thanks guys, sorry it took so much back and forth to get to the answer.

thanks again

 

[14hemiexpress]

No issues that's why we're here it just took couple posts to figure out what you were looking for.