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Max Trailer Weight vs. GVWR vs. GCWR vs. ???

Naked AV

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Max Trailer Weight vs. GVWR vs. GCWR vs. ???....is there a way/place to compute these numbers??

A friend of mine bought a new Tahoe, and is wondering what she can tow with it.? Also, she is wondering under what circumstance she would need a weight distributing hitch.

Here are her specs:
Tahoe 2WD
Vortec 5300 V8 (Automatic)
Axle Ratio? 3.73
Max. Trailer Weight (lbs.) 7700
GVWR, standard (lbs.) 6500
Payload, base (lbs.) 1525
Curb weights, estimated (lbs.) 4975

Any input from the gurus here? ???
 
The short answer is to stay at 6000 lb. trailer weight or below. The need for a weight dist. hitch depends on the tongue weight of the trailer. There is a sticker on the hitch that will tell you that. She may also have to get some kind of sway control and a brake controller.

AVid
 
The long or short of it is ..... well there isn't a short answer. The GCWR is the total drop dead weight that the truck can move safely down the road. Nobody likes to get too close to that number. On a Tahoe its about 14k. So you start subtracting all the weights (truck, trailer, people, cargo, fuel and such) that you know from that number and end up with your margin. Like Avid says drop about 1000 to 1500 lbs off the tow rating and she should be good to go. General rules: Any trailer over 2000, and for sure, over 3000 needs brakes. Any tongue weight that gets close to 500 lbs empty or loaded should have some kind of weight distributing hitch. Any flat side area that exceeds about 100 square feet, visually, maybe a couple of sheets of plywood, sway control should be considered. I always like a lot of margin, makes me and the better half feel better.
 
So since her max trailer weight is 7700, she should be okay with let's say, 6500 lbs?  I think the trailer she has now is 5500-5600 dry....so she should be good.  I advised upgraded sway bars regardless because they make the ride much more stable and safe, something you would certainly want in high winds or a clutch situation.  As far as weight distributing hitches, any suggestions there?
 
Naked AV said:
So since her max trailer weight is 7700, she should be okay with let's say, 6500 lbs?  I think the trailer she has now is 5500-5600 dry....so she should be good.  I advised upgraded sway bars regardless because they make the ride much more stable and safe, something you would certainly want in high winds or a clutch situation.  As far as weight distributing hitches, any suggestions there?

WD and sway control at the same time....  Good price and works great - just remember to lube the pivot and contact points - graphite lube works great and is less messy than standard grease.

http://www.hitchsource.com/equalizer.php
 
Naked AV said:
Max Trailer Weight vs. GVWR vs. GCWR vs. ???....is there a way/place to compute these numbers? 

The Max towing weight listed by the manufacturer is a "marketing number". It is the "best case scenario".

The real maximum weight you can tow is a factor of:

GCWR - Actual Curb Weight: Take the GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) of your tow vehicle (it should be printed on the sticker on the driver's door), and subtract the actual weight of your tow vehicle, as it would be during towing (include passengers, full tank of fuel, gear, etc. This will give you your actual maximum weight you can tow.

But that's not all you need. You also need to know the maximum tongue weight you can handle. For this, take the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of your tow vehicle, and subtract the actual weight of the vehicle as outfitted above. This will give you your remaining Cargo Carrying Capacity, which is also how much you have for tongue weight. Now, the tongue weight of the trailer needs to be approximately 12-14% of the actual weight of your trailer. So, if your trailer weighs 7000lbs loaded, you need to have 840-980 pounds on the tongue.

Keep in mind, if you are carrying portable gear in your tow vehicle, you may be better off putting it in the trailer. Every 10 pounds of gear you move from the TV to the trailer will increase your max tongue weight by approximately  8.8 pounds.

IMO, if your tongue weight is over 500-600lbs, you need weight distribution. It will certainly make the TV handle much better.

Also keep in mind, the "sticker weight" of the trailer is probably inaccurate. The unloaded weight may be significantly more than what the label says.
 
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