The lease on the car is up in September and we are starting to look at replacement vehicles to buy. At the top of our list is an Av. At some point in the next year ot two we plan on getting a small trailer (around 18-21 feet) for camping. The question I have is regarding the GVWR on the 1500 Av.
The police are getting more stringent up here in Canada regarding overloading trucks pulling trailers, so I want to make sure I get the right size pickup.
Correct me if I'm wrong on the calculations here.
It seems like the GVWR of a 1500 4X4 Av is 7,000 lbs. The truck itself weighs right around 5,700 lbs (heavy). If you load it up with 4 occupants (600 lbs.) + 400 lbs. of cargo + the tongue weight of the trailer 400 lbs (this is an average of a few 21 foot trailers I have examined) I come up with a total weight on the truck of 7,100 lbs. According to this I would be overloaded on the Av. Does this seem right?? If this is the case then it wouldn't seem like the 1500 Av would be able to legally tow very much at all.
I know that on the GM website it says it has a towing capacity of over 6,000 lbs, but that doesn't really have a bearing on the GVWR. If my calculations are correct, the 1500 Av wouldn't tow much, and I would need to look at the 2500 Av instead. I am not keen on that idea mainly because of gas mileage concerns and the much stiffer suspension. We would only be towing the trailer 3-4 weeks a year, but if I get pulled over and am overweight, they force you to leave the trailer where it is until you can tow it with a proper vehicle (at least in one province up here in Canada).
Can anybody help clarify this for me at all, or point out the error in my calculations?? I know the Av 1500 would have enough power, just not if I could legally tow the trailer.
Stephen
The police are getting more stringent up here in Canada regarding overloading trucks pulling trailers, so I want to make sure I get the right size pickup.
Correct me if I'm wrong on the calculations here.
It seems like the GVWR of a 1500 4X4 Av is 7,000 lbs. The truck itself weighs right around 5,700 lbs (heavy). If you load it up with 4 occupants (600 lbs.) + 400 lbs. of cargo + the tongue weight of the trailer 400 lbs (this is an average of a few 21 foot trailers I have examined) I come up with a total weight on the truck of 7,100 lbs. According to this I would be overloaded on the Av. Does this seem right?? If this is the case then it wouldn't seem like the 1500 Av would be able to legally tow very much at all.
I know that on the GM website it says it has a towing capacity of over 6,000 lbs, but that doesn't really have a bearing on the GVWR. If my calculations are correct, the 1500 Av wouldn't tow much, and I would need to look at the 2500 Av instead. I am not keen on that idea mainly because of gas mileage concerns and the much stiffer suspension. We would only be towing the trailer 3-4 weeks a year, but if I get pulled over and am overweight, they force you to leave the trailer where it is until you can tow it with a proper vehicle (at least in one province up here in Canada).
Can anybody help clarify this for me at all, or point out the error in my calculations?? I know the Av 1500 would have enough power, just not if I could legally tow the trailer.
Stephen