Originally Posted by RPM3402
This is a constant topic here - how much trailer can I tow. You see the usual answers, from marginally accurate, to wholly misleading based on experience. There is an answer to the question though, and there is a reason why its important.
First, you need to put everything in your truck (fuel, people, stuff, etc.) that you intend to camp with, and weigh it at a CAT Scale. Make note of that weight.
Second, subtract that number from your GVWR. That's your actual remaining payload. The yellow sticker is ratings related to tires, etc. The absolute objective remaining available payload of your vehicle for our purposes here, is the weight of it fully loaded subtracted from your GVWR. Simple as that.
Third, does your hitch weight of your trailer exceed that payload number or not. its probably close, but you're probably over but i don't know...you have to weigh your truck with everything in it and see. Then you'll know the answer to what your remaining available payload is. The only imprecise thing in this discussion is the pinweight...no one knows or will actually ever know to the pound, what that is exactly. You can kind of figure it out in theory if you weigh your whole rig, but even then it won't be precise to the pound. So that's the only reason you can't get but so excited over a few pounds here or there.
But...there is a reason to be concerned if a few pounds turns into a few hundred pounds or a 1000 pounds, as is often the case with a 3/4 ton truck towing a large fifth wheel. Those reasons are:
First, some states will actually weight you and you could just flat out get a ticket for having overloaded your truck's GVWR. Period. Rare, but more and more states are doing that by running you through scales set up for truckers. So be aware. it might matter.
Second, if you're involved in an accident and you're overloaded, several things could happen, and unfortunately all at once: 1. You may be presumed to be at fault because you exceeded the capacity of your vehicle; 2. Because of #1, an injured party's attorney will use that fact against you to show fault...even if its not actually your fault; and because of that...3. your insurance may not defend you in the lawsuit, and it also may not pay out your own claim for your own trailer because you have intentionally overloaded your vehicle. You will hear people scream and cry that is not so, but I promise you...it is so...at least potentially so.
So that is the answer to "the question" about how much can you tow with your truck. Nothing else is correct. Its not complicated, and its just math and it has nothing to do with what your truck will pull, or what others have gotten away with for years, etc. Its just numbers, and the way the law and insurance polices work. Sorry.
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