I'm sure this has been addressed before, but I need your opinions interpreting on these actual numbers. We are not full-time, but when my husband retires in the fall, we plan to travel for several months at the time. We travel with 2 adults, 2 dogs, 2 kayaks on a camper top, 2 bikes, 2 30# propane cylinders, 2 batteries and assorted paraphernalia. Of course, we use a weight distributing hitch system.
GMC Sierra 1500 Extended Cab, Long Bed - Maximum Trailer Wt = 7500, GCWR=13000, GVWR=6900, GAWR Front=3925, GAWR Rear=3750
We weighed at a CAT scale recently, fully loaded, and here are the weights:
Front Axle=3420
Rear Axle=4100
Trailer Axle=5520
TOTAL=13040
I believe we need a smaller trailer or a vehicle with more towing capacity. My husband is not too happy with this idea. This setup is VERY long!
-- Edited by kimbrellsf on Monday 8th of June 2015 08:33:45 AM
NWescapee said
08:40 AM Jun 8, 2015
I agree with you, we previously had a 30 ft TT with a Toyata Tundra. When we were weighed at the 2012 Fall Rally in OR we were 1000 pounds overweight. Of course, that was at the end of a month long trip and we were heading home, but it made us realize that we needed a truck with a lot of weight capacity as we have the art booth set up "stuff" in the truck, and that adds 1000 LB of stuff.
Your truck might be able to pull what you have now, but how well will it stop? Our experience crossing the Sierras is that our truck pulled just fine uphill but going down, even trying to shift to a lower gear and just occasionally tap the brakes, we had smoking brakes halfway down a 6%, 12 mile grade and had to pull over to let the brakes cool. That is not a comfortable situation to be in, knowing you still have a ways to continue down hill.
MarkS said
09:57 AM Jun 8, 2015
Your weight isn't too bad. 40 pounds over gross combined rating. If you can, tighten up your hitch to shift some weight off of your drive axle to your steer axle and trailer axle. It wouldn't hurt to have a little more truck but in my opinion you can safely live with what you have. Also, make sure to weigh it while you are both in the truck.
The Schweitzers on the road said
09:47 AM Jun 9, 2015
well, you are right on the limit with GCWR and over the limit with GAWR.
You said you were fully loaded when on the scale. Does this include both of you in the truck?
Full tank of gas? Trailer tanks at 50% capacity? I.E. full freshwater, empty holding tanks of vice versa?
I would be concerned about the GAWR because you are probably overloading your tires which is not a good thing if it's done permanently.
If you were really fully loaded on the scale, I would try to pack more weight in the trailer (rear). If you can't get some weight off the rear truck axle I would look for truck tires that are rated to carry the weight you load.
FWIW
Bernd
kimbrellsf said
10:54 AM Jun 9, 2015
We weighed exactly the way we travel with us as well as the the dogs in the truck, kayaks on top, bikes on the rear trailer, no fresh water (we dont ever travel with it), empty black and gray tanks, 2 full propane bottles and 2 batteries. Maybe moving some of the load from the back of the truck to the back of the trailer is all we need, although, I think I'd feel safer with more truck power and less bed length. It's a lot of money to make that kind of change, though.
Sushidog said
02:46 PM Jun 9, 2015
I think if you take up another link or two on your WDH it will help a lot, shifting more weight to your front axle and trailer and taking some off your rear axle.
Chip
The Schweitzers on the road said
09:55 AM Jun 10, 2015
if you try to mitigate your rig's weight problem by shifting weights, then you have to look for ways to move weight from the truck to the trailer (rear). The truck is over 600lbs over GVWR, shifting weight from the rear axle to the front helps the overloading of the rear axle (and rear tires) but you will still be over GVWR by a fair amount.
I'm sure this has been addressed before, but I need your opinions interpreting on these actual numbers. We are not full-time, but when my husband retires in the fall, we plan to travel for several months at the time. We travel with 2 adults, 2 dogs, 2 kayaks on a camper top, 2 bikes, 2 30# propane cylinders, 2 batteries and assorted paraphernalia. Of course, we use a weight distributing hitch system.
Here is what we have:
We weighed at a CAT scale recently, fully loaded, and here are the weights:
I believe we need a smaller trailer or a vehicle with more towing capacity. My husband is not too happy with this idea. This setup is VERY long!
-- Edited by kimbrellsf on Monday 8th of June 2015 08:33:45 AM
Your truck might be able to pull what you have now, but how well will it stop? Our experience crossing the Sierras is that our truck pulled just fine uphill but going down, even trying to shift to a lower gear and just occasionally tap the brakes, we had smoking brakes halfway down a 6%, 12 mile grade and had to pull over to let the brakes cool. That is not a comfortable situation to be in, knowing you still have a ways to continue down hill.
You said you were fully loaded when on the scale. Does this include both of you in the truck?
Full tank of gas? Trailer tanks at 50% capacity? I.E. full freshwater, empty holding tanks of vice versa?
I would be concerned about the GAWR because you are probably overloading your tires which is not a good thing if it's done permanently.
If you were really fully loaded on the scale, I would try to pack more weight in the trailer (rear). If you can't get some weight off the rear truck axle I would look for truck tires that are rated to carry the weight you load.
FWIW
Bernd
We weighed exactly the way we travel with us as well as the the dogs in the truck, kayaks on top, bikes on the rear trailer, no fresh water (we dont ever travel with it), empty black and gray tanks, 2 full propane bottles and 2 batteries. Maybe moving some of the load from the back of the truck to the back of the trailer is all we need, although, I think I'd feel safer with more truck power and less bed length. It's a lot of money to make that kind of change, though.
Chip
Bernd