what is the heaviest toy hauler I can pull with chevy 1500?
Jan 20, 2005 | 07:26 AM
#1
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Range Rover
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what is the heaviest toy hauler I can pull with chevy 1500?
I drive a 1999 Chevy Silverado 1500 Z71. It has a 6 inch lift with 35 inch tires. I also have a flowmaster 3 inch exhaust, powerchip and K &N air filter. What do you think I could tow with my truck? I am looking into getting a 21 foot toy hauler and putting two raptors in there........I will be taking it out to Gordons well and Glamis from San Diego....
Jan 20, 2005 | 01:21 PM
#3
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From: Clovis, CA
what is the heaviest toy hauler I can pull with chevy 1500?
Moving up to 35s you've trashed your towing ability unless you have swapped out your gears.
In all honesty, most of the toy haulers out there can't be towed by 1/2 tons (even Ford F-150HD and Nissan Titans.)
You need to find out a few things:
GVWR of your truck
GVW of your truck (what it actually weighs with everyone/everything in it ready to roll.) Go to a scale and weight the front and rear axles.
The difference in these two is your CCW (Cargo Carrying Weight) and what you'll have available for tongue weight.
You'll also need to find your GCWR which will be in your owners manual. The thing is, it's going to be less if you have stock gears because of the 35s. I would take the lowest GCWR in there for your wheelbase. If you have the highest gear (like 3.whatever it is...F-150s have like 3.55s) then you'll need to be aware of that.
You also need to be aware of your GAWR for the front and rear. You can't exceed either one of these.
Take your CCW and multiply that times 6.67. We'll call that TAW (Trailer Axle Weight). Add your CCW (which is our tongue allowance) and the TAW for your Toy Box's GVWR. DO NOT use trailer UVW, Dry Hitch, Dry Weight. They are bogus. Every trailer that comes off the lot usually weighs more. Not that you will be banging up against the limits of the truck even with the lightest toy haulers out there. Look at WW Ultra Lights. As small as you can get. You're going to be limited to sub-20' most likely. TH's are incredibly heavy and have very heavy tongue weights (esp. w/o the toys in them.)
CHP is starting to crack down on TTs and RVs. Too many are overweight. Too many are being towed w/o the correct licenses.
Forumlas:
GVWR - GVW = CCW
(CCW * 6.67) + CCW = GVWR (Trailer)
Truck GVW + Trailer GVW <= GCWR of truck
The 6.67 multiplier is based on a 15% tongue weight which is the standard. You can gain a little with WD as it shifts weight back to the trailer axles, but with the toy boxes, they are already tongue heavy. I think I've seen +20% tongues on some. You will have to run WD. Without WD (weight distribution) you will lift the front end up and push the back down. I did a calculation for a guy yesterday on another web site and the difference between WD and not using it was 460 lbs on the rear axles.
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In all honesty, most of the toy haulers out there can't be towed by 1/2 tons (even Ford F-150HD and Nissan Titans.)
You need to find out a few things:
GVWR of your truck
GVW of your truck (what it actually weighs with everyone/everything in it ready to roll.) Go to a scale and weight the front and rear axles.
The difference in these two is your CCW (Cargo Carrying Weight) and what you'll have available for tongue weight.
You'll also need to find your GCWR which will be in your owners manual. The thing is, it's going to be less if you have stock gears because of the 35s. I would take the lowest GCWR in there for your wheelbase. If you have the highest gear (like 3.whatever it is...F-150s have like 3.55s) then you'll need to be aware of that.
You also need to be aware of your GAWR for the front and rear. You can't exceed either one of these.
Take your CCW and multiply that times 6.67. We'll call that TAW (Trailer Axle Weight). Add your CCW (which is our tongue allowance) and the TAW for your Toy Box's GVWR. DO NOT use trailer UVW, Dry Hitch, Dry Weight. They are bogus. Every trailer that comes off the lot usually weighs more. Not that you will be banging up against the limits of the truck even with the lightest toy haulers out there. Look at WW Ultra Lights. As small as you can get. You're going to be limited to sub-20' most likely. TH's are incredibly heavy and have very heavy tongue weights (esp. w/o the toys in them.)
CHP is starting to crack down on TTs and RVs. Too many are overweight. Too many are being towed w/o the correct licenses.
Forumlas:
GVWR - GVW = CCW
(CCW * 6.67) + CCW = GVWR (Trailer)
Truck GVW + Trailer GVW <= GCWR of truck
The 6.67 multiplier is based on a 15% tongue weight which is the standard. You can gain a little with WD as it shifts weight back to the trailer axles, but with the toy boxes, they are already tongue heavy. I think I've seen +20% tongues on some. You will have to run WD. Without WD (weight distribution) you will lift the front end up and push the back down. I did a calculation for a guy yesterday on another web site and the difference between WD and not using it was 460 lbs on the rear axles.
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Jan 20, 2005 | 11:50 PM
#5
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Range Rover
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what is the heaviest toy hauler I can pull with chevy 1500?
Is the CCW all i have left over for the weight of the trailer? I know my tow capacity is 7500 or 8000 depending on configuration. Is that tow capacity include the weight of your truck? I think a 21 foot superlite is about 4500 pounds plus 1000 pounds for quads and about 800 pounds for water with a 100 gallon tank. so thats about probably 6500 lbs give or take 500 pounds. is this doable? also where could i get my gears changed for towing i have stock gears....
Jan 21, 2005 | 03:18 AM
#6
Air Cooled Rider
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From: Clovis, CA
what is the heaviest toy hauler I can pull with chevy 1500?
First things to learn about trailering: Manufacturers lie via the fine print. Disregard any literature from GM (or any manufacturer) that says you can tow X number of pounds. You only care about GVWR, GAWRs and GCWR. That's on one vehicle (stripped). Take the the TH's "Dry Weight," "Dry Hitch Weight," and any other weight, with the exception of GVWR and GAWR and use the paper when you run out of TP. A little stiffer than a Sears Catalog. That's what they are worth.
You need to weight your truck. That's the only way to go about it. Get front and rear axle weights. Now based on that you can start to look at what trailer you can pull. When you are looking for a trailer, find out from people how much their's actually weighs. Most people don't know, and that's scarey. Base figures on the TH's GVWR. Most TH's when loaded will have a 15% tongue weight. So on a 10,000 GVWR TH, they could have a 1500lb tongue. It all depends on what's loaded in the trailer and how it's loaded. Without the toys in the back, and if you have water in the tanks, you could be looking at a 25% tongue. Everything is up front and the toys counterballance it out.
When you find a trailer who's GVWR and tongue weight based on 15% of the GVWR that you can haul start shopping around. DEMAND that on condition of sale, either you, or the dealer, have the truck weighed at a certified scale. Offer to pay expenses. DO NOT purchase without a weigh slip. You have the power. You don't have to buy the trailer there. This will start sending a message to dealers and manufacturers that weight is a SERIOUS issue. It is. And CHP is cracking down.
Weights to consider:
Water weighs about 7-8lbs/gallon
Propane weighs 4.something/gallon
Each propane bottle is stamped with it's tare weight. You'll see something like TW 19.43. Means the tank itself weighs 19.43 lbs. (Easy way to see how much propane you have left. Weigh the tank on your bath scale, subtract the TW and divide by 4. That's how many gallons of propane is in there...plus a little.) This is important if you add another tank.
Gasoline is about 7lbs/gallon (a little lighter than water)
Batteries are probably 50-75 lbs ea.
Terms (or what do these letters mean):
GVWR - Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. The most a vehicle (truck, trailer, etc.) can weigh. ALL vehicles have this on the driver's door/pillar.
GVW - Gross Vehicle Weight. The actual weight of the vehicle at the time of weighing.
GCWR - Gross Combined Weight Rating. The most a combination of vehicles can weigh. This will be listed in the owners manual. (I think it should be listed on the Safety Tag.) Usually it's a matrix in there of vehicle configuration (cab, bed, wheel base, engine, tranny, gear ratio).
GCW - Gross Combined Weight. The actual weight of the combination of vehicles at the time of weighing.
GAWR - Gross Axle Weight Rating. The maximum amount of weight that the axle can carry (including it's own weight.)
GAW - Gross Axle Weight. The actual weight of the axle on the ground at the time of weighing.
UVW - Unloaded Vehicle Weight. What the vehicle(usually a trailer) weighs empty. This is the RV equivelant of a trucks "Curb Weight." Though Curb Weight often is a wet weight (includes all vehicle fluids...coolant, oil, tranny fluid, fuel, etc.) Often as used by TT and TH companies, this can be JUST the trailer without anything. A box on wheels. This would be like Ford/GM saying the truck weighs X pounds, but without the engine, tranny, seats, etc. Some TT/TH manuf. actually do list the REAL actual weight. But take it with a 100lb bag of road salt.
CCC or CCW - Cargo Carrying Capacity or Cargo Carrying Weight. This is the difference between the GVW and GVWR. Aka "Payload Capacity" on a truck. Manufacturers use GVWR - UVW. So it's usually optimistic, at best.
Here's your homework assignment. This weekend sometime, take your truck loaded with anything that would be in at when you tow, fill her up with gas and go to public scale. Look under "Scales" in the yellow pages. Call around and get a price for weighing your truck. Tell them you want to weigh each axle seperately. Many truck stops will have scale, but could be very busy. Also check with rock yards. I don't have it bookmarked, but CalTrans has a page on their site by county of public scales.
Come back and post this information:
GVWR
GVW (add your front and rear weights, or you can weigh front, then both axles. Subtract front from both and that's the rear.)
GAWR (front and rear)
GAW (front and rear)
One thing that you need to check is the Load Carrying Capacity of your tires. It's stamped on the sidewall. "Max XXXXlbs @ YY PSI" or something like that. Will also have something like LOAD RANGE D (XXXX lbs). The tire rating needs to be at least 50% of your GAWR. Use the weight listed on the tire, if it's an LT (LT265/75R15) tire. If the tire is a P (P265/75R15) tire derate the tire 10% (multiply by .9). If the two tires together are less than the GAWR, you can only load up to the tire capacity, and not the axle weight. The tires are then the weakest link.
Then we can work out the weights on here.
Also, one thing to note, some people have reported hitch failures on the round tube style stock GM hitch platform. Check yours for any rusting at weld points, cracks, etc. We'll talk hitches later. You WILL be using a WD hitch with sway control.
You want to set your rig up purely by the book. In the event of a catastrophic incident (ie. fatal accident) you want to be 100% on the right side of the law. On the bad side, you can lose everything. And end up spending several years in prison for manslaughter.
I'll be out playing at Carnegie this weekend. Returning Sunday evening.
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You need to weight your truck. That's the only way to go about it. Get front and rear axle weights. Now based on that you can start to look at what trailer you can pull. When you are looking for a trailer, find out from people how much their's actually weighs. Most people don't know, and that's scarey. Base figures on the TH's GVWR. Most TH's when loaded will have a 15% tongue weight. So on a 10,000 GVWR TH, they could have a 1500lb tongue. It all depends on what's loaded in the trailer and how it's loaded. Without the toys in the back, and if you have water in the tanks, you could be looking at a 25% tongue. Everything is up front and the toys counterballance it out.
When you find a trailer who's GVWR and tongue weight based on 15% of the GVWR that you can haul start shopping around. DEMAND that on condition of sale, either you, or the dealer, have the truck weighed at a certified scale. Offer to pay expenses. DO NOT purchase without a weigh slip. You have the power. You don't have to buy the trailer there. This will start sending a message to dealers and manufacturers that weight is a SERIOUS issue. It is. And CHP is cracking down.
Weights to consider:
Water weighs about 7-8lbs/gallon
Propane weighs 4.something/gallon
Each propane bottle is stamped with it's tare weight. You'll see something like TW 19.43. Means the tank itself weighs 19.43 lbs. (Easy way to see how much propane you have left. Weigh the tank on your bath scale, subtract the TW and divide by 4. That's how many gallons of propane is in there...plus a little.) This is important if you add another tank.
Gasoline is about 7lbs/gallon (a little lighter than water)
Batteries are probably 50-75 lbs ea.
Terms (or what do these letters mean):
GVWR - Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. The most a vehicle (truck, trailer, etc.) can weigh. ALL vehicles have this on the driver's door/pillar.
GVW - Gross Vehicle Weight. The actual weight of the vehicle at the time of weighing.
GCWR - Gross Combined Weight Rating. The most a combination of vehicles can weigh. This will be listed in the owners manual. (I think it should be listed on the Safety Tag.) Usually it's a matrix in there of vehicle configuration (cab, bed, wheel base, engine, tranny, gear ratio).
GCW - Gross Combined Weight. The actual weight of the combination of vehicles at the time of weighing.
GAWR - Gross Axle Weight Rating. The maximum amount of weight that the axle can carry (including it's own weight.)
GAW - Gross Axle Weight. The actual weight of the axle on the ground at the time of weighing.
UVW - Unloaded Vehicle Weight. What the vehicle(usually a trailer) weighs empty. This is the RV equivelant of a trucks "Curb Weight." Though Curb Weight often is a wet weight (includes all vehicle fluids...coolant, oil, tranny fluid, fuel, etc.) Often as used by TT and TH companies, this can be JUST the trailer without anything. A box on wheels. This would be like Ford/GM saying the truck weighs X pounds, but without the engine, tranny, seats, etc. Some TT/TH manuf. actually do list the REAL actual weight. But take it with a 100lb bag of road salt.
CCC or CCW - Cargo Carrying Capacity or Cargo Carrying Weight. This is the difference between the GVW and GVWR. Aka "Payload Capacity" on a truck. Manufacturers use GVWR - UVW. So it's usually optimistic, at best.
Here's your homework assignment. This weekend sometime, take your truck loaded with anything that would be in at when you tow, fill her up with gas and go to public scale. Look under "Scales" in the yellow pages. Call around and get a price for weighing your truck. Tell them you want to weigh each axle seperately. Many truck stops will have scale, but could be very busy. Also check with rock yards. I don't have it bookmarked, but CalTrans has a page on their site by county of public scales.
Come back and post this information:
GVWR
GVW (add your front and rear weights, or you can weigh front, then both axles. Subtract front from both and that's the rear.)
GAWR (front and rear)
GAW (front and rear)
One thing that you need to check is the Load Carrying Capacity of your tires. It's stamped on the sidewall. "Max XXXXlbs @ YY PSI" or something like that. Will also have something like LOAD RANGE D (XXXX lbs). The tire rating needs to be at least 50% of your GAWR. Use the weight listed on the tire, if it's an LT (LT265/75R15) tire. If the tire is a P (P265/75R15) tire derate the tire 10% (multiply by .9). If the two tires together are less than the GAWR, you can only load up to the tire capacity, and not the axle weight. The tires are then the weakest link.
Then we can work out the weights on here.
Also, one thing to note, some people have reported hitch failures on the round tube style stock GM hitch platform. Check yours for any rusting at weld points, cracks, etc. We'll talk hitches later. You WILL be using a WD hitch with sway control.
You want to set your rig up purely by the book. In the event of a catastrophic incident (ie. fatal accident) you want to be 100% on the right side of the law. On the bad side, you can lose everything. And end up spending several years in prison for manslaughter.
I'll be out playing at Carnegie this weekend. Returning Sunday evening.
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Jan 21, 2005 | 03:21 AM
#7
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Joined: Dec 2003
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what is the heaviest toy hauler I can pull with chevy 1500?
RaptorRider, B&R is hitting everything perfectly[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] All I can add is: Better safe[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] then sorry[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]
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Jan 21, 2005 | 03:38 AM
#8
Air Cooled Rider
Future Govenator of Kalifornia!
Future Govenator of Kalifornia!
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 17,419
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From: Clovis, CA
what is the heaviest toy hauler I can pull with chevy 1500?
It feels really good when I get compliments like that. And man, that's a nice LAP. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] (And I changed that while rescue responded.) Added the section about tire derating.
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Jan 21, 2005 | 04:43 AM
#9
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Range Rover
Joined: Dec 2004
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what is the heaviest toy hauler I can pull with chevy 1500?
Thanks so much. I have to say that was one of the best darn post I have ever seen on this forum. Thank you Thank you Thank you. I will get off my butt and go weigh my truck with all the gear in it and find out those numbers and post the information as soon as I can. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]
Jan 21, 2005 | 05:24 PM
#10
Pro Rider
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 867
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what is the heaviest toy hauler I can pull with chevy 1500?
but u must take into account the tires you threw on the truck, your tow rating went into the ground when you switched tires, you are no where near the 7500 pound tow limit anymore , black and red warrior are you rv.net, your post is almost identical to most posts in towing