Trailer towing advice needed

[Builder]

I still thing the limiting factor is the GCVWR of the 2500HD being at 22,000#. If you subtract the weight of the truck and trailer that only leaves you with 6,520# of cargo capacity. That cargo will include anything on the trailer or in the truck. Even things like chains and binders will take away from that.

Chris

I went to GM's web site and they listed the empty weight, no gas or driver, as 5,720# for a 2 wheel drive extended cab diesel. I am sure that is the base truck and really more around 6,000#. Either way he would be better off with a trailer that weighs half as much as that monster at over 10,000# empty.

Chris

Who follows the numbers in the brochures? You don't because you always talk about towing way beyond your GCWR, too.

The guy seems grown up enough to buy/own the trailer he wants.

Besides, maybe is cargo is light or light & bulky.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Who follows the numbers in the brochures? You don't because you always talk about towing way beyond your GCWR, too.

The guy seems grown up enough to buy/own the trailer he wants.

Besides, maybe is cargo is light or light & bulky.

I know this. I am just trying to keep him legal. Like you said he is a big boy and can do as he wants.

Chris

 

[wushaw]

We all know there are only two numbers that only count.
GVWR
GCWR

Both are limits that we are not suppose to exceed on a regular basis or at all if it can be helped.

 

[loggskidder2]

We realize the trailer is heavy, but it suits our needs great for what we do with it. It may be a little overkill though. We have pulled the trailer over a year with the dodge dually. We run DOT numbers and hit all the weigh stations. I just want to be legal and not get sited when I go thru the station. We haul dirtbikes and ATV's on it. I know you guy's may be kind of lost on that type of cargo, but our heaviest load weighed just under 26,000#. Not sure what the dodge weighs but we had 20 bikes and 11 atvs on it. On average 20 bikes weighs 4600# and 11 atv's weigh 4400#. If I am overweight on the GCVWR I'm afraid I'll get sited. Thanks for all the input guy's I now understand what GVWR and GCVWR and other terms stand for and how they work.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Giving you the info to keep you legal is my only concern here. What you do after that is your own thing. I tow overweight and take a risk all the time and know that. I just wanted to make sure what you know what you were able to do legally. With the 6,500# or so left for cargo in your setup you will be fine for hauling the bike loads you are talking about most of the time. If you must haul a heavier load just use the dually.

Glad we could help you get the terms strait. That is one heck of a trailer. I would love to have it around my boat yard to move flat bottom house boats in and out of the drink. We are currently using a 60' house trailer frame with 5 axles and its on its last leg.


Chris

 

[Builder]

We realize the trailer is heavy, but it suits our needs great for what we do with it. It may be a little overkill though.

Nothing wrong with that! I don't know many members here who don't own 3X the truck, tractor or trailer they need.

Just keep the load off the front of the trailer to keep your PIN weight ~10-15%. However, don't "rear load" it too much, you'll have a loss of control.

I think a set of Firestone airbags would do you a lot of good. Remember, you have the same basic drivetrain as a 3500DRW, just lighter springs and less tire capacity. Although air bags won't make you legally able to carry more, they will make your load more stable, they'll make up for the shortcomings of light springs. A set of quality, stiff, load range E tires would give you the same tire capacity as a 1-ton SRW.

 

[loggskidder2]

Hey guy's been awhile since I posted. Just wanted you guys to know that I pulled the trailer once to cincinatti but didnt get a very big load. Truck did good. The bad news is Thursday I was headed to Atlanta nad went thru the weigh station and was pulled in to have a truck inspection done. They pulled me inside and said I need a Class A cdl to pull the trailer because the GCWR is 30200. They did not write a ticket but made me unhook the trailer and leave it until a CDL driver had to come get it.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Sorry to hear about your woes. Once you hit that 26,001 threshold you are open for trouble since you are doing this for a business. Glad to hear they just made you drop the trailer and no ticket.

Chris

 

[Builder]

Hey guy's been awhile since I posted. Just wanted you guys to know that I pulled the trailer once to cincinatti but didnt get a very big load. Truck did good. The bad news is Thursday I was headed to Atlanta nad went thru the weigh station and was pulled in to have a truck inspection done. They pulled me inside and said I need a Class A cdl to pull the trailer because the GCWR is 30200. They did not write a ticket but made me unhook the trailer and leave it until a CDL driver had to come get it.

Eventually that will happen to everyone who has a truck & trailer over 26,001.

I've been trying to remind all the guys here who tow way beyond their truck's payload safety limits of that.

It was just a matter of time, but hopefully you'll get your class A CDL and get all this behind you. Then you can be legal over the road and properly trained.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Eventually that will happen to everyone who has a truck & trailer over 26,001.

I've been trying to remind all the guys here who tow way beyond their truck's payload safety limits of that.

It was just a matter of time, but hopefully you'll get your class A CDL and get all this behind you. Then you can be legal over the road and properly trained.

Don't he still have another problem here being that the GVWR's add up to 30,200#, way beyond his 22,000# GCWR of the 2500HD truck? It may just be a matter of time that he will get called on that one.

Chris