Does This Make Anyone Else Nervous Besides Me?

[FlaDon]

All the towing specs I have ever seen are clearly marked as with driver only and no cargo. Regardless of what you did, you are flat wrong.

....

I'll agree with wvpk on that even though the book doesn't say it in my case. But add up the figures and you sure dont get a fully loaded vehicle and the rated trailer load.

2001 DRW EXT cab 3500.
6242 truck weight per the title
200 lb driver weight per our scales
15,400 trailer weight rating per the manual
_____________________________
21842 total weight out of a 22K GCWR
That leaves just 158 lbs for fuel and load. That means no full tank of fuel even.

If figured as zzvyb6's way of doing it,

11400 for truck and load
15400 for trailer
-1000 for tongue load transfered from trailer to truck.
_______________________
25,800 lbs GCW which exceeds the 22K GCWR as published.

 

[dcyrilc]

I'll agree with wvpk on that even though the book doesn't say it in my case. But add up the figures and you sure dont get a fully loaded vehicle and the rated trailer load.

2001 DRW EXT cab 3500.
6242 truck weight per the title
200 lb driver weight per our scales
15,400 trailer weight rating per the manual
_____________________________
21842 total weight out of a 22K GCWR
That leaves just 158 lbs for fuel and load. That means no full tank of fuel even.

If figured as zzvyb6's way of doing it,

11400 for truck and load
15400 for trailer
-1000 for tongue load transfered from trailer to truck.
_______________________
25,800 lbs GCW which exceeds the 22K GCWR as published.

You lost me here. Where does the extra 5K on the truck come from?

 

[Diamondpilot]

You lost me here. Where does the extra 5K on the truck come from?

His 11,400# is the max GVWR of his Dually 3500 GM. So he is saying if he was to do the math as ________ did he would load the truck up to the 11,400# value then hitch a 15,400# trailer, his max tow limit.

As you can see by loading the truck upto 11,400# he would be over the GCWR of 22,000# by 3,800#.

What he is saying is that with him in his truck and a max weight trailer of 15,400# he could only put 158# worth of fuel, cargo, passengers, ect in the truck.

Chris

 

[dcyrilc]

His 11,400# is the max GVWR of his Dually 3500 GM. So he is saying if he was to do the math as ________ did he would load the truck up to the 11,400# value then hitch a 15,400# trailer, his max tow limit.

As you can see by loading the truck upto 11,400# he would be over the GCWR of 22,000# by 3,800#.

What he is saying is that with him in his truck and a max weight trailer of 15,400# he could only put 158# worth of fuel, cargo, passengers, ect in the truck.

Chris

Thanks Chris,

That make more sense. I've always considered a truck to be able to do either max cargo or max towing, but not both at the same time.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Thanks Chris,

That make more sense. I've always considered a truck to be able to do either max cargo or max towing, but not both at the same time.

You are a smart man. They list what is the max for each as a selling point.

I am sure they will handle more and the gentleman who stated they test them that way has probably done so. The would need to prove worst case senero
during testing but not for day in and out use.

Chris

 

[Ken45101]

Some years back, we were going down a long, 6% Interstate grade in WVa, scouting for places to take the horse camper. We came around a curve and there was a semi with the tractor off on the shoulder, but the trailer blocking the lane.

We were in the midst of a bunch of other semis jockeying to change lanes. I handled it fine, but it was scary even not having a trailer! It made me think what it would be like having to handle a gooseneck horse trailer under those conditions even if I was well under GCVWR. Trying to do an emergency maneuver would be scary even with a proper load. Trying to handle an overloaded vehicle would have been a disaster.

The next time we went down there, with a travel trailer, I kept the speed to 45 mph and was very alert.

The probability of something like this happening on a longer distance highway trip where one drives the speed limit is higher than an occasional 5 mile trip at low speed on flat local roads.

Ken

 

[Reg]

Thanks Chris,

That make more sense. I've always considered a truck to be able to do either max cargo or max towing, but not both at the same time.

Kinda like max speed & minimum turning radius.
At the SAME TIME ? Oh NO !!!

I wouldn't trust my motorcycle's ABS to save me from max lean angle, certainly not max lean and max speed at the same time (-:

 

[dcyrilc]

Some years back, we were going down a long, 6% Interstate grade in WVa, scouting for places to take the horse camper. We came around a curve and there was a semi with the tractor off on the shoulder, but the trailer blocking the lane.

We were in the midst of a bunch of other semis jockeying to change lanes. I handled it fine, but it was scary even not having a trailer! It made me think what it would be like having to handle a gooseneck horse trailer under those conditions even if I was well under GCVWR. Trying to do an emergency maneuver would be scary even with a proper load. Trying to handle an overloaded vehicle would have been a disaster.

The next time we went down there, with a travel trailer, I kept the speed to 45 mph and was very alert.

The probability of something like this happening on a longer distance highway trip where one drives the speed limit is higher than an occasional 5 mile trip at low speed on flat local roads.

Ken

I have 5 or 6 different trailers and one thing I have noticed is that the different trailers stop differently and I drive accordingly. The one which has impressed me the most though, it a smaller open deck cargo trailer I have which has a single 5ton axle under it and a surge break. I used it last year to haul pallets of 60# bags of concrete. Two pallets (112 bags) at a time. I can break hard with that trailer loaded and can't hardly tell it's behind me (tested it when a car pulled out in front of me at 35mph on a decent downhill grade). It has some amazing brakes. My stock trailer loaded with cattle has good drag when breaking, but would still try to push me in an emergency breaking situation. Electric brakes have never overly impressed me for emergency braking.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Surge brakes can be very effective. The best brakes I have used are the new Surge Disc Brakes. They are hard to beat.

Chris

 

[dcyrilc]

Surge brakes can be very effective. The best brakes I have used are the new Surge Disc Brakes. They are hard to beat.

Chris

They can be a real pain to back up though. I have never found one with a lockout which works correctly for backing. They keep releasing and then the brakes lock on you.