Help w/towing specs on a 1/2 ton PU

[Champy]

Hopefully someone can help be to understand these ratings. I have a 1/2 ton GMC Sierra crew cab, and I want to know how much of a trailer and tractor I can haul with it. I am looking at buying a JD990 which is spec'd at about 3200lbs. I am only driving 9 miles each way, flat paved county roads, no real hills on the route......or should I just drive the tractor there and back?

Thanks


Here are the ratings for my truck straight out of the GMC manual:


C-1500 Crew Cab (2WD)*
Axle Ratio............ Maximum Trailer Weight......... GCWR
3.23..................... 6,700 lbs......................... 7,700 lbs
3.73.....................12,000 lbs..........................13,000 lbs

 

[George2615]

Based on your provided specs if your truck has the 3.73 rear then you can haul up to 12,000 lb. This weight is the maximum and includes the weight of the trailer and the load. So if you got a 7,000 lb. rated trailer to haul a JD900 which weighs 3200lb you would be fine.

The average 7K trailer would weigh about 2000-2300lb. subtract that from the 12,000 max and your truck could haul a load between 7700-8000 on that trailer.

If your rear has the 3.23 ratio you are limited to a max of 6700lb. A 3200lb. tractor on a 7K 2000lb. trailer would only be 5200lb which is still under the 6700 lb. rating.

 

[mchasal]

I don't think that's correct George. Although it does looks strange, the GCWR is the weight that you may not exceed that includes the Truck, trailer and all load. So if you drive all your wheels onto a scale at once, the total package shouldn't weigh more than the GCWR. The numbers you have given seem odd as you would never be able to get anywhere near those tow ratings without exceeding the GCWR.

Given your tractor weight of about 3200, plus a trailer weight of around 2000, plus the truck/cargo weight of maybe 6000. You've already got a total 11,200. If you've got the 3.23 gears, you're way over the GCWR, though you still have 1k left on the tow rating. With the 3.73 you're barely withing the GCWR, but have thousands left in the tow rating.

It seems odd that the numbers would be that close, there's no way you can tow anything near the tow rating without blowing over the GCWR.

 

[mchasal]

In looking at GMC's site and what you have there. I have to think the numbers you listed are GVWR not GCWR. GVWR would be the maximum that the truck and it's load should weigh, not including the trailer/load. The numbers make a lot more sense if that's the case, so you should double check that. If it is GVWR, then what George is saying is correct.

Mike

 

[Highbeam]

Check out the chart, it is messed up. Move the axle ratios to the top and you might have something. Figure the Tow rating on a half ton will be half of the GCWR since the GCWR is the sum of trailer and truck and a half ton tows just a bit more than it weighs. Assuming the chart is restructured so that the low gear ratio gets the lower weights you get:

If you have the two wheel drive truck and the lower gear ratio (to be conservative) then your combined rating is 1200 lbs. That is the total allowable weight of your truck and trailer and tractor and any cargo in the truck. Assume the truck weighs 6000 (conservative) this allows 6000 more for the trailer. The trailer may weigh 2000 lbs, leaving 4000 for the tractor which you claim weighs 3200. Looks good.

Note that you can get by with a 7000 lb GVWR car hauler type trailer. It must have brakes, and it must use a weight distribution hitch to attach to your truck via a standard class 3 receiver hitch.

I would not want to drive the tractor 9 miles on the road.

Note that the tow rating is bogus marketing hype. The GCWR is where it's at.

 

[George2615]

The GCWR he listed cannot be correct. If it was then the max trailer weight numbers are way off. Maybe he meant GVWR but those numbers seem high for that. If he has the 3.23 and the GCWR is 7700, his truck probably weighs at least 5000 so he could only haul 2200? Or the 3.73 GCWR is 13,000 so it could haul 8000? Something isn't right here. GVWR sounds right but the 13000 is way too high for just the vehicle but not high enough for GCWR.

My 3/4 ton truck is rated to haul 12k ball hitch or a 16k gooseneck / 5th wheel trailer and have a GCWR of 22000 lbs..
My GVWR is 9900 lbs. which means I can haul about 3700 lbs. on the truck alone which weighs about 6200 lb.

I'd go by what the max trailer rating is listed as in his book.

 

[Champy]

Maybe this will help with getting the right data / answer.... see Section #4-70 in this GMC Manual:

https://www.mygmlink.com/pdf/go2content/manual/US/en/gmc/2k05sierra.pdf

"Maximum trailer weight is calculated assuming the driver and one passenger are in the tow vehicle and it has all the required trailering equipment. The weight of additional optional equipment, passengers and cargo in the tow vehicle must be subtracted from the maximum trailer weight."

"The Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) is the total allowable weight of the completely loaded vehicle and trailer including any passengers, cargo, equipment and conversions. The GCWR for your vehicle should not be exceeded."

"Weight of the Trailer Tongue -
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight to measure because it affects the total or gross weight of your vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you may carry in it, and the people who will be riding in the vehicle. If you have a lot of options, equipment, passengers or cargo in your vehicle, it will reduce the tongue weight your vehicle can carry, which will also reduce the trailer weight your vehicle can tow. And if you will tow a trailer, you must add the tongue load to the GVW because your vehicle will be carrying that weight, too. See Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-50 for more information about your vehicle’s maximum load capacity.

The trailer tongue weight (A) should be 10 percent to 15 percent of the total loaded trailer weight, up to a maximum of 600 lbs (272 kg) for the 1500 or 2500 series, and up to a maximum of 750 lbs (340 kg) for the 2500 HD or 3500 series with a weight carrying hitch. The trailer tongue weight (A) should be 10 percent to 15 percent of the total loaded trailer weight, up to a maximum of 1,000 lbs (453 kg) for the 1500 series and up to a maximum of 1,500 lbs (680 kg) for the 2500, 2500 HD or 3500 series with a weight distributing hitch.
Fifth wheel or gooseneck kingpin weight should be 15 to 25 percent of the trailer weight up to the maximum amount specified in the trailering chart for your vehicle."

C-1500 Crew Cab (2WD)* 5300 V8

Axle Ratio ..... Maximum Trailer Weight ......... GCWR

3.23 ............ 6,700 lbs (3 039 kg) .............. 12,000 lbs (5 443 kg)
3.73 ............ 7,700 lbs (3 493 kg)............... 13,000 lbs (5 897 kg)

 

[clundog]

Champy,
I have a 98 Chevy 1/2 T 4wd ext cab with 3.43 gears. According to the manual it's rated to tow 5500 lbs. My tractor and trailer weigh in right around the 4500 lb mark. I don't have a weight distributing hitch but I do have trailer brakes. I've towed to my gma's in N.E. Missouri a couple of times and tow to my dad's in S.E. Iowa several times a year, both trips are aprox. 200 miles each way, I dont have any problems with the load. The only area I have to play with is tongue weight, usually load and drive a couple of miles to make sure it steers and stops straight and doesn't buck to bad. The newer trucks have higher ratings.
If I usnderstood your question, you shouldn't have any problems towing your tractor!

 

[mchasal]

Yes, that looks a bit better, in your first post you have the headings rotated. You haven't told us what gears you have, but either way you should be OK with your tractor. With a 3200 for the tractor and about 2000 for the trailer, you're at 5200 pounds total. Which is within the ratings given in your 2nd post.

 

[LoneCowboy]

Any 1/2 ton truck gets the 5000 to 6000lb rating from me.
It's funny that the figures worked out to exactly that, but that's my personal rating and I try to never exceed that.