Ballast New truck: weights, towing capacity

[ArkCivEngr]

I recently traded in my Dodge for a Chevy with the 5.3L V8, automatic transmission, Z71 package. The owner's manual says maximum trailer weight is 7,400 lb.

According to my Kubota manuals, the weights are:

Tractor: 2580 lb.
Loader: 1155 lb.
Backhoe: not listed, but I'll assume 1200 lb.

This puts me at 4935 lb. But I vaguely remember a thread where someone mentioned that Kubota lists their tractor weights without the tires/wheels. Is this true? My rears are loaded, so if they didn't include those weights, I'll guess another 350 lb. for each rear wheel/tire/fluid, and 100 lb. for the fronts. That gets me to 5835 lb. I have an 18 ft. dual axle Texas Bragg trailer. No clue what it weighs, but I'd guess 1500 lb. Now my total weight is 7335 lb.

Looks like I should be OK to tow it once I get a trailer brake controller installed.

Anyone see anything I've missed or underestimated?

 

[LeadPoison]

Tractor weight is with the wheels as confirmed by an email from Kubota Corp.

You can find it by doing a search.

 

[roxynoodle]

You may have underestimated your trailer. I have a 16' utility trailer and it is 1500lbs. No gate on that either. Definitely get the brake controller. Also, check to see what your hitch is rated for. If it is a class III hitch it may only be rated to 5000lbs. If you add a weight distributing hitch to that you should be ok. I've heard the same thing on the Kubota weights and even if they are including the tires, they aren't including the fluids in the tractor. That is the dry weight. Water weighs 8.3lbs per gallon and oil is heavier than water.

 

[RayH]

You may have underestimated your trailer. I have a 16' utility trailer and it is 1500lbs. No gate on that either. Definitely get the brake controller. Also, check to see what your hitch is rated for. If it is a class III hitch it may only be rated to 5000lbs. If you add a weight distributing hitch to that you should be ok. I've heard the same thing on the Kubota weights and even if they are including the tires, they aren't including the fluids in the tractor. That is the dry weight. Water weighs 8.3lbs per gallon and oil is heavier than water.

Not to be nitpicky but oil is lighter than water.
Anyways, Ark, I agree that you are probably underestimating the weight of the trailer. You may also be underestimating the weight of loaded tires but over estimating the weight of a BH75. Just for reference, I dont remember the exact breakdown but my old Grand L 3130 with loaded rears, loader and BH weighed about 6700lbs. If your trailer is a 7000lbs trailer, I think it should probably be a bigger concern than your truck.

 

[roxynoodle]

You are correct. My apologies, oil is lighter than water.

 

[Highbeam]

You are going to be overwight somewhereif you use all of your "tow rating". Maximum trailer towing weight assumes an empty truck with only a driver and fuel. You will exceed your GVWR if you max out the tow rating, but I think you have some conservativeness in your weight assumptions that you can trim.

I have a similar tractor which weighs 4000 plus 500 for a 3pt implement gives 4500. My 18' trailer, 10k rated, weighs 2500#s on the scale. Yes, 2500. So I'm at 7000 lbs trailer which when I actually weighed it at the truck scales was 6500 on the trailer axles since 10% should be tongue weight. The truck weighs an additional 6500 with even weight distribution on each truck axle thanks to my WD hitch.

You need a WD hitch to use the max towing capacity of your pickup. That bugger weighs 50 lbs. Note that your tow rating is only the GCWR (gross combined weight rating) less the empty weight of your truck. So moving things, including tongue weight) to your truck from the trailer to lighten the trailer doesn't get you anything in regards to tow rating.

Your tractor is light. Your truck is relatively highly rated and has the very capable 5.3 so despite your calcs I know that you can tow that setup. My pickup is also a half ton but with the 5.7. Diesel is only about 6 lbs per gallon and it floats on top of water.

 

[neverenough]

Having a new truck, you better not guess your weights, you better KNOW them, EXACTLY! If something goes wrong/breaks down while hauling over the rated capacity with your truck, the maker can, and will, void your warrantee, right on the spot. Becouse non-commercial drivers are not required to scale, there is a tolerance of about 10 percent for farm and non-commercial drivers. Basically it comes down to your registered capacity +10%.

As long as I'm at it, I'll throw in my opinion too. If you plan on hauling the tractor about once a month or less, you should be just fine with the correct hitch system and a properly adjusted brake controller. If you plan on hauling your tractor much more than that, I highly urge you to consider going back to the dealer for a 3/4 ton truck. There is big differences between 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks, much more so than the difference between a 3/4 ton and 1 ton truck. You will first see the signs in the rear axle, the rear springs, and the over all way the trucks controls, or doesn't control, the weight. Another thing you may want to look into too, is tires. Upgrading beyond the makers recommended tire will help with towing quite a bit. Even more so on a 1/2 ton. Good luck.

 

[whodat90]

I think you need to examine that trailer first. If you have anything other than the equipment hauler (from looking at texas bragg's website) you have two 3500 lb axles on that trailer, for a max total weight of 7000lbs. If the trailer does only weigh 1500lbs, that only leaves you 5500lbs for tractor. If you even put 5000lbs on it, you're pushing into the safety margin of those axles/tires on the trailer.

 

[daTeacha]

Why not just load it up and go to the nearest scales? Around here, you can weigh things for about a dollar each. Take it slow on the trip to the scales in case you're over weight, then weigh the truck and loaded trailer separately.

Speaking of Chevy trucks, can someone tell me what engine they put in one I encountered this weekend? Traffic was running about 80 mph on the stretch of 71/75 coming into Cincinnatti. I was in the left lane doing a little more than 80 with a truck in front of me pulling a trailer on which sat a midsize car. We were on a long uphill grade. He showed no interest in moving to the right, so when an opening in the fairly thick traffic came up, I slid right and commenced to move past him. I was doing close to 90 when I came about even with his front bumper. About then he noticed my little VW, dropped the hammer, and simply walked away from me, effectively shutting me in behind a semi while hauling his truck, 3 people, a load in the bed, the trailer and and the car uphill at close to the century mark! I was impressed, but wondered if his fuel gauge was going down as fast as his speedometer was going up.

The last Chevy I owned wouldn't do more than 70 uphill with a load, and that was one of the small V-8s in the mid-80's. This one looked perfectly stock, but moved like it wasn't.

 

[Highbeam]

"If the trailer does only weigh 1500lbs, that only leaves you 5500lbs for tractor. If you even put 5000lbs on it, you're pushing into the safety margin of those axles/tires on the trailer."

I don't understand, you say 5500 capacity but that 5000 is "into the safety margin". By that logic even one pound of cargo is into the safety margin. You can use every bit of the rated capacity. The ratings already take into account a safety margin.

As far as needing a 3/4 ton just because your daddy did, well that's an old wive's tale. Time to go check out the new trucks which will put a 3/4 ton of just a few years ago to shame. For example, the 98 3/4 ton chevy 4x4 with gas 5.7 engine and 3.73 gears is rated to tow 6000 lbs. Today's 1/2 ton equipped very similarly is 7400 lbs. That's 1400 lbs more weight for the 1/2 ton.