weight limits on a gn trailer?

[Ken45101]

I have a 14,000# GVW gooseneck trailer. The axles (7000# ea) and tires (3500# each) can handle 14,000# alone. Of course, with a gooseneck, a substantial amount of the weight goes onto the truck axle (say 4000# for discussion). Does this mean that I can safely carry 18,000#? If I go through a weigh station, will you be overweight with 13,900# on the trailer axles?

Reason tells me that 14,000 should be the total of the trailer and the load, but that ignores what the truck is carrying.

Just curious.

Ken

 

[Diamondpilot]

On a GN trailer you usually carry 15% on the ball. So in this case you could load your trailer to 115% of 14,000# or 16,100# total. All this is fine as long as your truck is capable of towing 16,100# and the 2,100# put on the ball does not exceed the max GVWR or any axle rating, usually the rear axle, and the rig does not exceed the max GCWR. Some trucks may be able to handle more like 20% but 15% is usually about the max for most instances.

End of the day if you get pulled over and checked your trailer axles better not exceed 14,000# and your truck better not exceed your max GVWR and no axle on the truck better not exceed its rating.

Example is my F-350 has a GCVWR of 23,000#. Its max GVWR is 11,500# and it weighs 7,600# with me in it. So if you do the math and take GCWR of 23,000-7,600 you are left with 15,400# tow rating. Now take the GVWR of 11,500-7,600 and your are allowed 3,900# on the ball. So as you can see I run out of max wight before I would run out of ball weight pulling your trailer.

Chris

 

[Ken45101]

Thanks for the reply. I have a 1 ton dually pickup (C3500), so 2000# or more is nothing for the hitch weight. My horse trailer is well over 3000#s on the hitch.

Ken

 

[Diamondpilot]

As I said before, just make sure you are not exceeding the max GVWR with that much weight on the ball and also make sure you are not exceeding the rear axle rating of your truck and you will be just fine and legal as long as it all falls below the max GCWR of the rig.

I looked up your truck in my tow guide book. I used 2008 C3500 dually numbers and this is what it says. Max GVWR is 11,400#. Rear spring Dually is 9,200#. If its gas its max GN tow rating is 11,800# and if its a diesel it is 16,200#.

So lets assume its a diesel 2008 GMC C3500 Dually. You are limited to just over 15% on the ball like I stated in my first post. If you go to 16% it puts you at 16,400# or 200# over on weight. You will have plenty of rear axle seeing how your limit on the truck in my example is 9,200# and your GVWR is 11,400# and your truck if a diesel probably weighs in at 7,500# leaving you with 3,900# for ball weigh which you would be well under.

If the truck is gas you can not come no where near this. You can only load your trailer to 11,800# total. That includes the trailers axle weights and the ball weight.

Chris