Trucks payload capacity and tow capacity ratings

[thebrain]

Trucks payload capacity and tow capacity ratings



The new 5.3 chevys have 1600LB payload and 9K LB tow capacitys



Are these individual ratings or both at sametime? Like can I load up the bed w/ 1600LB then expect to safely tow another 9K LBs and be legal (in the eyes of the insurance co.?



I’m considering a truck (not another express van) as new tow vehicle.



Would like a camper shell which will be close to the total payload.

Currently towing 3K LBs w/ minimal cargo. Which is less than half express’s TC.



w/ a truck I could talk myself into a heavier toy to haul.

can someone explain this.
Thanks

[Grit_dog]

Maybe the brain could expound on his wishes with respect to his questions.
Would help remove some of the ambiguity later least.

[valhalla360]

They are two separate criteria and both should be met:
- Payload: That is everything that goes into the truck and includes the hitch weight...For a 9k trailer, you are realistically looking at 1100-1200lb hitch weight (12-15% is generally recommended). Add in say 300lb for you and the wife...that's around 1500lb of payload used. If you have absolutely nothing else in the truck...you can handle a 100lb truck camper...fully loaded of course.
- Towing: That's largely how much forward pull the truck can generate (a little more to it but that's the primary thing driving the rating)

So no, you won't be able to pull a 9k trailer and carry a truck camper...at least not if you want to remain remotely close to the ratings.

PS: any aftermarket additions such as running boards count against your payload...so even a 100lb truck camper is likely over the limits.

[Bedlam]

thebrain wrote:
are you saying to subtract my 250LBs of tongue weight from the 1600 payload

making the camper shell must be 1350LBs or less?

also why do I hardly ever see a truck camper towing anything, I starting to think TC folks are mainly offroaders.

Your shell will have to be even lighter. What is the total weight of your occupants? Take that off your payload too.

This is a common problem with 1/2t SUV's. When loaded with occupants and gear, many have no payload left for hitch weight. You are seeing this with your truck.

[KD4UPL]

If you are towing 9,000 pounds you will likely have at least 900 pounds of weight on the tongue. You have to subtract that from your payload capacity of 1,600 leaving you only 700 pounds for people and gear in the truck. Maybe less if your tongue weight is over 10%. If you're towing an RV it will likely be over 10%. If your towing a boat it might be less than that.
Trucks have a Gross Combination Weight Rating GCWR. This is the total weight the truck and trailer combined can weigh. That might figure in for your situation too.
Keep in mind there are lots and lots of different kinds of trailers out there: livestock, flatbed, dump, RV, boat, utility, cargo, etc. By far the hardest to tow is a hardsided RV. They have a huge frontal area of drag, huge side sail area, a high percentage of tongue weight, and very little ability to move weight around. A truck that might tow a 9,000 pound boat just fine might really be a struggling handful with a 7,000 pound RV.

[Lwiddis]

“The new 5.3 chevys have 1600LB payload and 9K LB tow capacity”

Mine has 1712...see below. It’s a double cab.

[jimh406]

thebrain wrote:
are you saying to subtract my 250LBs of tongue weight from the 1600 payload

making the camper shell must be 1350LBs or less?

also why do I hardly ever see a truck camper towing anything, I starting to think TC folks are mainly offroaders.

Yes

Maybe that’s just the way people use TCs at x where you are.

[Kayteg1]

That misconception was discussed on forum about milion times and still comes back.
Sticker payloads are taxable numbers and have no practical use for TC and towing.
250 tongue weight will add about 350 lb to your rear axle and rear axle is the only worry with such combo as trailer actually takes weigh off from front axle.
So proper procedure is
-check rear axle rating
-weight what empty truck puts on the rear
-calculate how many lb TC will put on the rear. With short camper you can estimate about 90% going on the rear
- having above calculations you can figure out if you have any capacity for tongue weight left.
Here is online calculator that can help you.
Why you don't see many towables behind TC ? Might be several reasons, but fact is that most of TC buyers are looking for luxury, so they always buy the biggest campers they can fit on the truck, often even exceeding truck capacities.
Few members here who have big camper and still tow, bought F450 or F550 for the job.

[Grit_dog]

thebrain wrote:
are you saying to subtract my 250LBs of tongue weight from the 1600 payload

making the camper shell must be 1350LBs or less?

also why do I hardly ever see a truck camper towing anything, I starting to think TC folks are mainly offroaders.

yes, if you're hooked on "rated capacities."

[Grit_dog]

Just becasue you don't see it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. There are a large % of TCers that tow. It's actually one of the primary reasons to go TC over Class C. So you can get the towing power of a big diesel pickup vs the anemic power of gasser or baby diesel Cs.

I won't even attempt to follow your train of thought in your recent threads other than it appears you're trying to compare many different types of RVs. Seems odd is all, where you're considering a 20 year old conversion van in one thread, a C in another and a new 1/2 ton Chevy with a "shell", presumably like a Capri camper shell, as typical pickup shells are only a couple hundred lbs.

[thebrain]

are you saying to subtract my 250LBs of tongue weight from the 1600 payload

making the camper shell must be 1350LBs or less?

also why do I hardly ever see a truck camper towing anything, I starting to think TC folks are mainly offroaders.

[Bedlam]

Take the tongue weight off your payload to see what you have left for occupants, gear and canopy.

[Grit_dog]

Payload weight includes what is on the trailer hitch, tongue weight. Tow capacity is overall trailer weight including tongue weight. You don't get to double dip.
Well, you can, but the weight cops will lash you with a wet noodle on here! Lol