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03-06-2017, 12:39 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 10
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Max comfortable weight for 2500HD 6.0 gas
Hi guys and gals. I'm brand new here so I might make a few errors as posting in the wrong place, etc. My primary purpose right now is picking your brains. I have a 2015 Silverado 2500HD SRW 6.0 gas (which I'm keeping) and looking to purchase a fiver. More than not say 3500 deisel.
The truck is rated for 12,000 lbs. towing capacity but I'm certain at that weight it wouldn't be very comfortable on grades. I'm looking for information as to what would a comfortable weight fiver for my truck.
I'm single so I don't be loading it heavily and don't need a 38 footer. Probably 28-30.
Feel free to either post or private message me.
Thanks for listening everone.
Tom
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03-06-2017, 01:05 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Forest River Owners Club RV Trip Wizard
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Mountain Home, Arkansas
Posts: 832
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In most situations the issue is not towing capacity, but is GVWR. Check the sticker on your truck. Total weight on each axle and add tongue weight of the loaded fiver.
Too much weight is illegal, and will drastically affect how the rig drives and rides.
__________________
Buzz & Jo Wolf, Mountain Home, Arkansas
TV 2014 Ford F350 Lariat Diesel
Fiver 2018 Cedar Creek 29ir
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03-06-2017, 01:06 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Pacific Northwest or SoCal
Posts: 3,035
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Tom, I can't answer your question, however you might want to check the figurers for the 2017 models, as the Fed's have changed the rules for the manufacturers. Overnight the units lost between 1200-2000# of capacity from 2016 to 2017 for the exact same model with identical specs. I would suspect you could also apply that to 2015 models.
Would be worth a little to be safe.
Fred
__________________
Fred and Bonnie
2005 Dolphin LX 6375
Abby, Ruffles & Scarlett, "The Cats"
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03-06-2017, 01:15 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 26,643
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Open drivers door....see Yellow sticker on jamb
What is the 'cargo carrying capacity' listed?
That is the payload truck is rated for....all passengers, stuff inside truck (pockets/console/on seats/under seats/backpacks/bags etc), stuff in truck bed (hitch---Anderson 70# or traditional hitch 200#) PLUS wet pin weight of 5th wheel
(20%-25% of trailers weight)
Payload could be 3600#
Also keep in mind Trucks RAWR/Rear tire max load ratings and truck/trailer GCVWR
12,000# trailer GVWR if loaded to full weight will be 'doable'
Better if it starts at 10K dry weight and you load light
Just stay under RAWR/Rear Tire Max Load Ratings and GCVWR
Nothing illegal about exceeding ratings especially GVWR
You are NOT commercial, you will NOT be able to reach 26,000# and axle ratings are de-rated due to tire limitations
Just get truck weighed 'camp ready' so you have real weight numbers to use
__________________
I took my Medication today. HAVE YOU?
Dodge 3500 w/Tractor Motor
US NAVY---USS Decatur DDG-31
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03-06-2017, 01:19 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Delaware beaches
Posts: 1,164
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Hi Tom, welcome aboard!
First, your towing capacity has (virtually) nothing to do with how well the pickup and 5er will handle grades. Of course, if they made a 3,000 lb 5er, you would zip up a 7% grade, weight of 5er being somewhat of a function of its length. I would first concentrate on determining your towing capacity based on actual calculations, not what the salesman or sales brochure touts. You will learn all about GVWR, GCWR, etc. If you search "towing capacity" in this or the Travel Trailer / Fifth Wheel forums, you will find a wealth of information. Then you can start to make qualitative judgments on how much HP or torque you need for a specific weight 5er.
A couple years back, we towed a 7k lb TT behind a 3500 conversion van powered by the 6 liter GMC. Made it over all grades up to 9,000 ft, but that engine was screaming at times. Decided not tackle the Vail or Eisenhower tunnel passes. At 11,000 ft, the altitude really cuts your power.
Trailer Towing Guides | Trailer Life Magazine
Towing Capacity Chart | HowStuffWorks
I will venture to say that you will not be towing a 12,000 lb 5er with your rig, even if you stay on the flat. But hey, I was wrong once a few years ago.
__________________
2005 Beaver Monterey 36' 400 hp Cat C9 Sold 9/20
2004 Newmar DS 4009 DP Sold 8/18
Delaware beaches ----- DW & Kip the Wonder Dog
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03-06-2017, 01:29 PM
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#6
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Community Moderator
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Central, Arkansas
Posts: 11,202
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My GMC 2017 2500hd pulls our 6500 lb travel trailer easily. Steep grades you can tell its back there. If I were to double that I don't think I would want to pull it.
__________________
2004 Beaver Monterey Laguna IV
Cummins ISC 350HP Allison 3000 6 speed
2020 Chevy Equinox Premier 2.0t 9 speed AWD
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03-07-2017, 03:14 AM
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#7
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spdracr39
My GMC 2017 2500hd pulls our 6500 lb travel trailer easily. Steep grades you can tell its back there. If I were to double that I don't think I would want to pull it.
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Thanks for understanding my question. I was thinking 7000-8000 max. I had a 3500HD DRW and with an inch of snow would get out of my driveway without going to 4WD. My truck isn't a single purpose vehicle. Like I said, I'm single and don't need a 36-38 ft. rig. Thinking a nice 28-30. Thanks for your reply.
Tom
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03-07-2017, 03:15 AM
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#8
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit
Open drivers door....see Yellow sticker on jamb
What is the 'cargo carrying capacity' listed?
That is the payload truck is rated for....all passengers, stuff inside truck (pockets/console/on seats/under seats/backpacks/bags etc), stuff in truck bed (hitch---Anderson 70# or traditional hitch 200#) PLUS wet pin weight of 5th wheel
(20%-25% of trailers weight)
Payload could be 3600#
Also keep in mind Trucks RAWR/Rear tire max load ratings and truck/trailer GCVWR
12,000# trailer GVWR if loaded to full weight will be 'doable'
Better if it starts at 10K dry weight and you load light
Just stay under RAWR/Rear Tire Max Load Ratings and GCVWR
Nothing illegal about exceeding ratings especially GVWR
You are NOT commercial, you will NOT be able to reach 26,000# and axle ratings are de-rated due to tire limitations
Just get truck weighed 'camp ready' so you have real weight numbers to use
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Duh, how do you open the door?
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03-07-2017, 10:06 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 26,643
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Brower
Duh, how do you open the door?
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I apologize that my post was TOO technical for you to grasp
__________________
I took my Medication today. HAVE YOU?
Dodge 3500 w/Tractor Motor
US NAVY---USS Decatur DDG-31
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03-08-2017, 10:49 AM
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#10
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: HillBilly country, Smokey Mtns
Posts: 4,171
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I gave you a detailed reply in your "checking in" thread.
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f45/checking-in-329592.html
__________________
Grumpy ole man with over 60 years towing experience. Now my heaviest trailer is a 7'x16' 5,000-pound flatbed utility trailer, my tow vehicle is a 2019 F-150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost SuperCab with Max Tow (1,904 pounds payload capacity).
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03-08-2017, 12:31 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Benton City, WA
Posts: 231
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Brower
Hi guys and gals. I'm brand new here so I might make a few errors as posting in the wrong place, etc. My primary purpose right now is picking your brains. I have a 2015 Silverado 2500HD SRW 6.0 gas (which I'm keeping) and looking to purchase a fiver. More than not say 3500 deisel.
The truck is rated for 12,000 lbs. towing capacity but I'm certain at that weight it wouldn't be very comfortable on grades. I'm looking for information as to what would a comfortable weight fiver for my truck.
I'm single so I don't be loading it heavily and don't need a 38 footer. Probably 28-30.
Feel free to either post or private message me.
Thanks for listening everone.
Tom
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You have gotten a lot of "you should do this or that" in the thread. I will not tell you what to do, but rather what worked for me.
We towed a Cougar 31SAB behind a 2007 Chevy 2500 2WD, Ext Cab, long box with a 6 liter and 4.10 gears. I think the 4.10s are essential to towing with a gas engine.
The trailer weighed about 10,500# the way we had it loaded and the truck pulled it fine.
Now my definition of fine might be different than yours.
It pulled the trailer in OD on the flat at 60 mph. Pulling a 6% grade, the truck shifted down into 2nd gear and would pull the hill doing 45 mph @3600 rpm. I was fine with that as it met my expectations.
Pulling the hills we got around 7 mpg and 9 on the flat. Combined was 7.5 to 8 depending on how many hills be had to pull.
It was a good combination for us. The only reason I sold the truck was to get one with 4WD to get us into the back country as we had bought some property that was a ways out.
I do believe 11,000# to be the max that I would want to pull with a gas engine though.
__________________
2020 Ram 1500 Limitef, 5.7, 2019 ORV 25RTS
2018 Forest River RiverStone 39 FL - Parked
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03-08-2017, 08:45 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Outdoors RV Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Hillsboro, OR, USA
Posts: 1,293
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I have an 07 2500 with the 6.0 and 4.11 gears 4x4 I currently tow an 05 Arctic Fox 22H which I have weighed at just under 6000 lbs in ready to camp mode - but no water. Using tow haul mode this combo has traveled from Portland Oregon to Glacier NP and back with relative ease. This included Fourth of July Canyon and Lookout Pass. It also travels over the Oregon Coast range with equal ease. By that I mean I can maintain 55 MPH in 4th gear at 3500 RPM on the hills. Most of the flats I can do 60-65 and jog between 5th and 6th. When new the truck got around 10 MPG when towing over our coast range with over 90K mi and 10yrs the MPG has dropped off to around 8. On the Glacier NP trip in 14 the combo averaged around 12 for the entire trip - towing there and back and running around the park.
I think that if you don't care about maintaining 55-60 on hills, you could tow more weight and the truck would do just fine.
__________________
2017 Chevy 2500HD LTZ DuraMax Diesel Silver Ice Metallic
2017 Outdoors RV Timber Ridge 25RDS Mountain Series 4X Off Road Suspension Pkg
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03-09-2017, 12:44 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Oregon
Posts: 1,052
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Assuming you stay within your weights I think a comfortable real world weight for that truck is around a 10,000# loaded 5th wheel. I'm currently at 11,000# with my 6.4 Hemi and it's okay but not great. If you're starting from scratch and can choose a unit and don't need a monster, staying under 10K would be ideal. The truck could likely carry and haul more but the ease it does it with will start falling of drastically as you get north of 10,000#.
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03-10-2017, 12:56 AM
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#14
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spdracr39
My GMC 2017 2500hd pulls our 6500 lb travel trailer easily. Steep grades you can tell its back there. If I were to double that I don't think I would want to pull it.
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I was thinking about 7-8K single slide fiver but I'm still going to crunch the numbers. Mostly flat hauling except for for an occasional hill. No mountains and no long distance.
Thanks for the info!
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