Cargo Weight Question

[Hitchpin]

Hi Everyone

I have a cargo weight question.

On the side of my Swift SLX 154 BH there is a tag that says >
GVWR 3,200 lbs.
GAWR 2,720 lbs.

I know what the numbers mean but what I don’t understand is how you can have a GVWR of 3,200 lbs. when you only have a GAWR of 2,720 lbs.

It also says The weight of cargo should never exceed 650 lbs. does this mean while in tow ? If not I’m in trouble, I’m a good size person, not so with my wife, but with the both of us and the just the needed camping supplies and nothing extra, we would be well over the 650 lbs weight limit.

[RustyJC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hitchpin I know what the numbers mean but what I don’t understand is how you can have a GVWR of 3,200 lbs. when you only have a GAWR of 2,720 lbs.

Because they're assuming that the remaining 480 lbs will be transferred to the towing vehicle as tongue/hitch weight. 480/3200 = 15% which is slightly heavier than the 10%-12% tongue/hitch weight figure one normally sees tossed around for TTs, but with the single axle that may be an intentional design decision.

Cargo weight and GVWR limitations apply when the trailer is being towed, not when it is stationary and being supported by stabilizer jacks, the tongue jack and the suspension.

I just noticed that this is your first post, so

Rusty

[Hitchpin]

Thanks for the reply

[Ray,IN]

That 650# is not necessarily correct. You must know the actual weight of your trailer before you put anything inside. Subtract that from the GVW to obtain the actual CCC.(cargo carrying capacity).when a trailer is parked, human weight is not a factor.
Welcome to the forums! Stay in touch, ask questions, comment when you desire, make yourself home.

[GPW]

Best check the specs (fine print) .... our trailer’s weight was listed (advertised) , WITHOUT the options , bringing up the actual weight to near GVW ... no cargo ...

[Hitchpin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GPW Best check the specs (fine print) .... our trailer’s weight was listed (advertised) , WITHOUT the options , bringing up the actual weight to near GVW ... no cargo ...

The tag on the side of trailer said, the trailer was weighed at the factory with a battery and a full tank of propane, and was not to be included in the 650 lbs.

[Ray,IN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hitchpin The tag on the side of trailer said, the trailer was weighed at the factory with a battery and a full tank of propane, and was not to be included in the 650 lbs.

That means it is assumed you will always travel with a battery and a full LPG tank/cylinder; and it is not "cargo", just like the air conditioner.
If you have the time, weigh everything before placing in in the trailer. Sure it's time consuming and tedious, but the knowledge you gain of what items actually weigh will remain with you forever while loading for a trip.

[SmokeyWren]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hitchpin I know what the numbers mean but what I don’t understand is how you can have a GVWR of 3,200 lbs. when you only have a GAWR of 2,720 lbs.

As Rusty said, the difference is hitch weight.

However, GVWR of the trailer doesn't mean much when on the road. When you weigh the rig on a CAT scale, you'll get 4 weights, and none of the 4 weights will give you what you need to determine gross trailer weight:

Front axle of the tow vehicle (TV).
Drive axle of the TV
Trailer axles
Gross combined weight

Compare the weight on the trailer axles to the trailer's GAWR. The scale won't give you the total weight of the trailer (GVW) unless you do some re-weighing and computations. But the GVWR is not important, while the GAWR is very important. Exceeding the GAWR of the trailer can (and probably will) result in tire trouble and maybe other problems such as broken springs.

Even if you don't exceed the GAWR of the trailer, you can still have tire problems. The RV and other trailer manufacturers install trailer tires that will barely carry the weight of the trailer when loaded to the GAWR, even when you pump up the trailer tires to the max PSI on the tire sidewall. No fudge factor. The result is frequent blow outs and other tire problems. Been there, done that. So my three highway tag trailers as well as my 5er RV trailer all have oversized tires with significantly higher load carrrying capacity than the stock tires.

For example, my 3 tag trailers as well as my 5er RV trailer all came with ST205/75R15C tires on 5.5" wide rims. I replaced them all with 225/75R15E tires on 6" wide rims. I got home yesterday from a 2,000-mile round trip dragging the 7x14 enclosed cargo trailer at 65 to 70 MPH, without a hint of trailer tire problems. Experience tells me I would have had at least one blowout and probably two if I tried that trip at that speed and load with the stock-size trailer tires.

Compare the gross combined weight (GCW) of the TV+trailer to the GCWR of the TV. If your gross weight is more than the GCWR of the tow vehicle, the TV will have to work very hard to climb hills and mountain passes, and you'll be the slow-poke holding up traffic.

Add the two TV axle weights and compare the total to the GVWR of the TV. Never exceed the GVWR of the TV.