Maximum towing weight

[almacd1814]

Originally Posted by MarkB33C

We have a 2017 Fleetwood Bounder 33C. Manual says the max towing weight is 5,000lbs. We are looking at 2017 Jeep Wranglers and GMC Canyon Pickups as tow vehicles. Specs indicate GVW at between 4,700 and 5,900 pounds. Is there a reasonable way we can increase the tow weight of the chasis of the RV to accomodate the vehicles we are looking at?

Flat answer, no, not legally.

[Sky_Boss]

Originally Posted by Flyin4Fun

Sky_Boss nailed it down tight! I thought I was going to catch him on tire loads, but even that was covered. Guessing you spent your career as a weighmaster!

UM...just way to picky. LOL

[FarmerB4]

Originally Posted by Sky_Boss

I think a couple others have been on target but I'm going to break it down in a way *I* think is simpler or more complete.

Your coach GVWR is 22,000 pounds. That is the MAX weight you can carry on/in your coach. That would include any tongue weight on the hitch but NOT what you are towing.

Your GCWR is 26,00 pounds. That is the most your coach and towed vehicle can weight together under an circumstances.

Your tow hitch is rated at 5,000 pounds which is the most your towed vehicle and tow bar can weigh under any circumstances. There is NOTHING that I can see that specifically says your tow rating is limited to 4,000 pounds based on the hitch itself.

You are within manufacturer specs as long as:

1. Your towed vehicle does not exceed #5,000 AND
2. Your combined coach and towed weight does not exceed 26,000 pounds AND
3. Your coach doesn't exceed 22,000 pounds AND
4. Your coach doesn't exceed the weight rating of either axle. (Front 8,000 & Rear 15,000 pounds) AND
5. No corner exceeds the tire weight ratings.

Now, to remain within above limitations is the trick. To tow either of your heavier vehicle it would most likely require you to restrict your loading of the coach with "stuff" (food, clothes, water...). The more the tow vehicle weighs, the more stuff you might have to leave behind.

That is the brute (brutal?) truth you have to deal with. IMHO, and given the weights of the toads you provided there is nothing you can or should do the the hitch itself.

1. The Jeep weight should be well below the hitch rating BUT it could require restricting stuff in the coach but you will have to figure out if it is too restrictive.

2. You will not be able to tow the GMC because it's base weight is well above 5,000 pounds. Even if you decided to ignore that fact the additional weight would further restrict your ability to put stiff in the coach. Perhaps the reduction of stuff would make the MH seriously unusable. Upgrading the hitch (if you could do so safely) and towing the GMC could seriously affect the MH's usability.

3. Upgrading the hitch will NOT increase the GCWR.

There will be a test following the reading of this post. LOL

X2

[Betr2Trvl]

Originally Posted by viewfinder

This is a 22000# GVWR FORD. In this case you can NOT use DP magic math for towing. Your FORD owners manual will tell you GCVWR (26000#) - GVWR (22000#) = Amount you can tow. In this case 4000#. (as a side note it also tells you to NEVER use 85 octane gas.)

jim

The math is the math, with regards to hitch rating, GCWR and GVWR.

Let me use a simple example, using a 24k/30k and a 26k/30k chassis, both with what is generally a standard 5k rated hitch.

No one will argue, that on a 24k/30k chaissis that you can load the coach to the full 24k GVWR but only tow 5k given the hitch rating, so while it has a 30k GCWR you can actually only use 29k as the total GCW.

Now, let's look at the 26k/30k.

First, the ONLY difference, given the same wheelbase between a 24k/30k chassis and the 26k/30k chaissis is the rear spring rating being 15.5k vs. 17.5k both on the same 17.5k rated rear end. That's it......... Everything else is the same, everything.

So, if you had a 36LA like you have for instance on a 24k/30k chassis with a 5k hitch, we all agree on how those numbers work.

So, given the only difference is the rear axle spring rating which has nothing to do with limiting the towing, there is no reason you can't load a 36LA on a 26k/30k chassis up to 25k and tow up to the 5k hitch rating if you have a 5k rated hitch as long as you don't exceed any one rating.

The math is the math. The drivetrain can handle up to the GCWR as long at you stay within the hitch rating, while the chaissis is limited to the GVWR. Ford's "simple" math assumes the tow rating to simply be the difference between a vehicle at the max GVWR vs. the GCWR.

[ScoobyDoo]

Originally Posted by viewfinder

This is a 22000# GVWR FORD. In this case you can NOT use DP magic math for towing. Your FORD owners manual will tell you GCVWR (26000#) - GVWR (22000#) = Amount you can tow. In this case 4000#. (as a side note it also tells you to NEVER use 85 octane gas.)

jim

Why do people have so much trouble getting the idea between their ears;
GVW is a weight. Pull it on a scale, and you can tell what it is. That number can and does change depending on what is put on the vehicle. In fact, it does change every time you go thru the door.
On the other hand GVWR and GCVWR are ratings but on by engineers, and do not change. With a GCVWR of 26000, you can tow a 5000 lb load if and only if the GVW is 21000 lbs or less.
There is no way for me to tell about a Ford MH chassis, or the changes made when the house was built on it, but a stock Ford truck, and the right hitch could have ratings of 22000 and 26000, and a actual truck weight of 16000 lbs could tow 10000 lbs.

[Sbrownstein]

Not quite as bad as you indicated. You need to use the curb weight, not the GCW for the TOAD. Both are "potentially" below the magic 4000 #, depending on options and things like a full or less than full gas tank. 20 gallons of gas weighs 160 pounds, but then you tow bar weighs probably 40 pounds or so.

If you want to make sure, have the TOAD weighed. I would bet that you have often gone beyond your 22,000 GVW on the coach anyway. There is a safety factor, of course, so 200 pounds or so should be well within in.