Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > TRAVEL TRAILER, 5th WHEEL & TRUCK CAMPER FORUMS > Travel Trailer Discussion
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 04-27-2019, 12:02 PM   #1
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 82
Payload, total weight and length.. so many things...

So still trying to figure out what we can tow... or I should say how much.. I finally learned how to calculate payload, so I ran the numbers on several options and the ONLY option that is within our specs is the Grand design 2800.... our pay load is 1804.

I calculated tongue weight taking 15% of total GVWR.. took that number and added it to the hitch weight.. is that correct?

If so I am 1k under max payload for our truck.

The other options I like are just a tad over or up to 200-400 pounds over PL.

Point of this post is there are so many things to consider... its confusing!
texgirl is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 04-27-2019, 12:14 PM   #2
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 74
Doesn't sound right to me. The max payload for your truck is printed on a yellow sticker on the door jamb of your truck. That's the only payload number that applies to your vehicle.
The GVWR of the 2800BH is 7995lbs. 15% of that is 1200lbs. Add 100lbs for WD hitch, that comes to 1300lbs. The 1804lbs payload would leave you with 504lbs left for passengers and gear to put in the truck.
Chiefblueman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2019, 12:43 PM   #3
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chiefblueman View Post
Doesn't sound right to me. The max payload for your truck is printed on a yellow sticker on the door jamb of your truck. That's the only payload number that applies to your vehicle.
The GVWR of the 2800BH is 7995lbs. 15% of that is 1200lbs. Add 100lbs for WD hitch, that comes to 1300lbs. The 1804lbs payload would leave you with 504lbs left for passengers and gear to put in the truck.
From what I can find the gvwr is 7495.. not 7995. Payload on our sticker is 1804. So that would be 1124. but I didnt include wd hitch so thanks for that... 1224.... so all in all I think we can make this one work... right?

This is not my favorite option.. but ....
texgirl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2019, 12:49 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
450Donn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Dallas,OR
Posts: 4,584
Well, your forgetting something. What does your TV weigh loaded ready to travel? Payload includes everything you put in the TV, not just hitch weight. Load up with a full tank of fuel, passangers, and all the gear you will normally carry. Go to the scales. Be sure to get front, rear and total weight. Subtract that from the vehicles GVWR. I seriously doubt you will have 1300 pounds left over for hitch weight.
__________________
Don and Lorri
Resident Dummy.
450Donn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2019, 01:08 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
sirtate's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 338
The WDH (if it's in use properly) will distribute about 1/3 of the tongue weight onto the trailer also.

Your best bet is to scale the rig when it's loaded as you would for travel.
sirtate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2019, 01:23 PM   #6
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by sirtate View Post
The WDH (if it's in use properly) will distribute about 1/3 of the tongue weight onto the trailer also.

Your best bet is to scale the rig when it's loaded as you would for travel.
I hear ya, thank for the info on the distribution on tongue weight.. how do I figure that into my situation? I am trying to figure out how much trailer I can buy.... so I don't have it yet to load and weigh....
texgirl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2019, 01:43 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
sirtate's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 338
Quote:
Originally Posted by texgirl View Post
I hear ya, thank for the info on the distribution on tongue weight.. how do I figure that into my situation? I am trying to figure out how much trailer I can buy.... so I don't have it yet to load and weigh....
It's one of those 'you can only think so much, then you have to try it' things.

A WDH uses those spring bars to force the nose of your TV down.

Think of those bars as the handles of a wheelbarrow.

You lift up on them, and they lift the back of your TV up, and the front goes down.

Your feet are now carrying some extra weight now, aren't they?

If you were standing on the A-frame of your trailer (yes, you'll need arms like a gorilla's) that weight will end up on the trailer wheels.

Depending on how tight you tighten those bars, you will transfer more weight forward and onto the trailer.

But for the sake of $10 or so, load up the TV with fuel and family and swing by a truck scale (CAT, or otherwise) and find out exactly how much headroom you have to play with. (CVWR-actual weight)
sirtate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2019, 05:22 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Brad Wilf's Avatar
 
Outdoors RV Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Mission BC
Posts: 739
But for the sake of $10 or so, load up the TV with fuel and family and swing by a truck scale (CAT, or otherwise) and find out exactly how much headroom you have to play with. (CVWR-actual weight)


Full tank of fuel and driver @150lbs is already in the equation, as stated above load up with how you will be traveling as if you were going camping, DW, kids, dogs, generator, firewood etc.. hit the scales... numbers don’t lie... then you know, no guessing. In BC if the scales are closed general public can use them for free.
__________________
2018 Black Rock 24kts, 300 watts Solar, 4-230ah gc2’s
2008 Dodge 3500 4x4, 6.7, delete, LB, 6 spd man. Firestone bags.
Brad Wilf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2019, 05:38 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
xrated's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: "Murvul", TN
Posts: 1,658
Quote:
Originally Posted by texgirl View Post
From what I can find the gvwr is 7495.. not 7995. Payload on our sticker is 1804. So that would be 1124. but I didnt include wd hitch so thanks for that... 1224.... so all in all I think we can make this one work... right?

This is not my favorite option.. but ....
Here is a link to Grand Design for the trailer you are looking at...https://www.granddesignrv.com/showro...orplans/2800bh

Scroll down the page and you will see a GVWR of 7995....might as well say 8000 lbs. 15% of that, which might be a bit high, but at any rate, is 1200 lbs. Add in the W.D. hitch and now you are very close to 1300 lbs. That leaves you with roughly 500 lbs for everything else. And on the newer ford trucks, the onlything that is included in the weight is a full tank of fuel....so Driver's weight, passenger(s) weight, and anything and everything else that goes in or on the truck.....that doesn't leave you much wiggle room....it the trailer is fully loaded.

If the trailer was completely empty....which it will never be except for the day you bring it home, that weight is published as 6238. But even that number is higher as the dealer has added propane to the tanks and installed a battery...at a minimum, so you are probably looking at another 120 lbs or so over that number. Let's go with 6350 empty weight. 15% of that would be 950 lbs, plus the hitch...1050 lbs. A lot more desireable, but again, no one goes camping with an empty trailer. Only YOU know how much additional stuff you are going to take along and only YOU know how heavy you are going to load the trailer for travel/camping. You've already got the idea on how to calculate those numbers, so sit down and try to figure out a number that will be close to what you will have when leaving for a camping trip.....then run the numbers. It's going to be close either way, but at least you will know what you've got. Hope this helps
__________________
2016 F350 Crew Cab Dually Diesel King Ranch 4x4
2018 Grand Design Momentum 394M Toy Hauler
Excessive Payload Capacity is a Wonderful Thing!
xrated is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2019, 06:06 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
sirtate's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 338
Quote:
Originally Posted by xrated View Post
Here is a link to Grand Design for the trailer you are looking at...https://www.granddesignrv.com/showro...orplans/2800bh



Scroll down the page and you will see a GVWR of 7995....might as well say 8000 lbs. 15% of that, which might be a bit high, but at any rate, is 1200 lbs. Add in the W.D. hitch and now you are very close to 1300 lbs. That leaves you with roughly 500 lbs for everything else. And on the newer ford trucks, the onlything that is included in the weight is a full tank of fuel....so Driver's weight, passenger(s) weight, and anything and everything else that goes in or on the truck.....that doesn't leave you much wiggle room....it the trailer is fully loaded.



If the trailer was completely empty....which it will never be except for the day you bring it home, that weight is published as 6238. But even that number is higher as the dealer has added propane to the tanks and installed a battery...at a minimum, so you are probably looking at another 120 lbs or so over that number. Let's go with 6350 empty weight. 15% of that would be 950 lbs, plus the hitch...1050 lbs. A lot more desireable, but again, no one goes camping with an empty trailer. Only YOU know how much additional stuff you are going to take along and only YOU know how heavy you are going to load the trailer for travel/camping. You've already got the idea on how to calculate those numbers, so sit down and try to figure out a number that will be close to what you will have when leaving for a camping trip.....then run the numbers. It's going to be close either way, but at least you will know what you've got. Hope this helps
A WDH would throw about 300# of that onto the trailer.
sirtate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2019, 06:27 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: St. George, UT
Posts: 1,950
Sounds like your trying to get a trailer that just fits into the rated capacity of your truck. IMO this is a mistake. When it comes to putting my family into a TV and go camping the TT will fit well within the limits. But I guess we all have our limits on what we feel is safe.

Renting one first may give you a lot of experience before making a purchase.

If you have kids trust me the list will continue to grow on what to bring. Not being able to use your truck bed because your payload is all used up on the TT is not an option for us.
__________________
Owners of a 2018 Lance 1995
St.George, UT
Former 02 Intrigue by Country Coach
bneukam is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2019, 08:53 AM   #12
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 74
Quote:
Originally Posted by texgirl View Post
From what I can find the gvwr is 7495.. not 7995. Payload on our sticker is 1804. So that would be 1124. but I didnt include wd hitch so thanks for that... 1224.... so all in all I think we can make this one work... right?

This is not my favorite option.. but ....
https://www.granddesignrv.com/showro...orplans/2800bh
From Grand Design website.

You can tow whatever you want. Just looking at your math and incorrect GVW of trailer. Don't know how you come up with being 1000lbs under your payload, though.
Trying to buy the biggest trailer you can to fit your truck is a tough way to go.
Chiefblueman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2019, 08:34 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
tuffr2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Palm Coast Florida
Posts: 12,995
If you have a new(ish) 1/2 ton truck which the cargo capacity implies and you want to tow a 7,500lb travel trailer I am thinking you will be ok, not great but ok. A WD hitch will help tie the trailer and truck together.

If you wanted to to a 6,000lb trailer I would say yes you can. If you wanted to tow a 9,000lb trailer I would say no you can't. So somewhere in between is the comfortable zone. 7,500lbs. is exactly in between.
tuffr2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2019, 11:39 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
keymastr's Avatar
 
Outdoors RV Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,539
You do NOT get to measure tongue weight with the weight distribution bars attached. Tongue weight is the full weight resting on the ball, and when you are hooked up this changes as you go down the road because the bars are loading and unloading constantly. Just because at rest it shifts some weight to the front axle and the trailer axles those weights are moving and changing constantly while you drive. The standing tongue weight is an approximate middle of the forces your hitch will need to support.

As the folks above me mentioned, towing the biggest trailer your truck can tow safely is a bad way to start out. Several of us here have done just what you are proposing and now have shiny new 3/4 ton trucks, myself included. !/2 ton truck, 1800 pounds of payload and a 7500 pound gross trailer. The one in my sig and it pushed the truck around pretty good. If the wind was over 20 MPH, (which is very often here), it was downright scary.

It's not that you can't, but maybe you shouldn't. especially if this is your first time towing heavy. If you were accustomed to towing heavy loads at least you would know how it is supposed to feel and handle. Heck of a learning curve jumping in to the deep end of the pool.
__________________
2020 F28 RKS Titanium
2017 Creekside 23 RBS Sold
2016 F250 Super Crew XLT Overworked
keymastr is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
weight



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Why is payload less than GVWR minus Curb Weight? mrjohns2 Trailer Towing and Tow Vehicles Discussion 9 04-10-2018 07:54 PM
Length of 5th Wheel and Total length limits WayRob1956 5th Wheel Discussion 29 12-03-2017 03:25 PM
Pin weight vs payload Travl 5th Wheel Discussion 7 02-15-2016 06:35 AM
Camping with a Total Length of 70ft coachmanrvr Class A Motorhome Discussions 37 09-03-2014 03:32 PM
Trailer vs 5th wheel total length? DumOleBob Travel Trailer Discussion 4 01-23-2014 09:01 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:12 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.