# Tow weight limits & Goosenecks



## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

stop reading articles and making this way more complicated than it is. Every single truck manufacturer publishes a towing guide, look up that towing guide for your specific vehicle and it will tell you exactly what it can tow conventional and goose/fifth wheel. DOnt worry about all the gvs gr.s gwwwcs. 
Do you look at any of that to see how many people you can carry ? While techincally it matters, in practice it doesnt. Just look at the OEM tow guide and stay below those numbers, the more below the better. GVWR is about suspension weight, not towing capacity. other than the actual weight on the hitch.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

Your GAWR is how much each axle of your pickup is rated for and not suppose to be exceeded.

GCVW is the combined weight of trailer and pickup, generally for a 3/4 and 1 tons it is not to exceed 20,000#. People over load them all the time though and at least in my state we are not required to pull into weigh stations. I believe quite a few states do require this. Then you get into Joe's table of what your vehicle is rated to tow which can be less then the 20,000# for your 3/4 ton.

Trailers mostly carry a lot of their own weight on their own axles which also have a rating which can be found on the plaque mounted to it. Careful here as a lot of trailers have axles that are not heavy duty enough. I prefer axles that can carry more then how many horses it is rated to carry, tack and weight of trailer. Many of them can't when you look at their axle ratings. As an example, I have a 3 horse trailer that weights 2500# empyt. Put in 3 horses at ~1200 + tack/gear at ~300# and a 30 gallon water tank for 240# which puts my over all weight at ~6700#. My axles are rated to carry 3750#/each or 7500#. At the same time I bought mine there were 3 horse slant loads on the lot that were rated as low as 5000# and as high as my 7500#. That's why you need to be careful.

Trailers do put some of it's weight on the pickup. Bumper pulls but it all on the rear axle unless you use an equalizer hitch. Goose necks will put weight on both axles so distributes it's weight better. This is why you can haul more in a goose neck.


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## BigGirlsRideWarmbloods (Mar 28, 2010)

The only tow Guide I could find from Chevy & GM was very generic:
http://www.gmfleet.com/pdf/trailering.pdf

And says:
_*Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)* is the maximum number of
pounds a tow vehicle may weigh. Everything that contributes to the
weight of the tow vehicle is calculated in this rating, including the weight
of the vehicle, driver and all passengers, fuel, payload, trailer tongue
weight, hitch weight and all optional equipment. The GVWR is displayed
on the driver’s door or door-lock pillar label of your vehicle._

I even went so far as to contacting the publishing house for ordering original repair manuals but they don't have a specific tow guides. Mostly wiring diagrams and engine schematics.



Joe4d said:


> stop reading articles and making this way more complicated than it is. Every single truck manufacturer publishes a towing guide, look up that towing guide for your specific vehicle and it will tell you exactly what it can tow conventional and goose/fifth wheel. DOnt worry about all the gvs gr.s gwwwcs.
> Do you look at any of that to see how many people you can carry ? While techincally it matters, in practice it doesnt. Just look at the OEM tow guide and stay below those numbers, the more below the better. GVWR is about suspension weight, not towing capacity. other than the actual weight on the hitch.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

Your axles are rated for 7,200# and 3,800# for a GVWR of 11,000#. Unfortunately your actual tow rating depends on exactly how your vehicle is equiped but with your axles I'm willing to bet it is 9,000# tow rating for a total of vehicle and trailer weight (GCVW) maximum of 20,000#.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

I'd ask your insurance agent how much you can tow and still be covered.


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## azwantapaint (Feb 5, 2012)

For what its worth, my girlfriend's truck is an F250, similar construction to yours, rated for 18K#.
My F350 is rated for 21K#, but i am limited to 18K as well, due to USDOT regs.
If i scale over 26K, i am required by law to have a CDL, because my truck has commercial signage as well as being owned by a business. Makes things a little fuzzy, but thats what the DMV told me.
A 2000# trailer plus a 1000# horse, gear, etc, on a 3/4 ton is a walk in the park.
I would, however, be concerned with tongue weight. Load it too much forward, and you'll have problems.
Load it too far back, and you'll get wag, which can be lethal.
I have both gooseneck and bumper pull hitches on my truck.
I use the goose whenever i can, as i find it easier to maneuver in tight quarters, and it tends to ride better in general, with the bulk of the weight distributed onto the rear axle makes for a smooth ride.


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