2014 Silverado Towing

[CKNSLS]

Fiziks-couple of things-

 

When your truck shopping this information is on the door jam. Just open the door. The towing capacity of a truck NEVER CHANGES once it leaves the factory. The payload from the factory is what it is.

 

Half tons have limited payload. If your going to do frequent serious towing-look at a bigger truck. I have read reviews that say the ride on the heavier trucks have improved greatly.

 

Lastly-I'm guessing here, but probably the best payload your going to find is on a regular cab work truck. They have a two door cab and limited options. Again, that's a guess on my part.

 

[fiziksgeek]

I appologize if I am hijacking the thread, not my intent. The towing capacity/max payload questions seems relevant. I'll ask follow up questions over in my own thread:

 

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/topic/162198-truck-shopping/

[Blue2500CC]

My follow up question is, what options did the OP add to reduce the payload by 370 lbs? I want to avoid those options if possible!

 

What is probably listed on Chevy's site is a bare bones crew cab work truck that does not have any options.

 

Something else to consider that has not been mentioned yet, the listed "Dry Hitch Weight" is an empty trailer, no propane or battery which is tongue mounted in most cases. Those alone (about 100-150lbs +/-) plus any items inside the trailer (clothes, food, etc...) could easily place the tongue weight beyond the capacity of the truck (rear axle rating, gvwr) if not watched closely. Our current trailer has a dry listed tongue weight of 576lbs, but even with a scaled weight of 900lbs (about 12.6% of trailer weight) it tries to sway a little when windy (still learning how this new to us trailer likes to be loaded!). Only have 3 trips so far with it. Next trip I will make sure we have even more weight up front.

 

Some trailers may be happy with a lower tongue weight which is good for a 1500, but others (like our trailer) may need more tw (tongue weight) to be nice and stable.

 

Some trailers listed dry weight does not always include options either (awning, a/c, etc.) depending on how the manufacture choose to list the trailer brochure/ website weights.

[Jon A]

So-these trucks really can't tow their maximum weight without going over payload....These "rated" tow numbers are a joke-at best.

 

That's not accurate for bumper pull. I think people miss what the tow rating is supposed to be a little bit. It's a TOW rating. Not a "Tow while you are also hauling everything you own in the bed" rating. People should understand if you're going to tow a really heavy trailer right at the limit, you aren't going to be able to haul a bunch of stuff at the same time. That's just common sense. It's true you'll run into this issue more with travel trailers (when you want to take a bunch of stuff) but keep in mind there are many other kinds of trailers out there.

 

Now for a 5th wheel, I agree, you run into that limitation pretty quickly with closer to 20% on the pin instead of 10%, but lowering the bumper pull tow rating for that reason would make no sense.

[CKNSLS]

 

That's not accurate for bumper pull. I think people miss what the tow rating is supposed to be a little bit. It's a TOW rating. Not a "Tow while you are also hauling everything you own in the bed" rating. People should understand if you're going to tow a really heavy trailer right at the limit, you aren't going to be able to haul a bunch of stuff at the same time. That's just common sense. It's true you'll run into this issue more with travel trailers (when you want to take a bunch of stuff) but keep in mind there are many other kinds of trailers out there.

 

Now for a 5th wheel, I agree, you run into that limitation pretty quickly with closer to 20% on the pin instead of 10%, but lowering the bumper pull tow rating for that reason would make no sense.

Disagree-If the OP tows a 11,000 pound trailer at a 12% tongue weight that comes to 1,320 pounds. His payload is 1513 pounds. Where is the room for cargo? He puts a 150 pound passenger and an ice chest and he's at the maximum. NOT WHERE YOU WANT TO BE-IMHO.

 

Half ton trucks (generally) cannot tow their maximum rating due to PAYLOAD limitations.

 

This is a real world situation. You can go on most RV/Truck boards and read about how owners were lied to about how their truck can tow the maximum weight and then the tow experience is miserable and they end up taking a loss on their new truck and buying a used Duramax. I can't tell you how many times I have read the exact same situation over and over again.

[fiziksgeek]

Where is the driver in this situation?? I see a trailer, a passenger, and an ice chest. Who drives?

 

IF you had 1320 lbs tongue weight, and me, you'd be slightly over loaded...forget about a passenger or icechest!

 

 

Disagree-If the OP tows a 11,000 pound trailer at a 12% tongue weight that comes to 1,320 pounds. His payload is 1513 pounds. Where is the room for cargo? He puts a 150 pound passenger and an ice chest and he's at the maximum.

[Jon A]

Disagree-If the OP tows a 11,000 pound trailer at a 12% tongue weight that comes to 1,320 pounds.

 

First, industry standard is 10%. Second, his truck has an exceptionally high rating so his truck cuts it closer on the payload than most. Most of the '14's have a rating in the ~9500 lb range but have the same GVWR. Your statement was for "half tons" in general.

 

Where is the room for cargo?

 

I guess you didn't understand the above. Who says you need cargo? If I'm taking a load of horses from one town to the next, my "cargo" is a thermos of coffee. It's a TOW rating. You're saying they can't tow their rating when they clearly can. If they decide to call it a "TOW while simultaneously hauling a bedload of cement rating" you're right, it would need to be lowered substantially. Most reasonable people would realize one shouldn't try to do both at the same time if the trailer is right at the max rating.

 

He puts a 150 pound passenger and an ice chest and he's at the maximum.

 

And for those talking about ordering a new one (which would be a '15), the new ratings are with a 150 lb passenger included.

[CKNSLS]

Where is the driver in this situation?? I see a trailer, a passenger, and an ice chest. Who drives?

 

IF you had 1320 lbs tongue weight, and me, you'd be slightly over loaded...forget about a passenger or icechest!

 

 

Yep-I guess you would be over with the driver!

[CKNSLS]

 

First, industry standard is 10%. Second, his truck has an exceptionally high rating so his truck cuts it closer on the payload than most. Most of the '14's have a rating in the ~9500 lb range but have the same GVWR. Your statement was for "half tons" in general.

 

 

I guess you didn't understand the above. Who says you need cargo? If I'm taking a load of horses from one town to the next, my "cargo" is a thermos of coffee. It's a TOW rating. You're saying they can't tow their rating when they clearly can. If they decide to call it a "TOW while simultaneously hauling a bedload of cement rating" you're right, it would need to be lowered substantially. Most reasonable people would realize one shouldn't try to do both at the same time if the trailer is right at the max rating.

 

 

And for those talking about ordering a new one (which would be a '15), the new ratings are with a 150 lb passenger included.

 

The tongue rating is 10% to 15%. Every trailer is different as well. The trailer you may want to purchase may have one at 15% or at 10%. There is no standard percentage you can count on as far as tongue weight. Let's be real here. Your not camping alone. Mom, two or three kids, Fido and their stuff. That's real world. I stand by my original statement in REAL WORLD practice. The OP is discussing travel trailers-not hauling horses. That is in the context of my remarks.

[CO_2014LTZ]

Thank you for all the inputs. Needless to say, while I realize there are better, more powerful, trucks out there to pull travel trailers or 5th wheels, I stuck with the 1500 and got the max trailer package, which rates the max towing at 11,100. While my intention is not to go near that (less than 8k), I wonder what all the Chevy spec write-ups are for, and why they would allow a towing of over 10k, when a lot of what I read on forums is to stay "way" under that? I do realize mountain climbing will have an affect. I know some may laugh at this, but I also bought the truck for the good (for a V8 truck) gas mileage, and will not be towing everyday; I also realize that once I tow - gas mileage will suffer. One comment was concerning tires, LT spec with E rating - do you have any recommended brands? Again, thanks for the inputs!

[Blue2500CC]

CO,

 

As for the tow rating, it is under "ideal conditions" in a way. Truck without any added accessories, driver only with an empty truck otherwise. Not exactly real world without anything additional in the truck: tool box, gear, etc.

 

Tires, as long as your not exceeding the load rating, a set of C range will probably be fine. I added a set of C's to our '10-1500 before stepping up to the new beast, and they were just fine loaded right near the rear axle rating. Stiifer than the factory P rated tires.

 

Cooper, BFG, Michelin, Goodyear all make great tires. Hear good things about Hankook. Type of tire is up to you. I have towed with the BFG AT's, and with the Cooper A/T3's and liked both. Not sure exactly what I may go with next on our 2500HD, as finding tires is slim due to the factory 20's!

 

What size are your tires?

[CO_2014LTZ]

Ture size is 18 (P265-65-18).

[CO_2014LTZ]

I cannot spell "tire". I've attached the max load capacity from my truck door jam.

[CKNSLS]

The rub is if you towed an 11,000 pound trailer your tongue weight would be 1332 pounds. Your remaining payload would be 181 pounds.

 

Why all manufacturers do not discuss payload is a mystery to me.

 

A half-ton truck cannot tow it's maximum rating without going over payload. After all, no body camps alone, or takes an ice chest, or a friend/wife, dog, kids, etc.? Right?

[Jon A]

The tongue rating is 10% to 15%. Every trailer is different as well. The trailer you may want to purchase may have one at 15% or at 10%. There is no standard percentage you can count on as far as tongue weight.

 

Of course every setup is different. It's up to you to use your brain and apply the ratings to your particular setup. They can't give you an infinite number of ratings, so they pick a number--an industry standard the entire industry agrees should be the standard. And it's 10%. Not 10% to 15%. Just 10%. If you deviate too far from the standard, use your own brain and adjust accordingly. But that's your deviation. The rest of the industry isn't going to change all their numbers based upon what makes you happy.

 

Let's be real here. Your not camping alone. Mom, two or three kids, Fido and their stuff. That's real world. I stand by my original statement in REAL WORLD practice. The OP is discussing travel trailers-not hauling horses. That is in the context of my remarks.

 

And for the third time, there are millions of trailers out there that are not camping trailers! You say it over and over without ever specifying you're only talking about camping trailers (specifically where a good portion of the cargo won't be packed in the trailer). Millions of people tow with their pickups every year...who are not going camping! Expecting manufacturers to artificially lower their tow ratings in order to accomodate your camping gear (that you apparently couldn't fit in the trailer) would screw millions of others who actually know what the ratings mean and who simply need to tow a heavy trailer every now and then.

 

Even in the context of camping trailers--a large percentage of them I see on the road are being driven by an older couple with no kids and a rather empty bed (completely empty in the case of 5th wheels). Maybe they figured out if they put the stuff in the trailer it doesn't get rained on?

 

Your blanket statements that 1/2 tons can't tow their rating is spreading misinformation. Yes, it's certainly possible and even easy with some setups to exceed the payload sticker. That doesn't make your statement correct. As a stand alone statement it's simply false.

 

Your target tongue weight above is 232 lbs too high--there would be 413 lbs payload with a standard 11000 trailer setup. Are you implying the OP's wife is really, really, really fat?

 

Besides, the OP said he would be staying under 8000 lbs leaving 713 lbs of payload with 10% on the hitch. I would hate to meet the wife/dog combo that exceeds that! Telling somebody he needs a 3/4 ton to tow that much a few times a year is silliness.