Towing capacity

corn18 · May 24, 2020

OP, don't get distracted by all the max tow numbers. Trust me, they won't matter. Your truck's cargo capacity will be your limiting factor. Not the one in the brochure or owner's manual, but the one on the yellow and white sticker on your truck. Once we have that, we can do some simple math to determine what you can tow.

Superman_006 · May 24, 2020

Tow max = towing in the truck. The Silverado’s with the tow max you can literally add a 5th wheel to with no issues.

All the 1/2 ton trucks produced now are beast compared to 15 years ago.

Superman_006 · May 24, 2020

Straight from Chevy’s website... 2017 Silverado specs. Not saying the 6.2. 8sp with a 3.08 rear end isn’t going to do better. I bought one of the trucks that’s 20mpg Highway. I’m saying this is Chevy’s “trailering” max specs. I don’t know who convinced 1/2 of you all that GVRW is the trailer towing capacity but the GVRW is your curb weight (truck empty) plus all passengers , gas and cargo.... the passengers, and cargo (Without gas) is your “payload.” Towing (trailer-towing) is a completely different spec. The term “tow max” is very deceiving but I’m positive that term would sell more trucks than “payload max.”

Edited May 24, 2020 by Superman_006

corn18 · May 24, 2020

10 minutes ago, Superman_006 said:

I don’t know who convinced 1/2 of you all that GVRW is the trailer towing capacity but the GVRW is your curb weight (truck empty) plus all passengers , gas and cargo.... the passengers, and cargo (Without gas) is your “payload.”

Wrong.

GVWR = Gross Vehicle Weight Rating = max the truck can weigh. The GVWR - curb weight = cargo/payload capacity.

Curb weight + options + people + cargo = truck's actual weight.

And don't EVER use brochure weights. The best is to weigh your truck. My truck:

2,950: Brochure cargo capacity

2,754: What my yellow and white sticker says on my truck is my cargo capacity

2,240: What my weight chit from the CAT scales says is my cargo capacity

Hmmm.... wonder why that is? The brochure weight does not include ANY options. The yellow sticker is your truck as it came from the factory, so includes any options you added. The CAT scales took into account stuff I added (step bars, bed mat, toneau cover, gooseneck hitch) and me.

According to the brochure, I should be able to pull a 14,000 fifth wheel with a 2,950 lbs pin weight. Yeah, right.

dieselfan1 · May 24, 2020

Good luck towing that much with a half ton. Yuck. I draw the line at 6000lbs with my half tons. Anything heavier my buddies Duramax takes care of.

I don't understand why guys want to push the envelope with towing 5 tons . Dumb if you ask me . Get a 3/4 ton.

Sure the 1/2 ton will tow it.

How about in a 25 mph crosswind? Or a panic stop?

Did you ever see Dirty Harry carry a 22? C'mon man.

Superman_006 · May 24, 2020

I am not scared to hook a 5 ton dump trailer or a trailer with a mini excavator that’s got electrical brakes on it and pull it pretty much any where I want with my 1/2 ton. I have a buddy that has a 1/2 ton v6 that he pulls a 32ft camper with 2 slide-outs (aka bumper pull) he pulls all over the US.... including up and down “sandstone mountain” in WV which is ~7 miles of 7.5% grade. He says there is a similar mountain in Colorado on I-70

This is how they rate pickup truck’s trailer towing capacity (SAE-J2807)

mookdoc6 · May 25, 2020

6 hours ago, dieselfan1 said:

Good luck towing that much with a half ton. Yuck. I draw the line at 6000lbs with my half tons. Anything heavier my buddies Duramax takes care of.

I don't understand why guys want to push the envelope with towing 5 tons . Dumb if you ask me . Get a 3/4 ton.

Sure the 1/2 ton will tow it.

How about in a 25 mph crosswind? Or a panic stop?

Did you ever see Dirty Harry carry a 22? C'mon man.

Totally agree! I just saw a 1/2 tonner go through a 4 way stop way to big a trailer, going to fast etc. probably little experience and lucky the 4 way was very well spread out in distance so others could readily see this JACK ARSE can't stop.