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Old 07-09-2020, 06:43 AM   #1
Govols
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Actual towing capacity

Ok....i'm confused. I've read on this forum and the montana forum about tow capcity. I have a 2018 dodge 3500 turbo diesel. All the info on the internet says in can tow 17,000lbs. The sticker on the door says gvwr is 11,700lbs. My 2018 montana high country dry weight is 11220 and gvwr is 14260. So am i over weight by 2500lbs or under by 2500lbs? I've towed it 6 times with no problems. We are looking to switch out to a toy hauler and am trying to stay in the same length and weight as the montana but now not sure.
Thanks in advance!
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Old 07-09-2020, 06:57 AM   #2
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There are several weight limits which must each be honored. You're looking at the max tow capacities for the truck, which is one of them, but generally not the first to be hit.

Instead, have a look at the payload sticker in the driver's door jamb on the truck. It will say something like "all passengers and cargo must not exceed XXX lbs". This is the payload capacity as the truck left the factory (it may have changed since then, but it's a good starting point).

Now, you need to add up all the weight you want to add to the truck, including passengers, cargo (clothes, snacks, tools, generator, bicycles, etc.), hitch, trailer tongue/pin weight, etc.

Does the total cargo weight exceed the payload capacity?

A 3500 is a 1-ton truck and will usually have a pretty high payload capacity - I think the RAM's are up around 4-5k lbs. So I suspect you'll be okay there.

Post the numbers from your truck's stickers and other will be able to help more.
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Old 07-09-2020, 06:58 AM   #3
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The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, or GVWR, is the total the truck can safely weigh when it's loaded. That includes the curb weight – the truck with nothing in it – plus whatever goes in, including passengers and cargo.
Your towing capacity is something else entirely. You're looking for your vehicle's GCWR, Gross Combined Weight Rating. Typically, it can be found on a label inside the vehicle's door frame, near the area where the driver's door latches.
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Old 07-09-2020, 07:03 AM   #4
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Other may explain it better than me but GVWR is the max your VEHICLE is rated for carrying. There is also GCWR - gross combined which would be vehicle and trailer. So back to your question - on the door there should be a yellow sticker with the max payload you can carry in/on you truck. That number should be between 2K - 3ish thousand (just guessing ) and that amount should bring -just your truck -weight up to the 11,700. You need to get the pin weight of the camper to determine how loaded your rig is. Towing weights get confusing, the 17K you can tow is only half of the issue. The max payload for the truck ( truck weight, you , dw , dog, hitch cooler etc and the pin or tongue weight) is where everyone get caught typically.
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Old 07-09-2020, 07:04 AM   #5
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Here's the stickers on the door jam.....
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Old 07-09-2020, 07:10 AM   #6
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So if I'm understanding this right.....the max load on the truck is 3900lbs. If my hitch weight is 2260lbs (as per montana specs) i can load another 1600lbs in the truck? Where do i find the gcvw of the truck? To make this short....can my truck tow a 15000lb 5th wheel?
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Old 07-09-2020, 07:10 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Govols View Post
Ok....i'm confused. I've read on this forum and the montana forum about tow capcity. I have a 2018 dodge 3500 turbo diesel. All the info on the internet says in can tow 17,000lbs. The sticker on the door says gvwr is 11,700lbs. My 2018 montana high country dry weight is 11220 and gvwr is 14260. So am i over weight by 2500lbs or under by 2500lbs? I've towed it 6 times with no problems. We are looking to switch out to a toy hauler and am trying to stay in the same length and weight as the montana but now not sure.
Thanks in advance!
Let's see if we can help clarify.
First thing - ignore any "rating" on the internet or any sales brochure. That's not YOUR truck.
Second - ignore "tow capacity. That doesn't relate to towing an RV. The tow rating is a flat bed trailer full o0f weights that have a low center of gravity and very little tongue or pin weight.
Third - ignore anything a salesman tells you.

Now, your vehicle sticker GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) is the maximum that the truck can weigh. You're confusing that with GCVW (Gross Combined vehicle Wei98ght). The GCVW is the maximum your truck AND trailer can weigh.

Look for the white and yellow sticker on the door that lists your tire size, pressure, and weight rating. That sticker will also lists max axle ratings for front and rear axles AND a "total weight of all passengers and cargo not to exceed....) that is your load capacity for everyone and everything that you put in the truck and on the hitch.

The trailer EMPTY weight is irrelevant as well. That is a weight from the factory that does not include the battery, propane and propane tanks, or anything that you place in the camper. The camper GVW is the maximum weight the camper can hold after loading it up. Use this number for any calculations.

As "safe" "estimate" for tongue or pin weight is 13% of trailer GVW for tongue weight or 20-25% of VGW of trailer for 5th wheel pin weight.

Edit : Wow I must type at a crawl! No replies when I started typing this.
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Old 07-09-2020, 07:13 AM   #8
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Dry Weight

11,220 lbs.

Payload Capacity

3,040 lbs.

GVWR

14,260 lbs.

Hitch Weight

2,260 lbs.
Here's the specs on the monty.....
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Old 07-09-2020, 07:16 AM   #9
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You said the trailer's GVWR is 14260. As this is a 5th wheel, that puts your pin weight at between 2852 (20%) and 3565 (25%).
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Old 07-09-2020, 07:16 AM   #10
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One more thing of importance. This site will tell you all you need to know, and then some.
https://www.ramtrucks.com/content/da...Ram%203500.pdf
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Old 07-09-2020, 07:17 AM   #11
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The pin weight provided by the trailer manufacturer is based on the dry weight of the trailer, which is not useful IMO. Go with 20% - 25% of the GVWR for the trailer. This is more realistic.
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Old 07-09-2020, 07:18 AM   #12
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So at 25% about the only thing else in the truck would be 2 people?
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Old 07-09-2020, 07:21 AM   #13
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Of course, all these numbers are estimates. For example, the payload capacity on the yellow sticker on your truck is based on the weight of the truck when it left the factory. The real limit is the GVWR for the truck. This must not be exceeded. The yellow sticker just shows the GVWR of the truck less the actual weight of the truck when it rolled off the assembly line. The real way to tell what your truck weights today is to go get it weighed.

The same goes for your trailer. Using the GVWR of the trailer for all the weight calculations is a very conservative way to make these estimates. The best way is to weigh the trailer - however, keep in mind that the actual weight of the trailer will change with things like additional cargo, water in the holding tanks, etc.
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Old 07-09-2020, 07:22 AM   #14
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Your truck will easily tow that trailer so that's not an issue. The specs you've given above are really the numbers that matter. Your hitch weight of 2260 is empty weight. Loaded hitch weight is a variable but needs to be considered when calculating payload. You are more likely closer to 2700-2800 lbs pin weight loaded. 3900 lbs payload minus 2800 lbs pin weight leaves you with approx. 1100 lbs you can still load in your truck. That's people, hitch, gear, everything else. You are going to be fine.
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Old 07-09-2020, 07:23 AM   #15
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I know I'm being a pain but just trying to understand. I should load the 5er just like i normally would and take it to the scales and figure out the pin weight from there? Does it matter where the weight is in the 5er? The only cargo hold is in front of the axles. Does that add to the pin weight or does it matter?
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Old 07-09-2020, 07:24 AM   #16
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25% is at the high end. It's very conservative. I would guess if you weigh your trailer, you won't be that heavy. You do want to leave some room for expansion though.

Again, these are estimates to help determine whether or not you're in the ball park. For example, if you had a payload capacity of 2000 and your pin weight was 3000, you no it's not good. If after doing the numbers you are close, then go to the next step of having things weighed to see where you actually sit.
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Old 07-09-2020, 07:26 AM   #17
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When weighing your trailer, you should load it as close to reality as possible. Otherwise, you're not getting the weight of the trailer as it will be when you're using it. Same for your truck.
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Old 07-09-2020, 07:26 AM   #18
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I can't express how much i appreciate all the info!! So if i stay close to what i have now with the toy hauler i should be ok. Guess we'll go shopping this weekend! 😃
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Old 07-09-2020, 07:29 AM   #19
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One more queation. When i look at toy haulers and the gvwr of the rv.....i need to remember I'll be adding the weight of the golf cart and scooters on top of the normal stuff. So should i look for a higher cargo capacity TH?
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Old 07-09-2020, 07:34 AM   #20
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Just like the truck, the trailer can be loaded up to it's stated payload. Just remember that everything loaded into the trailer has impact on the total weight on the truck. The advantage of a toy hauler is that some of the weight is loaded in the rear of the trailer. That actually helps reduce some of the weight on the hitch. It's all a balancing act. As already stated, the best thing to do is load everything as you normally would and go to the scales to verify all of your weights.
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