How New RVrs get Mislead On Towing Weights

[sourdough]

Attached is a link from RV Magazine that came in my email today. The article addresses how to know when you have enough tow vehicle for a particular trailer.

After the lead in the first subject is "Own a Tow Vehicle". The very first paragraph; very first sentence....most important thing? Determine your truck's "tow rating". Then it states you are ready to find your trailer.

This article along with a zillion others are the reason so many new folks are utterly confused by weights. Further along it does mention payload and "sort of" gets into how they play together BUT the very first statement, the very first thing any new person reads....and then takes away to look at a trailer is, what is that max tow rating.

https://www.rv.com/rv/towing/how-to-...23634_06172021

AND, I can read this after just walking in from cataract surgery!!

[jsb5717]

Which agency should be responsible for holding this industry accountable for accurate marketing data? They continue to deceive unaware rookies (and even blissfully ignorant or blatantly arrogant non-rookies) by talking about empty weights and tow ratings rather than loaded weights and payload. It might take a class-action suit to get it addressed.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by jsb5717

Which agency should be responsible for holding this industry accountable for accurate marketing data? They continue to deceive unaware rookies (and even blissfully ignorant or blatantly arrogant non-rookies) by talking about empty weights and tow ratings rather than loaded weights and payload. It might take a class-action suit to get it addressed.

Which industry? The RV industry for advertising “1/2 ton towable” or the Automotive industry for advertising their vehicles towing space shuttles/giant boats etc. ?

IMO these articles are written by people who know just enough to be dangerous. While the article did state in the second (I think) paragraph that TOW vehicle GVWR needs to be taken into account, it clearly, again only my opinion states that GCVWR was the most important number. I have had numerous discussions with lots of people in the RV industry, from dealership owners to service techs, and it seems like there is just as many “opinions” regarding which number is the most critical, disregarding all the others.

I don’t see any easy solution, and I have learned to quit “discussing” it with people that think they have it all figured out. I’m too old to get worked up over a subject that seems one sided, I have too many other things to worry about…

[sourdough]

I made the post as an illustration of a publication that many folks may go to as a resource to find out what parameters to consider to tow.....sort of like their misguided "towing guides" and why newbies would think they have all the bases covered when they don't.

Who's to blame? Don't really know since there is no regulation or direction. The RV companies and the TV companies want to sell vehicles and so put them in the best possible light, hyping and emphasizing all the wrong numbers. How does a newbie know up front? Due diligence....but that is asking a lot. After that I suppose it is doing what we do on a daily basis seemingly.

[Javi]

It should never be the government's responsibility to protect us from ourselves... My old daddy used to say.... "Son... life is a test, you either pass or fail. But it ain't nobody's responsibility to make sure you pass"

[markcee]

Originally Posted by sourdough

Attached is a link from RV Magazine that came in my email today. The article addresses how to know when you have enough tow vehicle for a particular trailer.

After the lead in the first subject is "Own a Tow Vehicle". The very first paragraph; very first sentence....most important thing? Determine your truck's "tow rating". Then it states you are ready to find your trailer.

This article along with a zillion others are the reason so many new folks are utterly confused by weights. Further along it does mention payload and "sort of" gets into how they play together BUT the very first statement, the very first thing any new person reads....and then takes away to look at a trailer is, what is that max tow rating.

https://www.rv.com/rv/towing/how-to-...23634_06172021

AND, I can read this after just walking in from cataract surgery!!

Funny you brought this up. I read that article yesterday morning and sent a message to them via the 'contact us' link telling them how incorrect/irresponsible I thought their comments were.

[rhagfo]

Danny, totally agree with you the article is very misleading. While it does discuss payload in the first two paragraphs, the payload should be the first item discussed.
It also stated that TT tongue weights are 10% of GVWR, and 5ers are 20% of GVWR, I find both to be low, most are a range , TT 10% to 15% and 5ers 20% to 25%.

[German Shepherd Guy]

Thanks Danny for bringing up the article. I read that too with a shake of my head. A new one to towing is going to figure that an industry magazine is NOT going to mislead them. I came to this forum by luck. Hopefully others will be lucky too because as Javi says (paraphrasing here) "ain't nobody's responsibility to make sure you know."

[Ribtip]

I know im gonna hear it for this so be easy on me. What do we feel the article did not cover. Is it just the order of coverage you guys are not happy with. Other then that it seemed to have everything you need to take in to consideration. Again not looking to start a fight just wondering.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by Ribtip

I know im gonna hear it for this so be easy on me. What do we feel the article did not cover. Is it just the order of coverage you guys are not happy with. Other then that it seemed to have everything you need to take in to consideration. Again not looking to start a fight just wondering.

If you read, the author states that “tow capacity” is the MOST IMPORTANT number. It is one but IMO as others state here it isn’t the trump card. Remember the space shuttle commercial? I’m sure even my truck with its 11,500 pound towing capacity could have moved it.

[Ribtip]

Yea i did see that.I think maybe reading it from in the know eyes i just read it and agree with most of what was there.

[travelin texans]

If the truck manufacturers wouldn't bother to mention the max tow ratings, which BTW isn't posted anywhere on the truck only in advertising & rv manufacturers wouldn't list the dry weights it would make the process much less confusing to new rvers.

[JRTJH]

We need a "logic tree" for "noobie RV buyers"...

Pick one from column A and one from column B and a hitch from column C.

Pick up your selection at your local dealership after you get it approved by your state's RV selection office.....

Till then, just like buying an airplane, if you don't know how to fly, pick the one with the pretty colors and figure out how to start the damn thing and then head to the runway and go for it..... Anyone that foolish ????

RV buying ought to be the same as buying any major purchase that can become a "deadly item if it's in the wrong hands"....

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by Ribtip

I know im gonna hear it for this so be easy on me. What do we feel the article did not cover. Is it just the order of coverage you guys are not happy with. Other then that it seemed to have everything you need to take in to consideration. Again not looking to start a fight just wondering.

Like so many things today, the article is slanted in the wrong way for the wrong reason IMO. How you word things and the sequence your order those "words" has a lot of bearing on the overall context of whatever is written. In this case the author chose to use max tow weights as the most important, first item to consider parameter. Now, looking at it from the eyes of a person new to towing, or about to be new to towing, they can take those numbers and "be good" and......may never even read the rest of the article or just read it as an afterthought; they had already read the most important part. Not good or right.

[Gunny Mike]

I thought I bought the right TV when I was looking at the numbers on the annual towing guide from Trailer Life. It showed my F250 with 6.0 towing 15000 pounds with a 5th wheel tow. When I was at the Indy RV show a few years back the salesman was referring to this guide when I was looking at Montana. Thanks to a forum response I ended up backing out of that purchase. I guess the publisher of this guide should be included in on the class action suit. They need to come out with a simple app where you just plug in your numbers on your vehicle.

[81SHOVELHEAD]

Problem is dealers never talk about cargo capacity. Nephew just purchased a new 2021 2500 Cummins Ram . With purchasing a 5th wheel in near furure dealer says this truck can tow 19,000 lbs . I asked whats your cargo capacity ? HUH? Showed him the sticker on door jam . 2300 lbs . Explained to him that a 19,000 lb 5th wheel will put him in the 3600 to 4000 lb pin weight. No can do. His answer I'll just add air bags. My 2015 2500 Hemi Ram has a cargo capacity of 3130. Showed him this & he said why so much more . " 1 its a Tradesman with a Hemi motor without all the bells & whistles of a Long Horn edition. Couldn't change his mind because book says 19,000 lb tow capacity.

[DieselMike]

Originally Posted by 81SHOVELHEAD

Problem is dealers never talk about cargo capacity. Nephew just purchased a new 2021 2500 Cummins Ram . With purchasing a 5th wheel in near furure dealer says this truck can tow 19,000 lbs . I asked whats your cargo capacity ? HUH? Showed him the sticker on door jam . 2300 lbs . Explained to him that a 19,000 lb 5th wheel will put him in the 3600 to 4000 lb pin weight. No can do. His answer I'll just add air bags. My 2015 2500 Hemi Ram has a cargo capacity of 3130. Showed him this & he said why so much more . " 1 its a Tradesman with a Hemi motor without all the bells & whistles of a Long Horn edition. Couldn't change his mind because book says 19,000 lb tow capacity.

I did not see where anyone talked about the weight issue of a truck and trailer towing more than 26001 lbs and the trailer is 10K plus. Every state provdes detailes on this but t is so hard to get anyone to be forth comming with easy to understand details, ETC. Talk to your CDL driver trainers..... they now the rules.

you like need a none class A cdl if towing in this above condition..


Seems no one knows the rules until your invollved in an accident. If the weight calls for a 1/2 ton, go 3/4. If the weight calls for 3/4 ton, go 1 ton...Nt worth taking the risk.

Ever have an *** hole pull right in front of you ?? Yes of course, all day every day.

[DieselMike]

be safe.....there is so much mis-information, that a newbie is blind! Need to talk with a few veterines towing for 3-4 decades PERIOD.

[hazmat456]

Originally Posted by DieselMike

I did not see where anyone talked about the weight issue of a truck and trailer towing more than 26001 lbs and the trailer is 10K plus. Every state provdes detailes on this but t is so hard to get anyone to be forth comming with easy to understand details, ETC. Talk to your CDL driver trainers..... they now the rules.

you like need a none class A cdl if towing in this above condition..


Seems no one knows the rules until your invollved in an accident. If the weight calls for a 1/2 ton, go 3/4. If the weight calls for 3/4 ton, go 1 ton...Nt worth taking the risk.

Ever have an *** hole pull right in front of you ?? Yes of course, all day every day.

Because in most states you do not need a CDL to tow a registered recreation vehicle of any weight. And the 10k trailer limit is only for bumper pull non rv trailers. Only if it is not registered as an RV do you need a CDL.
The rules in my state are easy to find https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/c...loverview.aspx
Otherwise I agree with you, I like to be less than 75% of my overall capacity.

[Halcyon]

I also just saw an advertisement in RV Magazine, pages 8/9, from Chevy showing a new 2500 ( look carefully at the side) towing a three axle Fuzion 5er…
It also appears to be a HighCountry Edition Z71 4wd SRW with all the bells and whistles - read extra weight. No wonder we are confused!!!