light weight trailers

[ulmboys]

I own a 2018 Chevrolet 1500 LT truck which I don't feel is ideal for pulling my first trailer but financially I have to go with what I have. After reading post on this site for awhile I'm hesitant to believe what a RV Salesman tells me my truck can pull. One took my VIN number and came back with 9200 lbs GVWR.
Everybody says look at the stickers inside the truck door but to me they are vague. I know my truck has the "trailer equipment package" but I'm not sure what that entails. Okay I have the trailer brake control, it list the truck with "stabilitrak-stability control w/trailer sway control and hill start assist" (whatever that means), The truck has a 5.3l V8 ecotec3, with a rear axle ratio of 3.42, tire load of 1678 lbs occupants and cargo combined weight. The stickers on the door indicate GVWR 7200 lbs., GAWR FRT and RR 3950 lbs each. I have no idea if there is a transmission cooler or if that is a part of the trailer package and from reading the forums I understand I will need a 4 point WDH. Since I have never owned a travel trailer before I don't want to overload my truck or put my family at risk so trying to understand what is safe to pull is a bit confusing. I like the Passport 239 mlwe but was thinking to be safe I should not exceed a total GVWR of 5000 lbs accounting for payload, tongue weight, etc.. Any recommendations or points I need to learn or focus on would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

[wiredgeorge]

The sticker that means something is the yellow one in your door frame which tells you the STATED PAYLOAD for your truck. Since you don't own the trailer, find out what the payload is and attempt to figure out how much you, your passengers, the hitch and the junk in the truck weigh. This will be added to the tongue weight of the camper and you can just bet the numbers you have been looking at are for an empty/unloaded/no propane or battery camper. You hitch weight will be significantly more than Keystone claims. Since you can't get to a truck scales to measure things without owning the trailer, the smarter folks on this site will steer you right. Do have that PAYLOAD number ready from your yellow tire sticker in the door frame.

[flybouy]

In my opinion the word payload to an RV salesman means "how much are you willing to pay for as much as I can load onto the price. If I'm looking at the correct trailer you may be OK but the gear ratio could be an issue. Take a pic of the yellow sticker on the door and post it for a more definitive answer.

[NH_Bulldog]

Remember, towing capacity has little to do with towing ability. Tow ratings are based on a truck’s ability to tow a flat trailer with steel weights added to it. They don’t rate for real world ability to haul a 30’ trailer with 60+ sf of frontsl area and a 200+ sf side profile. Some may tell you that you are fine. I bought a trailer that matched the capabilities of my truck. We are 5,000 lbs. empty and 7,000 lbs. GVWR and that sits well with my trucks ability and capacities

[ulmboys]

The yellow tire sticker only has the information I shared and has nothing about payload.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by ulmboys

The yellow tire sticker only has the information I shared and has nothing about payload.

If I read your first post correctly, the yellow tire sticker does provide the payload, although it's not specifically spelled out as PAYLOAD...

You said in the first post, "tire load of 1678 lbs occupants and cargo combined weight. The stickers on the door indicate GVWR 7200 lbs., GAWR FRT and RR 3950 lbs each."

Your payload is 1678 pounds, occupants and cargo combined weight
The GVW is 7200 pounds
The FAWR is 3950
The RAWR is 3950

Now, as previously stated, the available "remaining payload" for a trailer tongue/hitch is directly dependent on what else you have in the truck.

If you're 150 pounds, married with a 120 lb wife and don't carry anything in the truck except her 10 pound purse and your 20 pound tool kit, then you've got 150 pounds of "cargo and occupants" (your 150 pound is included in the vehicle curb weight which allows for a 150 pound operator),

So with a payload of 1678 and a cargo/occupant load of 150 pounds, you have 1528 pounds available for the trailer tongue and hitch...

On the other hand, if you weight 275, your wife is 200, you have 3 teenagers, each weighing 190 and you have 400 pounds of tools and equipment that always stays in the truck, your "cargo and occupants" (remember the 150 lbs driver allowance) will be 125 (your excess)+200+570+400=1295. So with 1678 total and 1295 deducted for cargo and occupants, you would have 383 pounds of "payload" remaining for the trailer tongue and hitch....

Quite a difference in trailer capacity, all based on "what else is in the truck" in the form of cargo and occupants....

[NH_Bulldog]

Your sticker should look like this. The number you want is circled. In this case 2,906 lbs

[flybouy]

Payload is easy to calculate. Subtract the actual curb weight of the truck from the truck's GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating. Payload is typically the limiting factor as that number is typically exceeded long before the towing capacity or axle ratings.
Payload capacity of the truck in relation to the trailer is not only the weight of the truck but also everything that you put in the truck that wasn't from the factory therefore; add up the weight of the passengers, pets, drinks, food, tools, car seats, toys, stuff in the center console, the hitch, firewood, etc, etc. Subtract your truck's empty weight and the weight of all that "cargo" from the GVWR and what's left is the "available" tongue weight for the hitch.

To find the hitch weight by guessing take the gross trailer weight and the tongue should weigh 10-15% of that. That's a"rough" estimate and the low to high number will depend on how you load the trailer, where the liquid tanks are located, etc.

[sourdough]

The weights have been explained. With a 1678 payload you should be fine with a mid size trailer IMO. You REALLY need to know what you are going to have in the truck and I realize that is extremely difficult not knowing what you don't know.

For your situation, wondering about that unit, let's look at basics and see where you think you are. 1678 payload; with a 239ML figure a tongue weight of maybe 650 that comes off your payload. 1028 is left for the things John mentioned earlier. It would be helpful to know how you want to camp and the size of the family. A couple can get by a lot lighter than a family with 4 kids and a truck full of "toys". You will also need a good 4 point wdh/sway control so take another 125 or so off that available payload.

Personally I think you can do the 239mlwe and be safe unless you just have to "go big" in the truck. The tongue already takes into account that the trailer is at gvw which is about 1000 lbs of "stuff" in the trailer.

[Wxman]

Based on my experience I think you will be in an OK position. I have what looks to be the 'same' truck with a payload 1789, and yes it has a tow rating of 9200lbs. (meaningless) You will have the factory trans cooling and engine oil cooling with that package. I pull the trailer in the sig which weighs right at 6000lbs the way I load it. If I read correctly the GVWR of the trailer in question is 5400lbs and similar overall length.
Loaded to 6k and ready to tow I am well within all the numbers with the truck GVWR being the highest percentage (93%, 6720lbs of 7200lbs used).
With that said all I carry in the truck is two people, medium cooler, 20lb propane tank and aluminum multi-ladder.
I am confident in my hitch setup and my tow experience has been good. Yes, trailer is back there, however, I feel the truck handles it well. Although happy with this setup I can't imagine going much bigger (9200lbs) and being confident.
If you setup hitch correctly and don't overload truck with firewood, 3 more people and two dogs I have no problem recommending your truck for that trailer. (I have eventually changed out the off road shocks for Bilstein 4600s)

The experienced people on this forum will keep you straight if you heed the advice.

Good luck

[sourdough]

For reference here are the specs for the 239mlwe:

https://www.keystonerv.com/travel-tr...ravel-trailer/

[Gegrad]

With your payload of 1678 you should be fine with the 239ml, unless you need to carry a full 6 passengers and a bunch of cargo in the truck. If you do, then you will want to keep on looking.

[ulmboys]

Awesome! I'm truly appreciate all those that replied to my post about how I can figure out what Travel Trailer I can pull with my Chevy Silverado 1500 truck. I know I have a lot to learn with my first trailer and because all of you have taken the time to share your expertise I feel more confident. This will be a retirement thing for me and my wife so if our four daughters and grand-kids want to camp with us they will have to bring their own vehicle because I'm not giving up any of my payload capacity based on all this advice. Okay I will make an exception for my very very very precise two year old Grand-Daughter. Thanks again for giving me direction! Your time as been priceless!!!!

[FlyingAroundRV]

The towing weight question has been fully dealt with so I'll address your side question about the "hill start assist".
The vehicles that I have owned that have had this had something that would hold the brakes on at a traffic light until you pressed on the gas.
The way it worked on our vehicles was: when you wanted to use it, you press the brake pedal a bit harder while sitting at a light, on a hill. When the light turns green, you let your foot off the brake, but the system keeps the brakes locked up until you press on the gas. Then you'll feel the brakes release and off you go.

[ulmboys]

Thanks Scott, that makes sense. It reminds me of the day I bought my first vehicle (1973 Volkswagen Beetle Bug)and took a drive to San Francisco ending up on the top of a hill (I think Market Street) at a red light. When I left up on the brake the car started rolling backwards before I could give it enough gas and thank God I rolled back into a curb parking space. After my nerves settled I shifted into first, let up on the brake and gunned it! I don't want or need that experience again so I'm thankful they invented hill start assist. Thanks again.

[flybouy]

And if you rent a golf cart at a cg chances are it operates the same way.

[CWtheMan]

Originally Posted by ulmboys

I own a 2018 Chevrolet 1500 LT truck which I don't feel is ideal for pulling my first trailer but financially I have to go with what I have. After reading post on this site for awhile I'm hesitant to believe what a RV Salesman tells me my truck can pull. One took my VIN number and came back with 9200 lbs GVWR.
Everybody says look at the stickers inside the truck door but to me they are vague. I know my truck has the "trailer equipment package" but I'm not sure what that entails. Okay I have the trailer brake control, it list the truck with "stabilitrak-stability control w/trailer sway control and hill start assist" (whatever that means), The truck has a 5.3l V8 ecotec3, with a rear axle ratio of 3.42, tire load of 1678 lbs occupants and cargo combined weight. The stickers on the door indicate GVWR 7200 lbs., GAWR FRT and RR 3950 lbs each. I have no idea if there is a transmission cooler or if that is a part of the trailer package and from reading the forums I understand I will need a 4 point WDH. Since I have never owned a travel trailer before I don't want to overload my truck or put my family at risk so trying to understand what is safe to pull is a bit confusing. I like the Passport 239 mlwe but was thinking to be safe I should not exceed a total GVWR of 5000 lbs accounting for payload, tongue weight, etc.. Any recommendations or points I need to learn or focus on would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

Chevrolet PDF.

https://www.chevrolet.com/content/da...wing-guide.pdf

[linux3]

Originally Posted by ulmboys

I own a 2018 Chevrolet 1500 LT truck which I don't feel is ideal for pulling my first trailer but financially I have to go with what I have..

Well, just to throw my $0.02 in.
Depending on the type of RV'ing you plan to do I think your truck is totally ideal.
My Silverado is my daily driver and it's great for that. More comfortable and fuel efficient than a 2500/3500.
A light weight trailer is much easier to maneuver in camp grounds and tourist attractions.
We like to travel US routes and if we see a sign for an interesting attraction we go see.
We also like to break up the drive stopping at state parks and going for a walk/ hike.
Easy to do with a light weight, kinda hard with a 38' 5'er.

I know it's a little hard when you start out but give some thought to the type of RV'ing you think you will do.

[rlh1957]

Don’t believe a salesman that says anything different than your yellow truck sticker or the sticker Manf put on trailer.
You could make pictures of truck sticker, truck type, receiver hitch and info sticker, trailer sticker you are thinking of, trailer tires, truck tires.
You can post here and members can help you determine legal and safe loads.
Just because they say 1/2 ton towable doesn't mean you should.

[blubuckaroo]

Originally Posted by ulmboys

I own a 2018 Chevrolet 1500 LT truck which I don't feel is ideal for pulling my first trailer but financially I have to go with what I have.

I don't think you'll have a problem. Sounds like our Silverado pickups are the same. I'm pulling a Passport 2210RBWE GT travel trailer with ours. It weighs several hundred pounds more than yours. I've actually towed it quite successfully with a 2012 Toyota Tacoma.
The biggest issue I've noticed is a little "motorboating" when I hit a dip or bump.
I'm really reluctant to move to a 3/4 ton pickup since most of my driving is un-trailered. A nice ride is important to me.