Towing a Premier 31BHPR with Toyota Tundra ??

[SAABDOCTOR]

remember most sales people want the sale no matter what. they would tell you a yugo will tow a 40ft 5er to make the sale. It is up to us to make sure it is safe to tow. our families depend on it!

[SAABDOCTOR]

ALL those ads are just amazing. you see we can't read the extra fine print at the bottom of the screen in the .2 nano seconds it's put there. It is up to us to make sure we have the right truck and trailer combo. just ask the sales person to put that statement in writting and the tell him you'll drop it off at DOT. and see what they have to say! I know i come off as sarcastic, but after 47 years in the auto/truck repair. nothing me anymore. the last one was a couple wanted me to wire trailer lights to there dodge caravan and to make sure the trailer lights worked. I asked about brakes. they said nope then they brought the combo in.. they were going to tow 6 horses with out brakes with a mini van They were really ticked when i said no! they went so far as to call the police after i told them they were way overloaded. they left after a round of tickets and had to have the trailer retrived from impound the police would let them tow it out. they will never understand! and some that post here asking if this is safe and 40 people tell them no but they go out and do the wrong thing anyway! (why did you ask?) so that said.... do you home work and put together the right combo the best you can afford. good luck

[buzzcop63]

JRTJH concerning use of 22RBPR:
The trailer is a 24RKSWE 2012 Cougar towed by a 2012 Tundra, Dbl Cab, 2wh drive, 4.6V8, tow rating 8,200Lb. Below are scale weights observed on 8/24/13, see how they compare to the above description of 22RBPR:
Fully loaded Tundra, full tank of gas, both wife and I and trip load, total scale weight front axel 3,220Lb (3,900 Max), rear axel 2,340Lb (4,000 Max), truck total weight 5,560 (6,700 Max). Now add loaded trailer, truck front axel 3,100, rear axel 3,180, total for truck 6,280Lb, (6,700 Max) leaves 420Lb unused. 720Lb increase with WDH to truck. Trailer attached to truck both trailer axels on scale, trailer weight 5,500Lb (Max 7,200), GCWR 11,780 (Max GCWR 14,000). Trailer stand alone weight Est 6,220Lb.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by buzzcop63

JRTJH concerning use of 22RBPR:
The trailer is a 24RKSWE 2012 Cougar towed by a 2012 Tundra, Dbl Cab, 2wh drive, 4.6V8, tow rating 8,200Lb. Below are scale weights observed on 8/24/13, see how they compare to the above description of 22RBPR:
Fully loaded Tundra, full tank of gas, both wife and I and trip load, total scale weight front axel 3,220Lb (3,900 Max), rear axel 2,340Lb (4,000 Max), truck total weight 5,560 (6,700 Max). Now add loaded trailer, truck front axel 3,100, rear axel 3,180, total for truck 6,280Lb, (6,700 Max) leaves 420Lb unused. 720Lb increase with WDH to truck. Trailer attached to truck both trailer axels on scale, trailer weight 5,500Lb (Max 7,200), GCWR 11,780 (Max GCWR 14,000). Trailer stand alone weight Est 6,220Lb.

SandMShall reported his actual truck weigh as this: 5620lbs with a full tank of gas but no passengers. I'll add an additional 650lbs for our family of four and the total is 6270lbs (This is without any additional cargo)

From what I can see by comparing the actual weights as reported by you and reported by canadianboy is the starting weight of what's in the truck. You report the truck (without trailer) loaded for camping at 5560. SandMShall reports that when he weighed his truck and factored in the weight of his family, it weighed 6270. That 710 pound difference will significantly alter the ability to carry a larger tongue weight trailer such as the one he is looking at or the one you cite as an example. I think the big difference's are: His truck without passengers weighs more than your truck loaded for camping and you travel with your wife, he's travelling with more family members, resulting in a much heavier payload. This heavier payload is what is concerning based on the "required payload" his family adds to the truck before considering the added weight of the trailer. You just can't take a truck that has a payload of 6900 lbs and that weighs 6270 when passengers are added, but no cargo and add a 700 lb tongue weight and a 100 lb hitch and stay below the 6900 lb GVW. The math won't work.

[SandMShall]

Here's another question in regards to the door sticker within my truck. How do the numbers for the front axle (4000lbs) and the rear axle (4100lbs) work into this equation?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[JRTJH]

The axle ratings relate to the GVW but do not "add up" to the GVW. For example, my F250 GVW is 10,000 lbs. The front axle rating is 5940 and the rear axle rating is 6100. That adds up to 12,040 lbs. Why the difference?

To allow for load variability and still maintain the capability of carrying the full payload. Imagine the same front axle as mine in a diesel F250. That engine weighs about 800 lbs more than my gas engine. The axle needs to still carry additional weight when passengers or cargo are added to the cab area of the truck. So, an axle rated higher than the "minimum" is needed to compensate. The same with the rear axle. To carry a fifth wheel or a truck cabover camper, almost all the weight is directly over the rear axle. So to compensate for where the cargo is placed (and stay within the payload) the rear axle is rated higher than the minimum.

Also keep in mind that many things must be considered to establish payload in addition to the axle rating. Spring load, frame strength, brake size, rear end strength, overall weight as it is divided between both axles, and much more.

I've never seen a vehicle (car, truck or SUV) that has axles rated to equal the GVW. When added together, the sum of both axles is always higher than the GVW.

When I stated above that the "axle is rated higher" I don't mean that some arbitrary figure is stamped on the axle, rather that an axle is selected for its capability during truck assembly that is rated for a specific purpose. Engineering design, not the sticker on the door, is what determines the axle's capability to carry weight.

[buzzcop63]

.Quote: JRTJH
From what I can see by comparing the actual weights as reported by you and reported by canadianboy is the starting weight of what's in the truck. You report the truck (without trailer) loaded for camping at 5560. SandMShall reports that when he weighed his truck and factored in the weight of his family, it weighed 6270. That 710 pound difference will significantly alter the ability to carry a larger tongue weight trailer such as the one he is looking at or the one you cite as an example. I think the big difference's are: His truck without passengers weighs more than your truck loaded for camping and you travel with your wife, he's travelling with more family members, resulting in a much heavier payload. This heavier payload is what is concerning based on the "required payload" his family adds to the truck before considering the added weight of the trailer. You just can't take a truck that has a payload of 6900 lbs and that weighs 6270 when passengers are added, but no cargo and add a 700 lb tongue weight and a 100 lb hitch and stay below the 6900 lb GVW. The math won't work.


Reading over the numbers the key point is that my truck and trailer, loaded and ready to go with full gas tank has only 420Lb of additional weight that can be added to the truck. For us as a retired couple this is fine and having two wheel drive saved us about 300Lb but for another couple wishing to add more people in the truck and their gear they would be over loaded, as you have pointed out. It pays to do the numbers and weigh your vehicle and trailer.

[canadianboy]

is there a proper way to measure the truck on the scales to make sure every one is on the same page... when i measure mine, i weighed the front axle on the scales by itself, the rear by itself and then the whole truck together. Next I took my camper attatched (full of propane, battery) and weighed front axle of truck, full truck, and then rear axle and then trailer axles... is that the proper way?

I guess to get proper weight of dist. bars is to weigh then separelty than you have all the right numbers

[JRTJH]

Read this thread, specifically post #18. It will give you the directions you need.

http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/showthread.php?t=14930