Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

[Titanium48]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

The OP found the label on the hitch.

... I just looked at the factory-installed trailer hitch and it has a placard on it saying its weight limit for "Weight Carrying" hitches is 5,000 pounds (600 pounds tongue weight) and for "Weight Distributing" hitches it is 10,000 pounds (1,000 pounds tongue weight)...

 

[sschefer]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

Dealers do all sorts of stuff to sell trucks. Sometimes they'll buy up another dealers slow moving inventory dirt cheap and then spice it up by adding dealer add-ons. Hitches are common add-on's and you may not have the correct hitch for your truck. My F350 has the factory installed off-road and towing package with everything needed for towing big loads included the controls in the dash for the electric brakes. Mine also came with compensating style hitch but I never use it.

 

[109jb]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

The Chevy towing guide states:

"When using a weight-carrying hitch, the maximum trailer weight is 5000 lbs. and a 600-lb. trailer tongue weight. A weight-distributing hitch-and-sway control is required for trailer weights greater than 5000 lbs."

The towing guide can be found here:

http://www.chevrolet.com/assets/pdf/en/overview/11ChevTraileringPoster.pdf

My 2003 GMC Sierra manual says under the heading "Hitches":

"If you'll be towing a trailer that, when loaded, will weigh more than 5,000 lbs. (2,270 kg) be sure to use a properly mounted, weight-distributing hitch and sway control of the proper size. This equipment is very important for proper vehicle loading and good handling when you're driving."

In my manual, "Hitches" can be found in the index in the back of the manual.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

Dealers do all sorts of stuff to sell trucks. Sometimes they'll buy up another dealers slow moving inventory dirt cheap and then spice it up by adding dealer add-ons. Hitches are common add-on's and you may not have the correct hitch for your truck.

You must have missed the fact that his truck has a trailering package. Trailering package includes a hitch.

 

[Philster]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

2010 Dodge Ram, Hemi, Big Horn, Towing/Hauling Package checking in. Advertised towing is something like 9600 lbs:

I tow 6700 lbs on a Class III hitch, receiver and ball rated at 6000 lbs. Most people in my area do the same. We're all (I'm rounding - haha) hauling loads in excess of 5000 lbs. I am not encouraging this action, just reporting observations/facts.

In my experience, if you tow a 5k lbs-plus trailer, such as work or recreation/camping, the weight distributing (WD) hitch, along with electric brakes, seem to be essential. Those trailers always have issues with the am't of tongue weight they load, and they seem much harder to keep consistent in this regard.

Once a boat is setup properly on a trailer, it is more static in performance. The tongue weight and action are more predictable/consistent.

My understanding of surge brakes is that you are facing pains with weight distributing setups.

I read a piece from Dodge engineers in some auto mag about who 1/2 ton trucks are built for, and they said that 80% of 1/2 ton truck buyers will never tow more than 5000 lbs. For ad purposes, they advertise the max towing weight... and when you watch these trucks hauling things up mountains during commercials of the next football game, read the words at the bottom of the screen, because it says it right there on TV about towing limits, weight distribution, etc.

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

You need to re-read your manual. Every Chevy manual has stated that at 5,000 lbs you need a weight dist hitch for many years before yours.

Don't worry about what the hitch says- it's more than your truck so it doesn't matter it's more than you need. Upgrading it will not change the truck or it's ratings.

Your question being you know that you need the proper equipment now to tow your boat but you want to know how to deal with not using it?

Well you go about knowing your doing it wrong, operate in a unsafe manner and put undue stress on your nice new truck. Hopefully only the truck gets hurt.:facepalm:

 

[four winns 214]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

You need to re-read your manual. Every Chevy manual has stated that at 5,000 lbs you need a weight dist hitch for many years before yours.

I don't know how I can state this more plainly. I have read the manual. At your kind suggestion, I have re-read the manual. There is NO, I repeat, NO reference in the manual regarding a specific weight for the use of weight-carrying vs. weight-distributing hitch. The ONLY place a specific weight is referenced is on a partially obscured placard on the hitch.

I have seen not one single weight-distributing hitch used on my class of boat with any tow vehicle. After I gain some knowledge about such hitches, I will be the first on my block to do so.

 

[Jerryh3]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

Not a Chevy, but this is in my 1/2 ton owners manual. Also my truck has class IV hitch rated to 10,900 and truck is rated to 10,100:

Conventional Towing
The trailer cargo load should be distributed so that the tongue
load is 9 to 11% of the gross trailer weight, not exceeding the following.
(Tongue load /Gross trailer weight x 100 = 9 to 11%)
If the gross trailer weight is over 2000 lbs. (907 kg), it is necessary
to use a sway control device with sufficient capacity.
If the gross trailer weight is over 5000 lbs. (2268 kg), it is necessary
to use a weight distributing hitch with sufficient capacity.
If using a weight distributing hitch when towing, keep your vehicle
level with the ground.

 

[109jb]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

I don't know how I can state this more plainly. I have read the manual. At your kind suggestion, I have re-read the manual. There is NO, I repeat, NO reference in the manual regarding a specific weight for the use of weight-carrying vs. weight-distributing hitch. The ONLY place a specific weight is referenced is on a partially obscured placard on the hitch.

I have seen not one single weight-distributing hitch used on my class of boat with any tow vehicle. After I gain some knowledge about such hitches, I will be the first on my block to do so.

Well, you apparently didn't read the manual very thoroughly. Since chevy owner's manuals are online I went and looked it up. The attached pictures are pages are straight from the 2011 Chevy Silverado Owner's Manual which anyone can read at the following link.

http://www.chevrolet.com/assets/pdf/owners/manuals/2011/2k11silverado.pdf

I circled some stuff in red for you.

EDIT: I changed from pictures of the pages to a pdf for easier reading

 

[Philster]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

I don't know how I can state this more plainly. I have read the manual. At your kind suggestion, I have re-read the manual. There is NO, I repeat, NO reference in the manual regarding a specific weight for the use of weight-carrying vs. weight-distributing hitch. The ONLY place a specific weight is referenced is on a partially obscured placard on the hitch.

I have seen not one single weight-distributing hitch used on my class of boat with any tow vehicle. After I gain some knowledge about such hitches, I will be the first on my block to do so.

If you have surge brakes, then good luck! Some WD systems work with surge brakes, but WD systems require proper setup and it's trickier with surge brakes (this will now be followed by some guy who said he did it very easily. Most don't find it easy.). You choices of WD equipment are limited, too.

Read up!

http://www.etrailer.com/faq-weightdistribution.aspx

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

Had a Silvarado. Been there done that. Went and bought a Tundra. No B.S. advertising. It does what it says.No 5000lb hitch

 

[Jerryh3]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

Had a Silvarado. Been there done that. Went and bought a Tundra. No B.S. advertising. It does what it says.No 5000lb hitch

Might want to check again on that. From the Tundra manual:

If the gross trailer weight is over 5000 lbs. (2268 kg), it is necessary
to use a weight distributing hitch with sufficient capacity.

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

Post # 12 "And apparently you failed to comprehend the question. It wasn't what are the limits or how to find them, the question was how do others in a similar situation deal with this issue."

They buy the correct equipment and use it or they don't!

 

[Titanium48]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

How to set up a WDH with surge brakes: http://boards.trailerboats.com/cgi-...imatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=7;t=001437#000000

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

Had a Silvarado. Been there done that. Went and bought a Tundra. No B.S. advertising. It does what it says.No 5000lb hitch

Yeah sorry you got duked by the marketing department.

 

[Jerryh3]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

Yeah sorry you got duked by the marketing department.

I have a 2010 DC 5.7. Not duked, just need to add an extra piece to take advantage of the max. towing rating. I'm sure it's the same for all of the 1/2 tons.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

Yeah sorry you got duked by the marketing department.

Duked?
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=duked

or Duped?

Sorry...couldn't resist.

As far as getting by the surge brake issue with a WD hitch, I switched over to electric/hydraulic brakes. It also allows me to use Kodiac disc brakes vs electric only drum brakes.

 

[gtochris]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

Where does it say that? is that in the Owners Manual or something in the "fine" Print? Not trying to be a jerk I'm just wondering if I missed that part? If its clearly spelled out then thats the way it is, but if its not then I would have a pretty big issue with it you know?

I'm sure even your Heavy Duty Ram calls for a weight distribution hitch to pull to it's maximum capacity.

For the Origional poster: What is your tongue weight? The factory hitch is assuming 10% tongue weight, boats are generally LESS then 10% due to the engine in the rear and tandom axles. As long as your tongue weight is UNDER that 500lb mark (or whatever your sticker on the hitch for dead weight is), you are fine to pull with out the weight distribution bars.

However, if you are in the upper ranks for tongue weight, you may find the WD bars an assit to improving the ride and handling regardless.

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

I have a 2010 DC 5.7. Not duked, just need to add an extra piece to take advantage of the max. towing rating. I'm sure it's the same for all of the 1/2 tons.

I was replying to-

Originally Posted by Thalasso
Had a Silvarado. Been there done that. Went and bought a Tundra. No B.S. advertising. It does what it says.No 5000lb hitch

He got duped (or duked by the raped definition, kind of harsh but still could apply) by believing that his truck was different by B.S. marketing so much that he still believes the hype.

I hear things like this from tundra owners and wanna be owners all the time.

It doesn't do what it says and it's hitch is no better...... duped!

 

[Jerryh3]

Re: Vehicle Towing Weight Limit

I was replying to-

Originally Posted by Thalasso
Had a Silvarado. Been there done that. Went and bought a Tundra. No B.S. advertising. It does what it says.No 5000lb hitch

He got duped (or duked by the raped definition, kind of harsh but still could apply) by believing that his truck was different by B.S. marketing so much that he still believes the hype.

I hear things like this from tundra owners and wanna be owners all the time.

It doesn't do what it says and it's hitch is no better...... duped!

I was just saying that I have a Tundra also. I knew what you were replying too. Anyway... I'm sure all of the 1/2 tons are all around the same ratings. None of them are going to be rated more than 5/6K without the WDH. My boat/trailer is right around 6K. Never had the tongue weight measured. Tows fine. The rear barely squats when it's hooked up. I think the OP should be fine without the WDH.