tow vehicle

[Kirwin]

It should be gvw plus tow rating, so in this case 6050 plus 3600 for a GCW of 9650.

Nick

Don't fool yourself. It never is GVWR +GTWR. That's why they specify a Max Combined Gross Weight Rating (GCWR). Its smoke and mirrors so that RV dealers can sell trailers! Ken Irwin

 

[NIsaacs]

I agree, the ratings are funky. Take a new 1500 4 door, 4x4 with the EcoDiesel, the payload is only 859 lbs, whats up with that?

Nick

 

[JR]

I agree, the ratings are funky. Take a new 1500 4 door, 4x4 with the EcoDiesel, the payload is only 859 lbs, whats up with that?

Nick

I would be nearly maxed out with just my winter weight I use in the bed of my ol 98 :-laf:-laf

 

[NIsaacs]

I can't let this one go. My 97 Ram 2500 CTD was rated to tow 16,000 lbs GCWR. The truck weighed nearly 7500 lbs. A minivan can't have a GCWR high enough to tow a 3500 lb camper legally. I'd guess a 23 foot camper weighs around 4000 lbs. If the tongue weight is 400 lbs, the mini van is over loaded, and in my book, the driver is performing an unsafe act by endangering the rest of us on the road. You can't increase the GAWR or the GVWR or the GCWR by installing higher load rated tires. My 2003 DRW truck was rated at 21,000 lbs GCWR. I overloaded it according to Dodge because my trailer and truck weighed nearly 22K lbs combined. But I was less than 5% over my GCWR and I was under on the factory ratings for all axles and tires. I was pulling with a 3.73 rear end ratio truck. I still have a hard time understanding how a different ratio adds weight hauling capacity to the truck, but I do understand how Dodge is acting to limit corporate liability and thus is imposing limits. I sure hope the guy towing in that mini van doesn't have a deer jump out in front of him or the camper will flatten the mini van. Just my $0.02. Ken Irwin

I really don't see the issue with a minivan that weighs 5000 towing a trailer at 3600, I used these numbers to fit it's 8750 gcwr. What I see is a tow vehicle that is quite a bit heavier than the trailer. With our heavy duty pickups we can't say that. Take your new 3500, I think it is rated 14k gvwr and just shy of 38k gcwr. That tells me the trailer weight is almost twice what the tow vehicle weighs.

Like I said before, the tow vehicle is not required to stop the combination, they each have their own brake system. In the case of the deer, the minivan should have as good a chance to slow/stop as the 3500 loaded to max GCWR.

Nick

 

[crispyboy]

Check out this page for a couple of video's from CanAm where they do their testing. I was attending a trailer rally two years ago where CanAm was giving their towing seminar but somehow I missed it. I have a lot of the same questions you guys do.

http://www.canamrv.ca/towing/

 

[NIsaacs]

I have a lot of the same questions you guys do.

I think the low center of gravity, wide stance and short hitch overhang is key. Did you ever try and move a pig that didn't want to move? They are like a chunk of lead. The minivan is like that. A typical pickup, long or short bed has a 5' overhang on the hitch, thats about twice the minivan, the shorter this distance the better the control.

Nick

 

[B.G. Smith]

Saw an ad on TV last night with a mini van pulling an Air Stream, looked like a 23" '' to me. It was not a Chrysler though. I think it was one of those ED ads. bg

 

[Mawvelous]

Tow my boat with my 2011 Durango. Boat weighs 4K loaded. New Durangos are unibody. It is the best all around SUV I have ever owned and I have had a half dozen in the past 25 years

 

[SnoKing]

I agree, the ratings are funky. Take a new 1500 4 door, 4x4 with the EcoDiesel, the payload is only 859 lbs, whats up with that?

Nick

859 pounds of GROCERIES is quite a bit, one might have to shop at Costco for that much.

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[Kirwin]

859 pounds of GROCERIES is quite a bit, one might have to shop at Costco for that much.

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LOL. Chris your just a mean guy! Ram 1500 to replace my mom's minivan! I can't stop laughing about it. Ken Irwin