Towing question

[cwarner]

Can someone please tell me what does all the GVWR,GCVW etc. actually mean?



My father soon going to purchase a new CUMMINs and a 5ver and hasn't decided on a 2500 or 3500SRW.

The trailer will have about 1700# pin wieght and I think the total trailer wieght is 10000# , I'm assuming dry and empty .



I myself pull a 7000# boat and soon 3500# (empty) enclosed snowmobile trailer. I've already updated the stock hitch for a higher rated one.



I just want to be safe and legal.



Thanks

 

[JDougherty]

basically all of the abreviations are related to the weight the truck can handle per the manufacture.



I am not a math wizard but i know there is tons of this infomation on here already in other threads about the actual ratings.



my dream tow vehicle would be one with training wheels (dually) however our 3/4 tons i think are fully capable of doing the job your father is after.

 

[RustyJC]

GVWR = gross vehicle weight rating. This is the maximum amount of weight that the truck can put onto the road through its tires. The actual gross vehicle weight (GVW) will be the weight of the truck with all options, accessories, fuel, driver, passengers, cargo as well as the hitch or pin weight of the trailer being towed.



GCWR = gross combined weight rating. This is the maximum allowable total laden weight of the truck and whatever the truck is towing. The actual laden truck and trailer weight will be the gross combined weight (GCW).



The first thing one should do is get a laden curb weight (LCW) of the truck itself by loading up just as you would when heading down the road and getting on some truck scales. This weight will include the truck with all options and accessories, fuel, driver, passengers, cargo, and the trailer hitch.



With this information, you can use the following formulas to determine the maximum loaded trailer weights your truck can handle without exceeding the manufacturer's ratings:



Truck's GCWR - Truck's LCW = maximum total weight of loaded trailer.



Truck's GVWR - Truck's LCW = maximum hitch or pin weight of loaded trailer.



If you don't know the loaded weight of the trailer under consideration, a conservative approach is to use the trailer's GVWR for the total loaded trailer weight in the first formula. Then use 12% (for a conventional trailer) or 20% (for a 5th wheel) of the trailer's GVWR for hitch or pin weight.



The LCW of my truck is 7,680 lbs. We tow a 13,500 lb 36' triple slide 5th wheel that puts us on the road at 10,380 lbs GVW (10,500 lbs GVWR) and 21,180 lbs GCW (21,500 lbs GCWR).



Rusty

 

[opjohnny]

My 2500 quad cab weighs 7400 lbs with just me and a full tank of fuel. 9000 = gvwr gross vehicle weight rating for the truck meaning the truck shouldn't weigh more then that. 9000-7400=allowable payload you can put in my the truck. If it were me I would go with the 3500 to get the extra payload for the fth wheel trailer. Unless you are getting a two door truck.

 

[Peter Campbell]

A 3500 SRW has a GVW ( truck ) of 9900. THe 2500 is 9000. The truck empty is a little over 7000- for me 7250 with the long bed extended/quad? cab. The 3500 leaves 2650# - actually not much -add a trailer hitch setup in the bed, you and another passenger there is not much room left for pin weight. 950# of other stuff besides the pin weight. . With the 2500 you start out 900# less. And would endup overweight as soon as the driver gets in. The SRW 3500 with 4. 1 can tow GCVWR 23,000# the 3. 73- 21,000# that is total weight of the truck and trailer. The regular cab 2500 may save enough weight to be able to tow with 1700# pin one person in truck and the trailer hitch. but it would be close. IMHO Get the 3500 SRW if you are thinking of towing that heavy. These trucks are a little "fat"- not leaving that much for payload.

 

[livetodrive]

Originally posted by RustyJC

GVWR = gross vehicle weight rating. This is the maximum amount of weight that the truck can put onto the road through its tires. The actual gross vehicle weight (GVW) will be the weight of the truck with all options, accessories, fuel, driver, passengers, cargo as well as the hitch or pin weight of the trailer being towed.



GCWR = gross combined weight rating. This is the maximum allowable total laden weight of the truck and whatever the truck is towing. The actual laden truck and trailer weight will be the gross combined weight (GCW).



The first thing one should do is get a laden curb weight (LCW) of the truck itself by loading up just as you would when heading down the road and getting on some truck scales. This weight will include the truck with all options and accessories, fuel, driver, passengers, cargo, and the trailer hitch.



With this information, you can use the following formulas to determine the maximum loaded trailer weights your truck can handle without exceeding the manufacturer's ratings:



Truck's GCWR - Truck's LCW = maximum total weight of loaded trailer.



Truck's GVWR - Truck's LCW = maximum hitch or pin weight of loaded trailer.



If you don't know the loaded weight of the trailer under consideration, a conservative approach is to use the trailer's GVWR for the total loaded trailer weight in the first formula. Then use 12% (for a conventional trailer) or 20% (for a 5th wheel) of the trailer's GVWR for hitch or pin weight.



The LCW of my truck is 7,680 lbs. We tow a 13,500 lb 36' triple slide 5th wheel that puts us on the road at 10,380 lbs GVW (10,500 lbs GVWR) and 21,180 lbs GCW (21,500 lbs GCWR).



Rusty

cwarner,



Rusty provides an excellent explanation!



One additional factor to watch is axle weight. My previous truck was a Chebby SRW one-ton that had a nasty propensity for overloading its drive axle with a gooseneck trailer.



When you scale your truck to get its LCW, try to get individual axle weights, also. Rear axle rating - rear axle weight (loaded) = another limitation on fiver or gooseneck pin weight. I always found this more limiting than the GVWR with my Chebby, which is largely why I went with a dually when I bought my Cummins (wrapped in a Dodge).



Hope this helps.



Alan.

 

[RustyJC]

Actually, I skipped over the subject of GAWRs because I've never run into a situation with a Dodge/Cummins where rear GAWR was reached before GVWR was exceeded.



Rusty

 

[klenger]

Check out RV and Tow Vehicle Weights on my website. Some have found the information useful.

 

[cwarner]

Thanks guys , the info was great.

I'm going to email this to my dad.

 

[DHayden]

Weight ratings are important but IMO with a heavy 5er your dad would be much happier getting a 3500 DRW. The dually makes a world of difference in handling that much weight especially in windy conditions, much less man handling of the truck by the trailer besides the fact of safety encase of a blowout with that much weight.

 

[Fireman]

Get all the truck you can. Better to have too much than not enough. I also agree with the others DRWs are the way to go with a good sized FW. Remember it cost less to buy a bigger truck than to buy a truck and then trade up to a bigger truck in a year. Trust me on this one.



Fireman