TrailManor Owner's Forum - View Single Post

07-25-2010, 03:32 PM

I am by no means an expert on this stuff because the only thing I have every towed in my life is my TrailManor a couple of dozen times. I suppose I may be double booking the tongue weight but the way I calculate makes the most sense to me.

Consider the following for my Tundra:

GCWR=16000
GVWR=7100
Towing Capacity=10300
Actual Weight=5700 (including me and 1/3 of a tank)

So actual weight+towing capacity happened to equal GCWR. (Dave, does your Sequoia weigh 5300 pounds basically?)

I could only tow the full 10300 if the truck was empty and I was the sole passenger. I can add up to 1400 pounds of gas, passengers, cargo, and tongue weight before I get to the 7100 GVWR. When I do, the trailer I tow must be less than 8900 pounds lest I exceed the GCWR.

This means that even though I am now using a "1/2 ton" pickup, there still isn't a lot of margin out there. I don't have actuals for tongue weight but if it comes in at 600 pounds, the passengers and all of the cargo in the truck bed need to weigh in at less than 800 pounds. This isn't an issue for me given the size of my 3 passengers and what we load into the truck bed (12g blackwater dolly, ice chests, and other misc) but is something to watch.

One of these days I plan on getting an updated set of weight data since the truck now has a heavy metal tonneau cover and the trailer has been getting more supplies packed in it and other upgrades added to it as well. The TV and TM are probably each 100 pounds heavier than when I weighed them last. When I do, I will have tongue weight actuals and can update the analysis.

Comparing all of these variables is why I concluded our Sienna to be untenable. Here are its stats:

GCWR=8700
GVWR=5690
Towing Capacity=3500
Actual Weight=4140* (can't remember if this is computed or direct weighing)

Assuming the TM weighs in at 3500 (which it won't unless you work at it) and a 4140 pound Sienna, I had only 1000 pounds to cover all of the occupants, cargo, and tongue weight. The 3500 tow limit didn't give me any room to put cargo in the TM. I ultimately removed seats from the TV and cabinets from the TM to get all numbers within their limits. Even then though, there was a qualitative feeling that the Sienna was being over taxed.

07-25-2010, 03:32 PM	#13
M&M Hokie Guest Posts: n/a	I am by no means an expert on this stuff because the only thing I have every towed in my life is my TrailManor a couple of dozen times. I suppose I may be double booking the tongue weight but the way I calculate makes the most sense to me. Consider the following for my Tundra: GCWR=16000 GVWR=7100 Towing Capacity=10300 Actual Weight=5700 (including me and 1/3 of a tank) So actual weight+towing capacity happened to equal GCWR. (Dave, does your Sequoia weigh 5300 pounds basically?) I could only tow the full 10300 if the truck was empty and I was the sole passenger. I can add up to 1400 pounds of gas, passengers, cargo, and tongue weight before I get to the 7100 GVWR. When I do, the trailer I tow must be less than 8900 pounds lest I exceed the GCWR. This means that even though I am now using a "1/2 ton" pickup, there still isn't a lot of margin out there. I don't have actuals for tongue weight but if it comes in at 600 pounds, the passengers and all of the cargo in the truck bed need to weigh in at less than 800 pounds. This isn't an issue for me given the size of my 3 passengers and what we load into the truck bed (12g blackwater dolly, ice chests, and other misc) but is something to watch. One of these days I plan on getting an updated set of weight data since the truck now has a heavy metal tonneau cover and the trailer has been getting more supplies packed in it and other upgrades added to it as well. The TV and TM are probably each 100 pounds heavier than when I weighed them last. When I do, I will have tongue weight actuals and can update the analysis. Comparing all of these variables is why I concluded our Sienna to be untenable. Here are its stats: GCWR=8700 GVWR=5690 Towing Capacity=3500 Actual Weight=4140* (can't remember if this is computed or direct weighing) Assuming the TM weighs in at 3500 (which it won't unless you work at it) and a 4140 pound Sienna, I had only 1000 pounds to cover all of the occupants, cargo, and tongue weight. The 3500 tow limit didn't give me any room to put cargo in the TM. I ultimately removed seats from the TV and cabinets from the TM to get all numbers within their limits. Even then though, there was a qualitative feeling that the Sienna was being over taxed.