I borrowed my father-in-laws 12 foot class 4 trailer. I want to pick up forty 100 lb. pavers. (100 miles away). The GVWR on the trailer states that it is 2,995 lbs. Do you subtract the trailer weight (1500 lbs) from that number to figure out carrying capacity? Does that mean I can only haul fifteen 100 lb. pavers with it? (this trailer has one wheel on each side)
P.S. I am using a 2004 K1500 extended cab 4x4 Chevy Silverado with 5.3 liter engine (not sure about the gear ratio).
P.P.S. The sticker on the door of the truck states that I can haul 1300 lbs. So with me being 200, that means I can only carry eleven 100 pavers? Thanks for any advice.
I think you’re going to have make two trips at least. That I believe would be two pallets. I hauled a pallet of 20, 80# retaining wall blocks 7 miles and it was a chore on my 3000# trailer. Also check the load rating on the tires and you might find a surprise.
OK. They will have to be handstacked in the trailer and truck (they are extras sitting out). I figured I could put 15 in the trailer and 13 in my truck bed and 13 in my fathers truck bed as well. I will make sure that I don’t exceed the load rating on the tires too… thanks!!
Just play safe and plan on more trips. If the trailer breaks and you are suspected of over loading it you can expect a large lawsuit if other vehicles are involved in accident. Also if you damage your truck the insurance company may not cover you.
GVW means Gross Vehicle Weight. Gross means total weight including the trailer itself.
Ergo, if you have a GVWR or 2995 and the trailer weighs 1500, your load cannot safely exceed 1,495 pounds.
The truck will have a tow rating different from its 1300 pound payload limit. Look in your owner’s manual for that.
Don’t press your luck. Either make three trips or rent a vehicle with an appropriate payload. Remember that if you need to make a sudden stop, the weight counts just as much of not more than it does for hauling/pulling the load. Probably more. If your vehicle breaks because you overloaded it, you’ll develop some new swear words. If your brakes fail because you overloaded it you may find yourself having to live with the knowledge that you killed someone needlessly.
That’s a pretty wimpy trailer that weighs 1500 lbs and can only carry another 1400 lbs. Are you sure of these numbers ? I would check the total vehicle weight capacity of both the towing and carrying together. Yes, you would be better off distributing the weight between the truck bed and the trailer. You may (should) be able to rent a lighter trailer with a greater capacity. With the right trailer, 4000 lbs total weight plus the right trailer is well within the limits of this truck…check rental areas. I would instead of making two trips. http://www.uhaul.com/Reservations/EquipmentDetail.aspx?model=RO
I would like to commend the OP for making the effort to check this out rather than just loading the trailer to the stops as many people do. Safety truly is at stake here.
I am sure of all the numbers except the weight of the trailer. I guessed on the weight of the trailer. It looks pretty heavy (steel walls, looks much sturdier then the ones that you buy at HD or Lowes.
TSM- I found the tow rating for the truck and it states 13,000 lbs (GCWR)
I will be underweight with the GCWR on this truck- roughly 5500 lb truck, 1300 lbs of cargo in the truck and bed, and a 1500 lb trailer hauling 1500 lbs of pavers. That is roughly 9800 lbs GCWR (combined weight); the owners manual states that I can have a combined weight of 13,000 lbs. So the way I figure it, I will not exceed the weight capacity of the truck or the trailer or the combined weight that the truck can tow/haul (GCWR) AS LONG AS I have my father follow me back with his pickup truck (same as mine, only newer) with the remaining 13 or so pavers after I load my truck/trailer up appropriately.
This was all new to me a few days ago, and as I learned more about towing I started to have questions until I posted here. It makes sense now- and stopping distance is more important for the reasons that were posted above. I feel confident that as long as I do not exceed any of the weight barriers that are posted I will be fine with the setup I have now. (and drive slow, drive during daylight…) Thanks again for all the advice on here.
Your understanding of the GCWR is correct. And I thank you for checking this all out before proceeding. Now allow me to suggest you visit the attached link to be sure you have the properly rated hitch.
Sturdiness of trailers can be deceptive. It’s the suspension and wheels rather then the appearance of the bed. Aluminum trailers can weigh as little as 250 lbs and still be rated to carry over 2000. Personally, for that kind of weight, I prefer four wheel utility trailers which are much more forgiving in loading and towing and easier on the truck. But, With two trucks, you seem to have everything covered. The only think you then need to be concerned about is proper weight distribution so you have the right amount of tongue weight along with proper weight distribution in the truck bed itself. Don’t expect anyone at the store to know what they are doing. Making sure the weight is loaded properly is just as important as the actual amount. Safe towing ! Make sure your tires are up to the task in psi and drive slowly ! Btw, I would take a spare for the trailer, a floor jack and a DC air pump.
You have a single axle trailer with a GVWR of 2995 lbs, thats pretty high. I would suggest that you get it weighed but you can get a pretty good idea by just weighing the tongue with a bathroom scale. With the trailer empty, put a jackstand on the scale and record the weight. Then put the tongue of the trailer on the jackstand and record that weight. Subtract the weight of the jackstand and you have the tongue weight. The tongue weight should be about 10% of the total weight of the trailer.
If your trailer weighs 1500 lbs, then the tongue should weigh about 150 lbs. BTW, this is not universally true, tilt trailers and ATV trailers do not always follow this and can be way off in one direction or the other.
When you load the trailer, you need the tongue to have about 10% of the total weight of the loaded trailer, in your case about 300 lbs. This 300 lbs goes into the GVWR or the truck, so that and your 200 lbs leaves about 800 lbs for pavers in the bed of the truck. Put those as far forward as possible for stability.
If you have less than 10% of the total weight on the tongue, the trailer will be hard to tow as it will want to whip back and forth. This is especially true with a single axle trailer, they are the hardest to tow.
Be sure all your tires are inflated properly before you start this trip. Check the sidewalls of the trailer tires for the max load and at what pressure for this max load. A 3000 lb trailer, minus 300 lbs carried by the tongue will need to be at least 1350 lbs. If they are any less than this, reduce your load correspondingly. If the tires are over 10 years old, you may need to just replace them.
I’ve seen loaded trailers break in half !
Usually at the weakest point in the frame , the tounge/frame junction where it may be bent there or welded. or at a mid point where holes are drilled for spring mounts
Often the trailer loads and seems ok …BUT the stress of that load bouncing on the roadway…!!
When we’re telling you to check the tires we also mean the condition of the rubber age… like the sidewalls.
An old tire …aired up and loaded down can pop like a balloon.
Physically look at the sidewall for u/v and age cracks.
I will repeat my suggestion. RENT a tandem axle utility trailer and be done with the problems you will encounter. They are much safer and more forgiving to tow with less tongue weight and the truck (assume it can tow 7500 lbs.) can tow/carry the entire weight in one trip with your two trucks. http://www.uhaul.com/Reservations/EquipmentDetail.aspx?model=RO I have used them in the past and they are head and shoulders better then single axle for heavier weights. A rented trailer seems like it would be in better condition then your unknown borrowed trailer now.