Lower rear gear is not all there is to GCWR. You could put a dump truck rear under and it would not alter much in the practical sense.
You still have the same swept brake area, the same weight, the same tires, springs, same axle bearing load ratings etc. and for 'legal purposes' the same factory rating should you be challenged for some reason by the law or scale test just like a big rig.
Just have to stop trying to get around all this.
A pound of gold weighs the same as a pound of feathers.
Only the size and value is the difference. One you could haul down the road and no one sees it, the other is so big you can't hardly hide it.
Enjoy the thread and get a different perspective about the subject.
Good luck.

 

Please don't misunderstand a simple observation and subsequent question as doubting anyone's knowledge here. That simply is not the case! I have been a member of this forum since June of 1998.

...I merely noticed that in my Ford Owners Manual the tow weight went up with a lower gear ratio and everything else the same. I also realize that with my lower gears and taller tires I'm back to about the stock ratio.

I'm not trying to get around anything... just asking questions to educate myself and any future visitors with the same questions.

 

OK... GVWR is 6000 lbs. according to my sticker. What can we surmise from that?

 

Get a 4500 lb trailer. Really. the trailer with all the gear you your wife and what ever. if you ever take an atv you'll be over. 19-21 ft 4500lb dry trailer. I know from experience that will be your limit.

 

Tow weight may have gone up, but that doesn't change the truck's GVWR.

When you can get a good weight figure of the truck all loaded up, subtract the weight from 6000 and that's how much you can put on the tongue. I suspect that jethat is pretty close to correct, and even that small a trailer loaded up will put you over.

 

Are we getting out in the weeds?
GVWR is not the same a GCWR.
An understanding of the trucks max weight on it's axles and the gross combined weight of towing gets lost if it's not kept separated in the thinking and accounting.
This is where owners go wrong with the 6000, 7000 lbs weight trailer figures they see.
The whole deal is a balance act between the truck weight and the trailer weight adding up to the max gross combine weight rating for the particular truck combination.
The stickler is the 600 lb tongue weight in the middle of the two.
The tongue weight from the trailer adds to the 'vehicle' gross BUT does not change the combined gross of both.
In this area you can over load the truck but still be within the Gross combined weight and still be 'technically' incorrect for tow truck loading.
A double axle trailer fools people in this regard because it's balance is placed to reduce the tongue weight on the tow truck but can put the gross combined way over limits.
Bottom line is you have to look at each side of the equation because just like math they have to be correct to balance.
Then....then other consideration are there. Tire capacity, braking ability to stop the combined mess, tow vehicle axle capacity, how much 'reasonable torque is available to pull the mess etc.
So it's not to be taken lightly when considerable trailer weight is involved, reliability and for overall safety.
If nothing else, get concerned when the trailer weight gets to be near the same weight as the truck.
Good luck.

 

Let's try this again. There are several ratings that have to be considered.

1. GVWR - gross vehicle weight rating - this is the maximum recommended weight of the truck and its contents, including the trailer tongue weight.

2. GAWR - gross axle weight rating - this is the maximum recommended weight on each truck axle, there are 2 ratings, one for the front axle and one for the rear axle.

3. GCWR - gross combined weight rating - this is the maximum recommended weight of the loaded truck and trailer.

4. Maximum trailer weight.

5. Maximum tire load.

6. Curb weight - this is the weight of a completely empty truck.

To get proper weights, you can go to a truck stop that has a CAT scale and make a run over it. You will get 2 weights (3 weights if you have a trailer hooked up) - front axle weight, rear axle weight, and trailer axle weight (if connected).

A. Front axle weight + rear axle weight should not exceed truck GVWR.

B. Front axle weight + rear axle weight + trailer axle weight should not exceed GCWR.

C. Individual truck axle weights should not exceed applicable GAWR or individual tire load x2.

If your truck came with the tow package, it came with 3.55's, and you should use that GCWR and max trailer weight rating. In your case, you will run out of GVWR before you exceed either of these 2 ratings.

How far over any rating you go is a decision only you can make. Of course, there is slop built into those numbers for liability reasons. However, I would NOT exceed a GAWR or tire load rating.

When you have a baseline weight (front axle + rear axle of a loaded truck) and subtract that from your GVWR (6000) this will give you a reasonable acceptable tongue weight. A 5000# loaded trailer will have about a 600# tongue weight. That means your loaded truck shouldn't exceed 5400#.

 

Thanks for some great information!!!

Looks like I am stuck with a shorter trailer for now, however there are some nice lightweights in the 22-24' range that weigh in around 4400-4800 lbs. include a slide out and come with double axles... this option may fit the bill for a longer period of time. Hopefully I will move up to a f250 or 350 in the next 5 years, so I may go closer to the "edge" with the trailer weight.

Aside from the tongue weight issue of dbl axles, are they not more stable and safer in the event of a tire failure?

 

I wouldn't tow a 5000# trailer that didn't have double axles.

 

Am I the only one that noticed that JHL's join date is 1969? How the hell did that happen? Hate to ask in the middle of this thread, but I had to.

 

It sounds like you would need to look for one like a Gulf Stream Amerilite. We have a 21 footer that falls in the weight range that a 2008 Ford Explorer with the 4.0 v6 ( the main tow vehicle is my 2010 F150 with the 5.4 ). When we bought ours we found a knowledgeable dealer that knows the max size trailer for the vehicles you plan on towing it with. We went smaller then what my truck could handle so if there was a problem we could still move it with out an issue. Good luck with your search

 

It was actually June 1998! Don't know where the 1969 came from....

 

Forest River:

Only 4115 lbs dry, my truck should nave no issue with this one:

http://www.forestriverinc.com/Travel...VType=trailers

This one might be near max loaded, seeing how its 5023 lbs. dry... But has all the things the wife would like...

http://www.forestriverinc.com/Travel...VType=trailers

Also some nice fits from Jayco in their Feather series:

http://www.jayco.com/products/travel...oorplans-specs

And Keystones Bullet line offers substantial features in a very light weight tt!

http://www.keystonerv.com/bullet/

Anyone here have experience with any of these TT?

 

I think a 5000# dry trailer may be too much once you get it loaded up. You still need to determine your max tongue weight to make sure.

 

How do I determine that?