Simple answer, GMC. No seriously, everyone has their preferences. Get what makes you happy, just make sure whatever it is, that it can safely pull what you hook behind it. Safety first above all else. Pulling on perfectly flat ground is not even the issue. Pulling up hill is not the biggest issue, though you can kill a truck here. No, the issue is braking. Can the vehicle stop the load? Can the vehicle safely pull without stressing the motor? Is the transmission gonna crap out because you put so much weight on that it can’t shift properly without struggling? Again, can the brakes and the entire vehicle safely stop what is already in motion?
An angle few think about when getting started. Did you know a shorter vehicle and longer trailer do not do well together? Yes the vast majority of truck- trailer combos include a truck shorter than it’s counter part trailer. However what I’m saying here is something like an SUV towing a really long trailer. Never mind the weight for a moment, just the shear difference in vehicle wheelbase can create a completely different dynamic when towing. The first place you will notice this, is sway conditions. You will be more likely to have sway conditions. Just something else to think about here. Longer wheelbase vehicles have more stability and traction control when pulling any load.
Something else to know is how your vehicle is trimmed out, will also determine what it can actually pull. A base model truck versus one with a different motor, different axle gear ratios, different interior trims and so on will have different capacity ratings for towing. You will need to look up your specific vehicle to get specific weight guidelines.
Now onto the important part and for full discloser, most of this can be found anywhere on the internet. These are the terms and guidelines for ensuring safe travels with your tow vehicle and trailer.
Many of these vehicles are improperly loaded. Their headlights are up in the air, and their backend dragging on the ground.
Overloaded tow vehicles are especially dangerous. Not only are the front wheels used for steering, they do 75% of stopping. Overloaded tow vehicles that are improperly loaded and balanced force you to lose your steering control and your ability to stop effectively. An overloaded tow vehicle’s drivetrain and suspension are also under huge stress.
Definition of Terms
- Payload is the weight of all of the gear, passengers plus the tongue weight of the trailer. It does NOT include the weight of your vehicle.
- Gross vehicle weight is the total weight of the car, passengers, gear, and fuel plus the tongue weight of an attached trailer.
- Curb weight is the weight of the vehicle without any payload or passengers. It is gross vehicle weight minus payload.
- Combined gross vehicle weight is the total weight the manufacture has determined the vehicle can handle. This includes the vehicle, all passengers, cargo, and fuel plus attached trailers.
- Max trailer weight is the most amount of weight that a vehicle can tow.
- Tongue weight is the amount of weight the tongue will put on the hitch.
- Max tongue weight is the maximum amount of weight that can be put on the hitch and is included in the max payload. This may vary depending on the type of hitch being used. As an example, it might be 500 pounds for a weight bearing hitch and 1200 pounds for a weight distributing hitch.
- Dry weight is how much the camper weights without adding any water, gas or gear.
- Max trailer payload is the maximum amount of gear, water and gas that can be safely carried in the trailer. The dry weight plus the max trailer payload is the trailers gross vehicle weight.
- Trailer Gross vehicle weight is the total weight of the trailer with all contents.
Give yourself a buffer on the max tow weight. If your truck can tow 5,000 pounds your trailer should not exceed 4,000 pounds. This keeps you safe in case you encounter any wind or weather that requires a little extra power.
There are also other factors besides the weight that limit how big of a camper you can tow. Those include the max tongue weight, how many passengers will be in the car and if there is anything in trunk or bed while you’re towing. Even elevation can also be a factor.
Example: Truck can tow 11,700 and has a tongue weight of 1,220 with a weight distributing hitch.
- Using the 10-15% rule a 11,700 pound trailer will have a tongue weight between 1,170 lbs and 1,700 lbs.
- The truck is limited to 1,220 pounds on the hitch. A 11,700 trailer is likely to max out the tongue weight.
A safer option would be to limit the trailer to 8,100 lbs which would have a tongue weight of 810 – 1,220 lbs. Also, tongue weight of your trailer should be included in the max payload of your vehicle.
- So if the max payload of the truck is 1,865 lbs and you max out the tongue at 1,220 that leaves only 645 lbs of payload for passengers and gear in the truck. Which is only about 160 lbs per person. A family of four with mom, dad, two teenagers and a 100 pound dog could easily get to 800 pounds using even more of the available payload.
On the other end, you must consider your trailers max payload. Everything you put into the trailer must be added up to no only ensure you aren’t over loading the trailer but again not overloading what the vehicle can properly handle as well. That includes everything you put in there from clothes to supplies to even water and at just over 8lbs per gallon, water can become a huge factor quickly.
Point to all this. Again do your research. Don’t over load what you can pull. Safety for yourself, your vehicle and for everyone around you, should always be priority number one.