Hey folks! I'm a total newbie to this forum and travel trailers so please bare with me...
I currently have a 99 chev silverado 1/2 ton extended cab 4x4 with the 5.3 v8 and I believe 3.73 gears. The GVWR is 6400lbs with the front axle rating @ 3925 and the rear @ 3750. Owners manual says max trailer weight I can haul is 7500lbs.
Here are the specs for the trailer I would really like to get:
26' Tracer by Prime Time
Dry weight: 5050
Cargo weight: 2236 (max weight trailer can carry?)
Hitch weight: 695
I'm just not sure what numbers I need to look at to make sure I can safely haul this trailer. Thanks for any help, tips or advice! Also was wondering about trailer sway bars. What type, style, brand u guys reccomend. Thanks again!
If you're not loading the TT to the max GVWR you'll probably be ok ( I doubt you'd put over 2000lbs of stuff in it) but it also depends on the trucks payload and what you plan on carrying in it (passengers etc). Half ton trucks will usually max out on payload before getting anywhere near its max tow rating. Look for the sticker on the drivers door jamb to find the payload. That number usually accounts for 150lbs driver. Subtract the weights of any passengers and yourself over 150lbs as well as the weight of anything else you plan on carrying in the truck or bed. Also subtract the weight of the hitch. What you have left is what's available for the tongue weight of the TT. If you don't know the exact tongue weight you can estimate approx 12% of loaded trailer weight as a minimum (875lbs?). If you can keep within the payload you should be ok with the proper WD hitch and brake controller although you may find the engine struggling in the mountains.
'07 Toyota Tundra Crewmax Limited
'06 Forest River Flagstaff 26BH(sold)
'13 Keystone Bullet Premier 31BHPR
Hitched by Hensley, Viewed by McKesh
Dry weight is a nice science fiction number. In reality, when you add batteries, LP gas bottles, stale farts, bedding, kitchen stuff, a proper amount of beer inside the frig, etc., you will easily be 1000-2000 pounds above that.
I concur with camp-n-family. As a fellow 1/2 ton owner, payload fills up quickly! My trailer is a tad lighter than the one you are looking at. We pack very sparingly, yet manage to easily load 500lbs of "stuff." Add batteries and the manufactures options and we are close to 1,000lbs above the listed dry weight. Longer trips with more food and cloths would increase weight, especially if you haul water (I don't). The 5.3 does ok on flat to small grades but struggles on hills, especially above 5,000 feet above sea level.
Don't let it discourage you. Just know your numbers and go in to it with your eyes wide open. We're glad we bought a trailer we could tow rather than wait a few years and buy a bigger trailer after we had a bigger truck. We're saving for a bigger truck tomorrow, while we enjoy our trailer today!
I tow quiet a bit bigger trailer (34 footer) than that with my 1/2 Silverado extended cab with a 3.42 gear and with the smaller 4.8 engine. I did do somethings to boost the HP on mine a little such as installing a true dual exhaust system, not the fake ones that just go back to the "Y" pipe along with low restriction mufflers. Also bought a computer programmer for it to advance the timing, and a K&N air filter system. You shouldn't have any problems with yours unless you plan to tow it in the Rocky Mountains full time.
Good luck to you.
2010 Rockwood Signature Ultra Lite 8315BSS
2003 Chevy Silverado 1/2 Ton Extended Cab
WildKids - I have the same truck, and you shouldn't have any problem. I upgraded my tires and added rear air bags. But the 5.3 V8/Transmission shouldn't have any issues. You may add a transmission cooler if you plan on towing in the hills while it's so hot.
I'm on my 2nd Chevy half-ton with basically the same engine/rear-end combo and, for 8 yrs. have towed a 25 ft. 5th wheel with a dry wt. of 5,200 lbs.; estimated total weight of 7,000 lbs. and no problems. I did replace the trans on my 2000 but at 125,000 miles. I've never over heated or any similar problems. Occasionally I will have to down shift to 2nd and will slow to 30 MPH but these are tough mountain grades.
Wildkids wrote: I currently have a 99 chev silverado 1/2 ton extended cab 4x4 with the 5.3 v8 and I believe 3.73 gears. The GVWR is 6400lbs with the front axle rating @ 3925 and the rear @ 3750. Owners manual says max trailer weight I can haul is 7500lbs.
26' Tracer by Prime Time
Dry weight: 5050
Cargo weight: 2236 (max weight trailer can carry?)
Hitch weight: 695
IMO, a realistic loaded weight for this TT will be around 6500#.
This means you could have about 1000# of optional equipment, passengers (excluding driver), and cargo (including about 80# for WDH) without exceeding the TV's GCWR.
However, you also must consider the receiver capacity and the TV's payload capacity.
A 6500# TT will have a tongue weight around 850#, so the receiver (weight distributing) must be rated for at least this much.
With a WDH being used, an 850# TW will result in a vertical load of about 650# being added to the TV.
This means the TV's payload capacity must be greater than 650# plus the weight of passengers, cargo, etc carried in and on the TV.
If the payload capacity is more than 1650#, the maximum allowable trailer weight probably will be limited by GCWR rather than the TV's GVWR.
mlts22 wrote: Dry weight is a nice science fiction number. In reality, when you add batteries, LP gas bottles, stale farts, bedding, kitchen stuff, a proper amount of beer inside the frig, etc., you will easily be 1000-2000 pounds above that.
I love this post. Not sure about the stale farts, but the beer quote - whatever the weight - is probably right on the money lol.
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