How to calculate payload?

GAWR Front: 3,050
GAWR Rear: 3,280
GVWR: 5,600
GCWR: 11,000ish

You have around 993lbs remaining in the rear, 493lbs in the front, and 756lbs GVWR (subtracting that 60lbs). Technically, the GAWR and GCWR look about right (and have a pretty good capacity remaining), but the GVWR seems to be the limiting factor here. Going off GVWR, you would be able to tow a trailer around 3,500-4,000lbs with a family of four; assuming you all weigh around 400lbs total. Obviously, any additional payload would greatly reduce this. I don't think that's too bad when "loaded" down.

With one person, you could pull around 5,500-6,000lbs. My math might be off, but this is assuming a tongue weight of around 9-11%. That doesn't look "that" bad. Kinda shocking actually

 

Hoping for some help and this thread seems like the right place to ask. I have never towed anything and have been researching like a madman (and spending a lot of time on this site) to try and understand all of it. So here goes.

My tow vehicle: 2013 Tacoma 4dr, 4wd with factory towing package.

The specs as I understand them and my source:

GCWR = 11,170 (Door sticker)
GVWR = 5,500 (Door sticker)
Payload = 1,050 (Door sticker)
Towing capacity = 6,500 (Door sticker)
Max tongue weight = 650 (Towing Bible)
GAWR - Front = 2,755 (Door sticker)
GAWR - Rear = 3,110 (Door sticker)

This is the trailer I am interested in buying: https://forestriverinc.com/rvs/travel-trailers/rockwood-geo-pro/G19FBS/3573

The specs for this trailer (from the manufacturer):

UVW = 3,290
CCC = 1,084
Hitch weight = 474

So the ultimate question is whether I can tow this trailer safely.

For discussion purposes, I am figuring that the trailer will weigh 4,000 lbs fully loaded (hopefully this is a reasonable number).

I am not sure what the hitch weight of 474 represents. Is the maximum allowed by the manufacturer or the hitch weight of the unloaded trailer?

As I understand it, the hitch weight should be 9-14% of the loaded trailer and this can be adjusted by moving around gear in the trailer.
If so, this gets me tongue weight (at 4,000 lbs) between 360 and 560.
I am going to use 11% for this discussion, which is 440.

So, now the important payload calculation:

Me and the wife = 300
Topper = 180
Tongue weight = 440
Weight distribution hitch = 60 (Andersen)

Total = 980 So, this leaves me with 70 lbs for other items I can put in the Tacoma?

GCWR = 5,500+4,000 = 9,500 (85% of max). This seems OK.
Towing capacity = 61.5% of max (4,000/6,500). This seems OK.

Does all this make sense?
Am I missing anything?
I had no idea that hitch weight and tow vehicle payload limits were so important.
Any and all feedback welcome.
Thanks in advance, folks.

 

Hitch weight will be calculated dry by the manufacturer with no battery or propane tank installed. I just went through this with a trailer we were looking at and had the dealership measure tongue weight for me.

 

You should approach the upper limit as a guide and shoot for about 50-75% of that limit. Sure, the truck will do it but it will not like it.
Your truck can go 110 mph... do you go 109? Your truck can do 6500 rpm. Do you run it at 6400 rpm? My point is it's hard on the truck to run at full capacity. The engine is working much harder, the transmission is working much harder. There is full torque going through the driveline. Not to mention the brakes and cooling circuit. Just remember what it does to the truck at the limit.

I ride a mtn bike. I try to keep my max pulse at 160. My body is much more comfortable at 120 than it is at 160 and it's no difference between us and a machine with respect to max load.

 

4904lb fully loaded in the trailer?

 

That was just the truck with a full tank of gas. I just picked up my trailer last weekend and haven't brought it in to work yet.

 

oh you mean your truck fully loaded is 4904lbs. not the tailer weight

 

Since this is epro/geo pro related...I have a summer's worth experience with a 2020.5 epro 14fk. I have a '10 access cab with a 1200# payload. My trailer is also only 6' wide vs the bigger epro/geo pro. I can tell you from scaling experience that I can exceed my 5350 gvwr by 250# with this tiny trailer, some firewood, bikes, and a Honda generator. The trlr weighs in at 2800# loaded if I carry water. The tongue on mine varies 380 to 400#, so don't believe the forest river tongue weights. Those don't include dual batteries and dual propane. It is honestly all I want to tow. The truck is merely adequate for power in the hills and it is not an interstate rig. The mpg ranges from 11.1 mpg to 13.1 mpg depending on wind. Range is a real issue. You are looking for fuel at 200 miles. My Tacoma is working for another year, but my fiance and I will be looking for a more capable interstate truck.

 

You really should begin with the GCVWR of the truck. Then subtract the EMPTY weights of the truck and trailer. This leaves a combined cargo capacity (CCC) to spread out between the truck and trailer.

Generally, the GCVWR will be a limiting number.

Now, take the trucks cargo load (people, pets, gear, add-ons) including the tongue weight with WDH (if used). This needs to be at or below the truck's maximum cargo load. Now, take the truck's cargo, subtract it from the CCC. The remaining number is the max you can load the trailer to stay within the GCVWR.

The trailer cargo needs to be balanced so the tongue weight matches what you used in the truck's cargo load. A simple method to weigh the tongue is use a bathroom scale, fulcrum and a 5' 2x4. Place the 2x4 supported by the scale and fulcrum. Set the hitch ball between the scale and fulcrum at a location 1 foot away from the fulcrum. The scale will indicate 1/5 of the tongue weight. Typical bathroom scale can be used for tongue weights up to about 1500 lbs with this set up. Longer boards will let you go to heavier tongue weights.

Suggest to use only 80% of your limiting capacity. This gives you a little head room to help acceleration/deceleration, handling......etc. If you are over 3500 lb trailer, use trailer brakes. Most effective is electric trailer brakes with a good brake controller.

 

In this case. For ColoradoEd as example.

GCVWR - truck - empty trailer = 11,170 - 4450 - 3290 = 3430 lbs for cargo shared between truck and trailer.

Truck's CC - tongue = 1050 - 474 = 576 lbs for people, pets, gear......... Anything above 576 needs to be in trailer.
People, pets, add-ons, gear with hitch. 576 - 300 - 180 - 60 = 36 lbs. So, this loading allows 36 lbs in the truck, everything else goes to the trailer.

The trailer can carry 1084 lbs. This includes propane, battery, food, clothing, utensil, cooking gear..........
Now, finally balance the trailer load (fore/aft of the axle) to place 474 lbs on the tongue.

This loading places the truck and trailer very close to the maximum GCVWR of 11,170 lbs.
Notice, this is much less than the max capacity of the truck + max capacity of the trailer. 5500 + 3290 + 1084 = 9874 lbs.
Conclusion: Don't use the GVWR capacity of the truck and the GVWR of the trailer as limits. Use the GCVWR of the truck as the limit.

Hope this helps.

 

wow!! thank you for this wonderful explanation.. this helped me.. Let me calculate my truck and trailer now to see if i'm over the limit..

 

That was with 60 lbs of stuff in the bed of the truck. Not loaded, no passengers just a full tank and 60lbs worth of stuff I forgot to take out before I put it on the scales.

To calculate payload you take GVWR - actual weight = payload. So in my case 5600lbs - 4904lbs = 696 lbs payload. If you add all of the passengers including dog we have 390 lbs. So payload once loaded with passengers and a dog is 306 lbs. Once we hook up the dry trailer we are already technically over GVWR but still under GCVW.

 

So the question is . is this suitable for towing with this trailer? are he is at his max capacity?

 

From a legal standpoint, make sure to research your state laws as the requirement for trailer brakes varies from state to state. For some States, this is higher than 3,500lbs, while in others it starts at 1,000lbs.

Personally, I would throw a brake controller on for anything over 1,500lbs. I agree with the electric brake comment; surge brakes suck.

 

IMHO. The trailer is within the capacity limits of the Tacoma. The towability can be helped by reducing the amount of cargo in the trailer. The truck is near its limit for cargo. Pounds reduced are very important.

Don't haul what you don't need. Learn double duty items. Learn to substitute or live without.

Frankly, if this were me. I'd want either a bigger truck or a smaller trailer.

 

Thank you for your honest opinion. I'm in the same boat as him. But I decided to purchase the trailer anyway and drive safe and load light. We upgrade to a tundraw in 2 years to take advantage of this.

thank you

 

Amen. Some just do not get it.

 

It's not an opinion. It's fact. Do not go to the limits. It's no fun there.

 

I’m pretty sure the payload includes a full tank and a driver.

 

How can it include driver? Varies too much from driver to driver.