Good article about towing weights

[Wavery]

https://www.rvtravel.com/maximum-tow...HnIOqt0rv41IuI

[Larryjb]

Most of it is good, but I have issues with his 1lb cargo = 6 lbs lost towing capacity. He sluffs it off by saying that the math is complicated. I want to see his math.

But I do agree most people don't account for even the mass of the people in the vehicle, let along luggage and all the travelling goodies. We were actually overweight towing our TM with the Tahoe, which has a pretty nice towing capacity.

[Shane826]

It’s crazy to think my 2004 GMC Envoy had a higher payload capacity than my 2017 Ram 1500.

I already have my next truck picked out, it’s a Ram 3500 Cummins. Should have a payload capacity in the 4,000lb ballpark. Now to just figure out how to justify the $95,000 price tag…

[Larryjb]

Hah! I'd have trouble justifying $9,500!!!!!

Starving poor teacher up here.

[Ramblin' Rec]

I, too, would like to see the math in the article. But I think I it has to do with the 10-15% tongue weight to trailer GVW ratio.

Using TM's numbers for a dry 2720QS of 392 lbs for TW and 3040 lbs for GVW, I calculated a ratio of .1289, or 1:7.76. This means that with a 5000 lbs tow capacity and 500 lbs hitch capacity, I am limited by the hitch capacity. Maxing out my hitch gives me a trailer GVW of only 3877.6 lbs. And if I want to load my tow vehicle to the max, more cargo in the TV means less hitch capacity. One pound of lost hitch capacity equates to 7.76 lbs of trailer weight lost.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Shane826

It’s crazy to think my 2004 GMC Envoy had a higher payload capacity than my 2017 Ram 1500.

The tow rating spec SAE J2807 was adopted in about 2015 - after your Envoy was rated for payload, and before your Ram was rated for payload. When J2807 was adopted, a lot of tow ratings changed to more realistic (honest?) numbers. I wonder if payload ratings were somehow affected by the change?

Maybe not. Payload seems pretty simple - take your GVWR and subtract your curb weight. I'm unsure how J2807 would affect it. But a lot of specs were inter-related, and a lot of games were played, in those days. JDPower seems a little mushy on this question.

Bill