Truck: 2008 XLT Supercrew 4x2 w/4.6L V8, 3.55ls gears, factory towing package, also deduct total rating slightly due to the 18" wheels.

Numbers have all been verified off the truck, or at a certified scale.

Truck Weight: 5380 lbs with a full tank of gas and me

Payload: 1518 lbs as stated on the payload sticker on the door frame.

GVWR: 6800 lbs as stated on the build sticker on the driver door

GCWR: 11200

Question?

My Dads 27' Hilo Travel Trailer has a scaled weight with everything except food and clothes of 5500 lbs.

Trailer Tounge Weight is unkown, but believed to be 780 lbs from the Hilo documents.

A weight distributing hitch with sway bars will be used, and this is of course over 100 lbs or more of the trailer weight.

I pulled this set up about 40 miles from the storage facility to my parents house with no issues. I would install a trailer brake controller in my truck for future use.

What I'd like is some help determining what additional payload capacity I have, as I need to bring Mom, the kid and some food and clothes

My math says that the 11200 lbs - 5380 lbs (Truck) - 5500 lbs (Camper) leaves me with only 320 lbs payload. Wife and kid take more than 1/2 of this. Am I really at the max? I would plan on putting all the "cargo" such as food, clothing and supplies in the trailer.

All thoughts and opinions would be appreciated.

 

Without knowing the tongue weight, it's still a guess, but for the most part, you have the basic idea of how it all works with the numbers you provided and your conclusion on them. But, your true payload cap is whatever your trucks weighs subtracted from the trucks GVWR... However, your figures are only #98 over... That's nothing...

I'd say you will be fine with that setup.. If you really want to know your weights, then hitch it up, load up the family and take it over the scales. Since you have your unloaded weight figure, you'll be able to get a better idea of what the tongue weight is by doing some math when you find out your loaded weights..

I wouldn't fret much if you ended up being a couple hundred pounds over the trucks GVWR. You should still pay attention to the rear GAWR, but for the most part, you should be okay on that too..

Bumping up to the trucks GCWR is not a biggie either.. IMO, it's more of a 'performance' guide then any kind of 'legal' weight requirement..

The closer you get to that GCWR, the harder your truck has to work is all.. My truck has a pretty low GVWR, but a decent GCWR (#6250 and #12000) respectively. When I hitch up my #5000 GVWR TT, I'm over my trucks GVWR, right at the GAWR and about #1500 under the GCWR.. It tows very well and that's with almost 200,000 miles on the clock!

Each setup is different and each persons view is different, so if it feels comfortable to you and you know your trucks limits, then have fun with it!! That's what I do..

Mitch