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RV Towing Question
Posted on 8/11/25 at 9:23 am
Posted on 8/11/25 at 9:23 am
Question about towing capacity for my 2015 Ford F150. Pulled the numbers off the hitch and door sticker:
GVWR: 6150lbs
Weight Carrying Max Gross Trailer Wt: 5000lbs
Weight Carrying Max Tongue Wt: 500lbs
Weight Distribution Max Gross Trailer Wt: 11000lbs
Weight Distribution Max Tongue Wt: 1100lbs.
According to an online VIN decoder, my Gross Combined Weight Rating is 9900-17000lbs.
I am looking to rent an RV to transport from Opelousas to BR for a tailgate (and back). The RV according to the rental description, is 33' long, 6600lbs gross weight with 804lbs tongue weight.
I am thinking that my truck is rated to pull this, provided I use a properly rated weight distribution hitch.
My question is, is that right? Any knowledgeable haulers here care to help ease my mind one way or another?
GVWR: 6150lbs
Weight Carrying Max Gross Trailer Wt: 5000lbs
Weight Carrying Max Tongue Wt: 500lbs
Weight Distribution Max Gross Trailer Wt: 11000lbs
Weight Distribution Max Tongue Wt: 1100lbs.
According to an online VIN decoder, my Gross Combined Weight Rating is 9900-17000lbs.
I am looking to rent an RV to transport from Opelousas to BR for a tailgate (and back). The RV according to the rental description, is 33' long, 6600lbs gross weight with 804lbs tongue weight.
I am thinking that my truck is rated to pull this, provided I use a properly rated weight distribution hitch.
My question is, is that right? Any knowledgeable haulers here care to help ease my mind one way or another?
8
Posted on 8/11/25 at 9:40 am to bmela12
Need payload info
Posted on 8/11/25 at 10:02 am to BoogaBear
Are you talking about GVWR? It says on the VIN decoder 6150 payload package for GVWR. Door sticker has:
Front GAWR: 3150lbs
Rear GAWR: 3300lbs
GVWR: 6150lbs
If that's not what you're asking for, could you give me some more info?
Front GAWR: 3150lbs
Rear GAWR: 3300lbs
GVWR: 6150lbs
If that's not what you're asking for, could you give me some more info?
Posted on 8/11/25 at 10:06 am to bmela12
What is your wheelbase dimension? That trailer may be to long even with a weight distribution hitch.
Posted on 8/11/25 at 10:15 am to bmela12
quote:
Weight Distribution Max Tongue Wt: 1100lbs.
quote:
The RV according to the rental description, is 33' long, 6600lbs gross weight with 804lbs tongue weight.
You're probably ok. That vin decoder GCWR is a ridiculous spread, the actual number should be on your door jamb somewhere.
To figure it out exactly, you need to weigh your truck. 6150 - (actual loaded truck curb weight) = total payload capacity. If that's more than 800 pounds + whatever other shite you will add to truck (ice chests, people, etc) than you are GTG.
The truck will easily pull the trailer and with a brake controller will easily stop it provided the trailer brakes aren't wrecked. The issue is getting the curb weight down.
You will see on RV forums people talking axle ratings and ignoring GVWR. It doesn't work that way. The only reason we really care is if you get in a wreck, and Morris Bart will eat your arse alive if you exceed ANY ratings of your vehicle or trailer.
Posted on 8/11/25 at 10:17 am to bmela12
It's not what your truck can pull. It's what your truck can stop. Get trailer brakes installed.
Posted on 8/11/25 at 10:23 am to RetiredSaintsLsuFan
145"
Posted on 8/11/25 at 10:33 am to bmela12
Use the Tow Calculator app.
You can plug in all the numbers and it gives you an estimate on how over/under you are on your payload. If you are close to your limit, I highly recommend someone else driving a separate vehicle with your equipment/supplies. No matter what, don't fill up the fresh water tanks until you arrive in BR.
At 33', you will want to be sure you are not hauling during big winds. Travel trailers are like sails and you will get knocked around all over the place with any decent crosswind.
I recently got a 29' grand design imagine and am pulling it with a silverado 1500. I've been lucky that I haven't had to drive it in a storm. I can feel it even when a truck passes me going +5mph more than me.
You can plug in all the numbers and it gives you an estimate on how over/under you are on your payload. If you are close to your limit, I highly recommend someone else driving a separate vehicle with your equipment/supplies. No matter what, don't fill up the fresh water tanks until you arrive in BR.
At 33', you will want to be sure you are not hauling during big winds. Travel trailers are like sails and you will get knocked around all over the place with any decent crosswind.
I recently got a 29' grand design imagine and am pulling it with a silverado 1500. I've been lucky that I haven't had to drive it in a storm. I can feel it even when a truck passes me going +5mph more than me.
Posted on 8/11/25 at 10:34 am to bmela12
Max payload is on the door jamb, the issue is going to be payload.
For an F150 you're probably going to be around 1,600 lbs. The tongue weight for that trailer is likely closer to 950 lbs, then factor in anything else you put in the truck and the trailer. If you put gear on the RV, it will cause the tongue weight to go up and take away from your payload. You in the truck, minus whatever you weigh, coolers, grills, etc. adds up quickly.
If you keep it under the payload you should be fine.
For an F150 you're probably going to be around 1,600 lbs. The tongue weight for that trailer is likely closer to 950 lbs, then factor in anything else you put in the truck and the trailer. If you put gear on the RV, it will cause the tongue weight to go up and take away from your payload. You in the truck, minus whatever you weigh, coolers, grills, etc. adds up quickly.
If you keep it under the payload you should be fine.
Posted on 8/11/25 at 10:40 am to ApisMellifera
Opelousas to BR is about as flat and windless as you can find in the US. He can go 55mph and still make it in an hour and a half if the traffic isn't fricked. I wouldn't worry about any of that.
All he needs to worry about is being legal. Download the CAT app, find the nearest truck stop, pay $12 or whatever it is, and you don't have to guess anymore.
All he needs to worry about is being legal. Download the CAT app, find the nearest truck stop, pay $12 or whatever it is, and you don't have to guess anymore.
Posted on 8/11/25 at 12:18 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
I was going to reply earlier and say hopefully downshiftandfloorit will be along to solve this. Guess I should have.
Posted on 8/11/25 at 12:49 pm to bmela12
There has never been a larger rabbit hole than the "How much can my 1/2 ton pull" rabbit hole.
Good luck but spoiler alert, you'll almost surely be pulling too much trailer for your truck.
Good luck but spoiler alert, you'll almost surely be pulling too much trailer for your truck.
Posted on 8/11/25 at 1:19 pm to 9rocket
The problem with this is nobody knows the actual curb weight of their truck, the actual curb weight of their trailer, and the actual tongue weight of their trailer. You can easily figure out all 3 for about $20 at the truck stop.
Posted on 8/11/25 at 1:27 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
quote:
You will see on RV forums people talking axle ratings and ignoring GVWR. It doesn't work that way. The only reason we really care is if you get in a wreck, and Morris Bart will eat your arse alive if you exceed ANY ratings of your vehicle or trailer.
Doesn’t happen like that. Payload is just a number based off a class rating for taxes.
GVWR can be manipulated. New Diesels can magically add 1000lbs+ to 11,400lbs total of GVWR if you pay for it and they don’t do anything to the truck. Which I don’t understand since 3/4 and 1 ton are class 3 and up to 14000lbs.
They would have to sue and figure out the truck was out of spec to tow it. GVWR isn’t a spec but just a class.
This post was edited on 8/11/25 at 1:38 pm
Posted on 8/11/25 at 1:37 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
All good info. I'll go get my real curb weight and report back! Trip isn't until the end of November, so I'll update as I get more info and/or it happens!
Posted on 8/11/25 at 1:42 pm to Hu_Flung_Pu
quote:
GVWR isn’t a spec but just a class
GVWR is what the vehicle is rated to carry on its own two axles. It doesn't matter what it really is or isn't capable of doing. Sure, it can be rated for whatever you want within the design capabilities of the vehicle. You can pay extra to de-rate the GVWR and all it changes is the number on the sticker and registration.
You aren't wrong, but if you wreck a 10k GVWR truck that grosses out at 11k pounds, you are absolutely at risk of Morris Bart eating your arse completely off. It's not legal to overload a vehicle and exceeding any rating is technically overloading it.
Sure, finding an instance of this actually happening is difficult. I've never seen anybody actually cite a case of a private owner getting in trouble over it and we all know there are countless very overloaded pickups on the road everywhere every day.
If you care about being legal, you need to not exceed any of the axle weight, gross vehicle or gross combined weight ratings on the truck, and the same applies to the trailer as well.
Posted on 8/11/25 at 1:56 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
They could sue all they want but won’t win. It’s generally good to follow GVWR/Payload for general public bc most people don’t understand any of that. But I hate mass sheep from some sites that if you go 1lb over your payload that you’re gonna kill a minivan full of kids.
Most payload weight is “estimated” anyway. Would be hard to enforce exceeding payload.
Most payload weight is “estimated” anyway. Would be hard to enforce exceeding payload.
Posted on 8/11/25 at 1:59 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
More good points, thanks. I'm more concerned with safety and not dropping someone else's RV off the hitch bc I overloaded my hitch.
This is a one time trip and I'll drive 40mph if I have to.
This is a one time trip and I'll drive 40mph if I have to.
Posted on 8/11/25 at 2:20 pm to Hu_Flung_Pu
quote:
They could sue all they want but won’t win
My companies' lawyers seem to disagree with that but I am no lawyer myself and you might well be right. It would indeed be difficult to prove in most cases. I think someone wrecking a truck rated for 2,000 pounds of payload while towing a camper that's listed as having 2,100 pounds of tongue weight you are at very high risk of the lawyers cleaning you out.
quote:
But I hate mass sheep from some sites that if you go 1lb over your payload that you’re gonna kill a minivan full of kids.
You are right about this for sure. Towing at 10,001 pounds is not more dangerous than towing at 9,999 pounds. The problem is almost strictly a legal / paper problem. The payload weight is not estimated though, it's GVWR minus listed curb weight for that exact vehicle model as it is configured on the build sheet. It's going to be extremely close to actual as it rolled off the delivery truck.
Posted on 8/11/25 at 2:26 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
I meant tongue weight is estimated. RVs might have them but other trailers don’t.
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