Hard to figure tow capacity!

[felix2]

I have all the TV info I need...it's the trailer weights that have me stumped.

ETI says 17B = 2400# dry wt/3400# GTW, and 19 = 2950 dry wt/4100 GTW. The delta between the dry & Gross weights must include around 400# for options like AC (100#), weight dist hitch (30#),2x6V batteries (130#), oven (50#), power jack (30#), and insulation (50#?), plus 2x propoane (120#). I guess then food, cookware, clothing etc makes 1000+# above dry weight, although I find that hard to believe (500 - 600#?).

I don't plan on bringing barbells and engine hoists with me. I load my Burro with around 150# max worth of cookware, food, clothing etc for a week long trip, and that includes 20# propane, kayak gear and other stuff.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Rossue

Sounds like too much beer Baggy; my 17B was 2800-2950 loaded.

Probably. Never was a boy scout, but I believe in "Be Prepared".

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by felix2

I have a V6 RAM 1500 with a rear end ratio of 3.12, 8-speed transmission. According to my calcs, I can just pull a 17B...was hoping to look at a 19.

Just to stir things up re how I arrived at this (realizing this has all been discussed ad nauseum already): I weighed my TV and added tongue weight, fuel, passengers, normal bed payload (= 6055#), and subtracted this from the truck's GCVW (9850#)to get to 3755# max tow.
...
"Max Trailer Weight Rating" (which in my case is 4450#)

Wow, a Gross Combined Weight Rating of 9850 pounds is bizarrely low. It is consistent with the maximum trailer rating, so it seems likely that you have found the correct rating, but this truck was certainly not configured to work as a tow vehicle; my Toyota van is similarly rated. It appears to be the base minimum-capacity configuration.

Originally Posted by felix2

My brother, who has towed 5th wheels for years, uses the TV's "Max Trailer Weight Rating" (which in my case is 4450#) with a safety margin, but I don't know if that accounts for every consideration. Seems my method is safer.

Your method is correct. Ignoring all of the load in the truck and making up for it by throwing in some arbitrary "safety margin" (such as towing up to 75% of the rating) is the lazy way, and if it is works out properly it's only by sheer accident.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by felix2

...it's the trailer weights that have me stumped.

ETI says 17B = 2400# dry wt/3400# GTW, and 19 = 2950 dry wt/4100 GTW. The delta between the dry & Gross weights must include around 400# for options like AC (100#), weight dist hitch (30#),2x6V batteries (130#), oven (50#), power jack (30#), and insulation (50#?), plus 2x propoane (120#). I guess then food, cookware, clothing etc makes 1000+# above dry weight, although I find that hard to believe (500 - 600#?).

It gets easier to believe when you include a tank of water. And weight-distributing hitch systems are two to four times that weight... unless you're only counting the brackets on the trailer, not the whole system.

[Micheal K]

Originally Posted by felix2

I have all the TV info I need...it's the trailer weights that have me stumped.
...
I don't plan on bringing barbells and engine hoists with me. I load my Burro with around 150# max worth of cookware, food, clothing etc for a week long trip, and that includes 20# propane, kayak gear and other stuff.

I think ETI’s specified base weight is accurate and I know that a lightly optioned and carefully packed 19 can be under 3500 lbs dry because ours was 3344 lbs when I weighed it last fall returning from a camping trip. At that time the trailer was dry (including the hot water tank) and I had removed one of the propane tanks. Our trailer is a pretty basic build: no AC, no front storage box, and a single battery. The only option we added that had significant weight was the themal windows and extra insulation. GVW of our trailer per ETI was 3110 lbs.

We also had our normal (spartan) amount of camping gear in the trailer. Based on the GVW, that means our gear comes in around 250 lbs.

I know we’re an outlier with a 19 this light - just thought I’d share so you know what’s possible if you’re careful.

[Iowa Dave]

Propane tanks empty weigh right at 18 lbs each and the propane in them a max of
20’lbs . Mine weight 37.5 lbs each when full, that’s where the guy at the hardware store
Sets the scale. so 75 lbs for 2. Not sure how battery weights are figured but if you take out the 12 volt and add two sixes the net gain is about 65 lbs. for a gross of 124. Lbs
Loading heavier stuff to the back can lighten your tongue weight to a degree. Do not buy anything but light beer either.
Iowa Dave

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Micheal K

I think ETI’s specified base weight is accurate and I know that a lightly optioned and carefully packed 19 can be under 3500 lbs dry because ours was 3344 lbs when I weighed it last fall returning from a camping trip. At that time the trailer was dry (including the hot water tank) and I had removed one of the propane tanks. Our trailer is a pretty basic build: no AC, no front storage box, and a single battery. The only option we added that had significant weight was the themal windows and extra insulation. GVW of our trailer per ETI was 3110 lbs.

We also had our normal (spartan) amount of camping gear in the trailer. Based on the GVW, that means our gear comes in around 250 lbs.

I know we’re an outlier with a 19 this light - just thought I’d share so you know what’s possible if you’re careful.

Michael: An important detail is the year of your trailer since it is not in your profile. I found from an earlier post that you have a 2017 (gen 2). I agree you are an outlier as this is very light for the newer trailers. You were very disciplined with options and packing.

[emers382]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Do not buy anything but light beer either.
Iowa Dave

Dave I thought you carried all your "light" beer in the Highlander

[Iowa Dave]

With the 21, I put beer in the fresh water tank. Helps the tongue weight. Sold the silver Highlander. Had 181,000 miles on it in six years, and the glove box got too full of maps and old reservations. New Highlander hauls Tillamook cheese, Forty Creek whiskey, Hawkins cheezies, Iowa pork chops, and my constant companion Jake in the back. The big persuader err Proto Torque Wrench under the seat. Hope you’re enjoying the TA.
Iowa Dave

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

With the 21, I put beer in the fresh water tank. Helps the tongue weight. Sold the silver Highlander. Had 181,000 miles on it in six years, and the glove box got too full of maps and old reservations. New Highlander hauls Tillamook cheese, Forty Creek whiskey, Hawkins cheezies, Iowa pork chops, and my constant companion Jake in the back. The big persuader err Proto Torque Wrench under the seat. Hope you’re enjoying the TA.
Iowa Dave

I do wish Tillamook products made it as far east as NY. Really miss their Vanilla Ice Cream. Glad to hear it makes to Iowa!

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

I do wish Tillamook products made it as far east as NY. Really miss their Vanilla Ice Cream. Glad to hear it makes to Iowa!

You won't be missing a thing Jon if you try Van Leeuwen vanilla. I don't know if they sell it upstate, but it's all over NYC. By far the best vanilla ice cream I've ever tasted.

[Iowa Dave]

I first visited Tillamook years ago, mostly to learn about the Tillamook Burn series of Forest Fires. The dairy products were a clincher on why I return there whenever I can. I first noticed the Tillamook cheese products here sometime last year but of course Ice Cream doesn’t travel as well as cheese so no ice cream that I have seen. And another plus in our local refrigerated case I just started to notice, Alaskan Amber. There’s a very good little brewery in Ames, Iowa but they don’t have enough influence to get shelf space in the coolers 90 miles away because the big boys with some mysterious powers can take up 4/5 of the beer section with their swill errr swell products. Alaskan Amber is a good one. Alf plied me with some Iron Spike copper from Railway City in St. Thomas when he stopt overnight two weeks ago, pretty tasty. Enjoying your rally pictures and hoping you have a great summer I am,
Iowa Dave

[Micheal K]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Michael: An important detail is the year of your trailer since it is not in your profile. I found from an earlier post that you have a 2017 (gen 2).

Right. I meant to mention this, thanks for pointing it out.

(Profile updated too!)

[Iowa Dave]

Hi Robert
There’s a creamery in Delphos Ohio on the old Lincoln Highway that makes some
Incredible ice cream. Also one in SW Michigan that’s been in business for over a hundred years. The boutique ice cream shops that are too proud of their just better than average offerings at inflated prices don’t get too far with this big ice cream boy who’s been testing local offerings since grandma took him to Clutier, Iowa in her 47 Chevy about 65 years ago. We’d pick potato bugs off the plants and when we got a one pound coffee can full we’d put the can down among the “ free range” chickens and watch the action. Then she would pay us each a nickel and buy us an ice cream on the Friday night shopping trip to those little farm towns in the Bohemian Alps of Tama County Iowa. Good ice cream, setting on a sun warmed foot high curb, watching our distorted reflection in a chrome car bumper as the afternoon drifted into sundown, that was one of the great memories of being a kid.
Iowa Dave

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

I first visited Tillamook years ago, mostly to learn about the Tillamook Burn series of Forest Fires. The dairy products were a clincher on why I return there whenever I can. I first noticed the Tillamook cheese products here sometime last year but of course Ice Cream doesn’t travel as well as cheese so no ice cream that I have seen.

A lot of Tillamook cheese is made in Wisconsin! The milk is shipped from Oregon though. I have a former co-worker who's sister works in a Wisconsin cheese factory where it's made. True story.

[Iowa Dave]

Maybe that’s why it’s showing up in neighboring Iowa. Schullsburg (sp) is a pretty big Wisconsin cheese outfit. I had a boss whose wife was part of the Sargento family, another big Wisconsin maker. Didn’t make him a good person though.
Did I mention Graziano Bros sausage in Des Moines?

[emers382]

Hope the OP doesn't mind his thread going off into food discussion!

Dave, good you got to see Alf and Mary Anne on their way west. We're meeting up with them June 3-4 in East Grand Forks, it will be our first trip together with the TA. Right now trying to figure how we are going to set it up, there's so much more room. How much do we bring without making it too heavy? There I kinda got us back on topic.

[AllanEdie]

Oh boy, am I with you on Tillamook. Always bring a block or two of their 2yr cheddar home to BC when we travel south. We did a tour of their plant a couple years ago, it is quite the operation.

For this cheese lover, seeing that quantity of cheese going by on the belts was a spiritual experience.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by emers382

Hope the OP doesn't mind his thread going off into food discussion!

Dave, good you got to see Alf and Mary Anne on their way west. We're meeting up with them June 3-4 in East Grand Forks, it will be our first trip together with the TA. Right now trying to figure how we are going to set it up, there's so much more room. How much do we bring without making it too heavy? There I kinda got us back on topic.

Hi: emers382... You get to bring all the room but it's how you fillet!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Maybe that’s why it’s showing up in neighboring Iowa. Schullsburg (sp) is a pretty big Wisconsin cheese outfit. I had a boss whose wife was part of the Sargento family, another big Wisconsin maker. Didn’t make him a good person though.
Did I mention Graziano Bros sausage in Des Moines?

Hi: Iowa Dave... Speaking of family... How's it growing? Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie