E450 Class C towing ability

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
C

Castek

Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Posts
5
Hey everyone,

I'm trying to find out if I can safely tow a 2016 Chevy colorado 4X4 as a dinghey behind a 2006 Ford E450 (31ft) Class C motorhome. I know that the colorado is towable with all four down. My main question is about the load on the motorhome. Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what i've learned so far is GCWR-GVWR="maximum your dinghey and towing gear can weigh". (of course bearing in mind tow hitch weight rating)
So If the Class C has a GCWR of 18,500lbs, a GVWR of 14,050lbs, I should safely be able to tow 4,450lbs?

I don't know the actual curb weight of the motorhome yet(still in the planning/purchasing phase) But would I be wrong to think the towing potential could be more than this if I don't have the motorhome loaded completely to the GVWR (say a curb weight of 13,000lbs after all gear and occupants inside) would that push my theoretical towing capacity to 18,500-13,000=5,500lbs?

The Colorado's only weigh around 4,000lbs but I would feel better knowing I'm not pushing my limits too closely and putting too much strain on the transmission.
Also, if any of you have a 30ish ft Class C what kind of curb weight are you roughly getting, just curious.
Thanks!

Kevin
 
Your arithmetic is correct - you can tow up to the combined weight limit stated by the GCWR, subject to the hitch limit.  If the actual loaded coach weight is under the GVWR, you can indeed tow more.  Most V10-equipped E450's of that year have an 18,500 lb GCWR, but it was also available in a 15,000 lb version, so check the actual vehicle rating before you buy.

However, I think you will find that most Colorados weigh closer to 4500 than 4000.  Only the most basic trim level comes in at 3900-4000 lbs and I don't think any of the 4x4 models are that light.

The rest of the story is a matter of personal satisfaction with performance. Towing a heavy vehicle reduces acceleration and hill climb capability. Some people get really irritated at that, while others just relax and grin.
 
As Gary said, your math is right, but the terminology is off a bit.

The GCWR - GVWR is the max weight to be towed IF the RV is loaded to full capacity.  Less weight in the RV means more room for a heavier toad.  GCWR is the combined weight of the loaded RV and the loaded toad and the hitch.

CURB WT is the weight of the coach with nothing in it except a full fuel tank.  In some cases, this includes no options. 
BASE WT is the empty coach with options, as delivered, empty, full tank of fuel.

ACTUAL RV WT is what you get when it crosses the scales.  Typically, this is fully loaded, so you can see how much GCWR is remaining.

One way to determine the weight of the Colorado is to look at two weight placards on age driver door or nearby.  One will state the GVWR for the truck - the most it can weigh fully loaded.  The other will say the max weight of all passengers and cargo shall not exceed XXXX.  If it can carry XXXX cargo and still meet GVWR, then          GVWR - XXXX = empty truck wt, or base wt.  It may not be exact, but it will be close.
 
31' class C's have the frame extended - substantially.  Consequently, many if not most mfgrs only install a 3500 lb hitch.  You would need a 5,000 lb hitch at minimum.  Check your hitch before proceeding.  If only 3500 lb, check with the mfgr before upgrading.  They may not consider 5,000 lbs swinging around back there on roughly 12'-14' behind the rear wheels attached to a scabbed on extension.  If the RV mfgr won't certify it for 5,000 lbs. you may be getting into a liability matter should you be involved in an accident.
 
kdbgoat said:
My 31' C has a tow rating of 7500#, both hitch and vehicle.
Click to expand...
OK, but the OP did not say what make/model class C he has, only that it is a 2006 31' class C and that his theoretical towing capacity is 5,500 lbs.  I doubt it has a hitch rated higher than 5,000 lbs and is likely 3,500 lbs.

My 2000 Coachmen 31.5' only had a 3,500 lb hitch.  But what mine or yours has is immaterial.  It's what the OP's class C has that dictates what counts here.  I'm just pointing out theoretical towing capacity isn't the final determining factor.
 
Thanks for the input everyone!
I'm glad I at least have a general grasp on it (still learning the terminology), but it feels better to know what to look for when I go look at the coaches next week.
I'll keep a look out for the hitch rating and only tow whichever is the more conservative number (either limited by hitch rating or GCWR-GVWR)

@kdbgoat: What kind of rig do you have and what's your base weight?

At what percentage of your GCWR do y'all really start to notice a drop in acceleration and hill climb? If I'm around 85-90% of my GCWR I imagine it'll be pretty significant.
Luckily I don't mind cruising low and slow  8)
 
I have a 2016 Leprechaun 319DS, (see sig) It weighed about 12,600# empty, with a GVWR of 14,500#, and GCWR of 22,000#.
As far as weight affecting performance, between empty and fully loaded, (very near GVWR on purpose), I don't see a whole lot of difference. I haven't pulled a toad yet, so I don't have any experience to relay to you on that. I just wish I had the 6 speed transmission instead of the 5 speed. I had the 6 speed in my F-250 and got spoiled by the "manual" feature, and having pretty much total control of what gear I was in. The only thing the 5 speed gives is tow mode. That difference really makes the V-10 wind up. The good thing is, the V-10 will run 4800 rpms all day long and never miss a beat. If one is looking for a C, I still wouldn't let the 5 speed deter me from buying it if everything else is what I was looking for.

Molaker, I reread what you had posted. At first reading, it seemed that you were making a blanket statement that 31 footers don't have the towing capacity of shorter C's, that's why I posted my limits. After my rereading, I see that isn't what wasn't the case. I agree no one else's capacity has any bearing on the OP's.
 
At what percentage of your GCWR do y'all really start to notice a drop in acceleration and hill climb? If I'm around 85-90% of my GCWR I imagine it'll be pretty significant.
Click to expand...

Tough to answer and subjective as well. The transmission gearing plays an important role, so 5 or 6 speed trannys do better. The grade of the hill is another major factor, where an almost imperceptible difference can push the vehicle to a lower gear and a drastic reduction in speed. Traffic plays a role as well, since often the rig can maintain speed ok, but if it gets slowed by traffic it may have a hard time building up speed again.

Acceleration on the flats is mostly a matter of overcoming inertia plus rolling and air resistance, but in hill climbing the extra weight actually has to be lifted up the hill.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 803 (members: 36, guests: 767)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,913
Posts
1,387,286
Members
137,666
Latest member
nativoacai
Back
Top Bottom