Deciphering Payload, GVWR, GCWR, Max tow ratings; 2011 Silverado 2500 Duramax

[arwriter]

I have some questions regarding payload, tongue weight and trailer weight.  I own a 2009 Keystone Springdale M-267 BHSSR conventional travel trailer. The length is 28'11", the dry weight is 6,380#, the GVRW is 7,780#, and the tongue weight by the info plate on the trailer is 780#.

I have a 2011 Chevy 2500HD LT 4X4 CC SB Duramax. The weight specs from the vin decoder are as follows:

Gross Axle Wt Rating - Front
6000, 5200, 5200, 4400  lbs  4400.0 min 6000.0 max

Gross Axle Wt Rating - Rear
6200  lbs  6200.0 min 6200.0 max

Curb Weight - Front
4396, 3657  lbs  3657.0 min 4493.0 max

Curb Weight - Rear
2812, 2719  lbs  2719.0 min 2894.0 max

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating Cap
10000, 9500  lbs  9500.0 min 10000.0 max

Gross Combined Wt Rating
24500  lbs  16000.0 min 24500.0 max

Dead Weight Hitch - Max Trailer Wt.
5000  lbs  5000.0 min 5000.0 max

Dead Weight Hitch - Max Tongue Wt.
500  lbs  500.0 min 500.0 max

Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Trailer Wt.
13000  lbs  9300.0 min 13000.0 max

Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Tongue Wt.
1950  lbs  1395.0 min 1950.0 max

Fifth Wheel Hitch - Max Trailer Wt.
16700  lbs  9300.0 min 16700.0 max

Fifth Wheel Hitch - Max Tongue Wt.
4175  lbs  2325.0 min 4175.0 max

The sticker on the pillar of the driver side door puts the GVRW of the truck at 10,000# and the payload capacity at 2,518#. I find the payload number interesting compared to the curb weight which by the numbers above unless I'm wrong is 6,376# (2,719 front + 3,657 rear curb weight). If the GVRW is 10,000#, then wouldn't the payload be 10,000 - 6,376 = 3,634#?

The 5th wheel/Gooseneck tongue weight listed above at 4,175# max seems awful high if the payload is only 2,518#? But the minimum listed 5th wheel/Gooseneck pin weight is 2,325#? Why is there a minimum and a maximum?

I'm trying to work out the exact amount of weight I can haul on the truck in addition to towing the trailer from the bumper.

Those with more experience, please advise. Thanks in advance!

 

[xrated]

A tow behind trailer calculation for tongue weight is normally within a range of 10-15% of the GVWR of the trailer.  In your case, the GVWR of the trailer is 7780 or 7800 lbs.  A 10% number would give you.....780 lbs of tongue weight.  A 15% of the GVWR would give you 1170 lbs on the tongue.  You need to go by the payload number on the door sticker, as it reflects the available payload for that truck, as it was built coming off of the assembly line.  Keep in mind, if you've added anything else to the truck since it was built.....toolbox, bed cover, bed liner, running boards, etc......anything and everything that wasn't on the truck when it was built, counts against that 2518 number.  Normally a 150 lb driver and a full tank of fuel are already added in the numbers when the sticker was put on, but if you are going to haul more people, passenger(s), dog, firewood, etc., again, those weights are deducted from the sticker payload number.  A good weight distribution hitch is also going to be needed and you can figure on another 75 lbs, maybe a bit more or less.  It seems you would be OK with that trailer and your truck as long as you don't go crazy with other stuff in the truck and all the truck and equipment is in good condition....tires, brakes, suspension, etc.

I forgot to add.....you will normally run out of payload before you run out of FAWR, RAWR, Tire load capacity (unless other tires at a lesser capacity have been installed)

 

[kdbgoat]

The real issue is that you're looking at a lot of "brochure" numbers. There should be another sticker on the pillar that shows the axle rating for your particular truck, just as the payload sticker you referenced gave the payload for your particular truck. The curb weight you are looking at is not the curb weight of your particular truck. Go weigh your truck, add the payload from the sticker, and I bet it comes real close to 10,000#.

 

[RVRAC]

My son has the same truck but a 2015.  He was surprised that his truck payload was a little over 2,100#.  So it is not as high as some people who buy them expect.

 

[grashley]

Welcome to the Forum!
 
First, all of the upper numbers are generic numbers.  NO specific truck has FOUR DIFFERENT front axles installed with different load ratings.
Note also a max FW hitch wt of 4175# while the max rear axle load is 6200 - 2812 = 3388#.  New math, I guess??

Hitch wts can be useful if logic is applied.  The dead wt (no WD hitch) max of 500# is the rated capacity of the hitch.  This is 10% of the rated 5000# max trailer wt.  THERE IS NO REAL MINIMUM!!!  The WD hitch numbers make no sense other than those numbers are higher.

For your curb wt question,  My guess is one weight is for gas engine and the other is for the Duramax.  On that basis, the brochure base wt (WITHOUT OPTIONS) is 10,000 -(4396 + 2812) = 10,000 - 7208 = 2792 lbs.  This is in the ballpark.  Now subtract the weight of all factory installed options.  The 2518# Payload is calculated for THAT TRUCK as it left the factory.
Payload is GVWR - actual wt of the truck (you are correct) and includes all fluids including a full fuel tank, but no passengers and no cargo.

Ignore ALL of those published advertising hype numbers. The REAL numbers for your truck are on the driver door.  Two placards will show YOUR GVWR, front and rear axle ratings, payload, tire size and inflation numbers.  Those are the only ones that count.

Now, using those numbers, as you noted, your Payload is 2518#  Your camper tongue wt MUST BE at least 10% of the actual loaded camper weight.  This number will be between 800# and 1100#, as xrated said.  Add the weight of the WD hitch, passengers and cargo, and you are probably still well below 2500# of permitted payload.

As goat said, weigh the truck with a full fuel tank. Subtract the weight of everything in the truck (you) and calculate Payload.  I did that with my truck and was within 100# of the yellow sticker.  That is within 1% and within scale accuracy.

 

[arwriter]

Thank you gentlemen.

Question, when using a weight distributing hitch you are ?redistributing? the tongue weight to the front axle and the axles of the trailers. Assuming you have scaled the weight of each axle and the tongue weight is lessened as it?s redistributed, wouldn?t that shifted weight go back into the available payload on the truck?

 

[xrated]

Thank you gentlemen.

Question, when using a weight distributing hitch you are ?redistributing? the tongue weight to the front axle and the axles of the trailers. Assuming you have scaled the weight of each axle and the tongue weight is lessened as it?s redistributed, wouldn?t that shifted weight go back into the available payload on the truck?

If you start out by hooking the trailer up to the truck and you have, let's say 1000 lbs of tongue weight, then you attached and tension your W.D. hitch to the correct (or even incorrect amount), you will still have 1000 lbs of tongue weight.......it never goes away.  The W.D. hitch's job is to redistribute that weight to the front axle of the truck and to the trailer wheels, the the weight will remain the same on that point.  Think of it more as a vertical pivot point inbetween the rear of your truck and the front of your trailer.  If, when you hitch the trailer to the truck, the rear of the truck goes down slightly, the front of the trailer goes down slightly also.  The W.D. hitch is just using the trailer as a leverage point to "pull" the truck back up to where it was when you started.  Since the trailer is attached to the truck at the ball hitch, it get's pulled back up also......but the tongue weight is still there.