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Old 04-23-2019, 03:46 AM   #1
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Calculating weight for towing toad

I am just curious why when calculating how much weight your toad can be you use the GVWR of your unit, subtract actual weight of the coach fully loaded and that gives you the max weight your towed vehicle can weigh. It's as if you have stacked your toad on top of your coach for the combined weight. I am not doing that, I am pulling the toad weight fully supported by it's own chassis. Why wouldn't I just add the tongue weight to the actual fully loaded coach for the combined weight?



GVWR = 14,500# minus 12,800# actual weight of loaded coach, remainder 1700#. Why not 12,800 plus the tongue weight i., total 13,000# i.e. 200# ?

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Old 04-23-2019, 10:35 AM   #2
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You should actually use the GCVWR (Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating. Plus’s you also have to look at the rating of the hitch, tow bar and baseplate.
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Old 04-23-2019, 11:03 AM   #3
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GVWR minus coach weight is really just max tongue weight (up to the tongue weight of the hitch which is usually around 500 lbs).

Like what pstandiford said: GCWR minus coach weight is how much you can tow.

When towing a car you can pretty much neglect tongue weight (especially 4 down) as its very tiny.
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Old 04-23-2019, 11:03 AM   #4
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it's not just a vertical calculation, as to stresses and weight on the chassis, but also a horizontal one...just as if you were 'pulling' someone up the side of a mountain - your arms will be stressed, your back will be stressed, and your legs may quickly give out...
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Old 04-23-2019, 11:45 AM   #5
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There are many good, informative YouTube videos on how to correctly configure & calculate vehicle towing capacities for just about any common vehicles, including motor coaches.
I'm sure your questions can be better answered there.
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Old 04-23-2019, 01:35 PM   #6
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calculating weight for towing toad

Where do I get the GCVR? It's not on my door tag. So I should use the GCVR minus the weighed coach and that would give me the max for the toad?


I have been on this forum for about 3 years. I have seen a wealth of information free of charge. All RV'ers should take advantage of the years of experience here. I really appreciate this forum.
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Old 04-23-2019, 01:49 PM   #7
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If it is not on door post than check the owners manual for the chassis. GCWR is determined by the chassis manufacturer and should be in the manual.
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Old 04-23-2019, 01:52 PM   #8
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I just emailed the customer service and they sent me a copy that had all that information for my RV just give them the Vin number and they’ll be able to look it up for you
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Old 04-23-2019, 02:30 PM   #9
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GCWR is also listed right on Thor's Specs web page:
https://www.thormotorcoach.com/quantum/specs/
Which model do you have? (Your GCWR is either 18,500 lbs or 22,000 lbs--for the Ford chassis and 16,000 lbs or 20,000 lbs for the Chevy chassis.)
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Old 04-23-2019, 03:13 PM   #10
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calculating weight for towing toad

Here are my specs:
2017 Thor Quantum Rs 26. Ford E450 chassis with V10 engine.
Hitch rated for 8,000 lbs. with 500 lb tongue weight.
GVWR = 14,500 lb,
coach weighed at truck weigh in on I/95 Palm Coast, Fl. fully loaded= 12,800 lb.
GAWR= front 5000 lb and rear 9,000 lb.
Possible toad weight 3,325 to 3,650 lb, 2019 Chevy Equinox.
Don't know GCWR yet.
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Old 04-23-2019, 03:31 PM   #11
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Since your Toad will weigh less than 4,000 pounds: my guess is that you'll be well within the limitations of the GCWR
My Outlaw (on the same chassis and similar weights) had a GCWR of 22,000 pounds.
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Old 04-23-2019, 03:34 PM   #12
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Yep, your GCWR is 22,000 lbs on the 450 chassis.
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Old 04-23-2019, 03:41 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Justcurious View Post
Here are my specs:
2017 Thor Quantum Rs 26. Ford E450 chassis with V10 engine.
Hitch rated for 8,000 lbs. with 500 lb tongue weight.
GVWR = 14,500 lb,
coach weighed at truck weigh in on I/95 Palm Coast, Fl. fully loaded= 12,800 lb.
GAWR= front 5000 lb and rear 9,000 lb.
Possible toad weight 3,325 to 3,650 lb, 2019 Chevy Equinox.
Don't know GCWR yet.
Double check your rear — it should be 9,600 pounds.
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Old 04-23-2019, 03:56 PM   #14
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9600 pounds is correct...

Did you know that they are intentionally down-rated by the manufacturer by 500 pounds?

(I found this out when I was looking for ways to beef it up...
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Old 04-23-2019, 08:51 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by Bob Denman View Post
9600 pounds is correct...

Did you know that they are intentionally down-rated by the manufacturer by 500 pounds?

(I found this out when I was looking for ways to beef it up...

Ford specifications state/list 9,600 pounds for E-450 rear axle and that’s good enough for me. Besides, the factory tires are not rated much above that, so not much room to overload. Key is to purchase a motorhome with ample Cargo Carrying Capacity.


For what it’s worth, sometimes Ford Specs show an axle capacity that is much higher than the GAWR, particularly for the rear. All that means is that Ford limits chassis load to that axle much lower for other reasons. An example is the SRW (single rear wheel) E-350 Cutaway. Its rear axle is limited to 6,084 pounds by the tires, but the rear axle is either 7,800 or 8,500 pounds.

With heavier-duty wheels and tires, there is a great opportunity for Ford to market a SRW E-350 Cutaway with GVWR in the 11,000- to 12,000-pound range. I would personally like that better than duallies in that size/weight range.
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Old 04-23-2019, 10:09 PM   #16
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I agree: that's what Ford says to you and me...

But their in-house paperwork reads as "10,100".
No doubt: they did that to build some "give" into real-World practices...
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Old 04-23-2019, 10:16 PM   #17
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The only opinions that really matter are those of law enforcement & the insurance company that covers the equipment.


Those are the two that can impact your finances.
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Old 04-23-2019, 10:41 PM   #18
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Being in the Insurance Business for 40 years: they don't even know what questions to ask...
A claims rep. never takes the time to ask if you were properly loaded or not...
Law Enforcement Officers won't care either: as long as it's not glaringly obvious...

(Like the time my Dad was taking a Backhoe up to our hunting camp... in a one-ton Dump!
(2700 pounds overweight!)
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Old 04-24-2019, 01:48 AM   #19
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Originally Posted by Bob Denman View Post
Being in the Insurance Business for 40 years: they don't even know what questions to ask...
A claims rep. never takes the time to ask if you were properly loaded or not...
Law Enforcement Officers won't care either: as long as it's not glaringly obvious...

(Like the time my Dad was taking a Backhoe up to our hunting camp... in a one-ton Dump!
(2700 pounds overweight!)



I'm sure the flunky writing the policy doesn't know or care.....and I'm equally certain the boys in blue cruising the highways don't give a rats butt about your unsafe & illegal load.........until you have a wreck & you find yourself arrested & charged for vehicular homicide or grave injuries and the Plantiff's attorney seeks & discovers the weights you're hauling & lawyers for your insurance company put that magnifying glass over the small print that your policy writer didn't have the notion to show you and you then discover that driving with an overloaded vehicle is grounds for making your policy null & void.
But what do you care. You're out pulling anything you want, throwing caution to wind, putting yourself & everyone around you in jeopardy.
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Old 04-24-2019, 02:10 AM   #20
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Originally Posted by Thor-Machine View Post
you then discover that driving with an overloaded vehicle is grounds for making your policy null & void.
Show me that in any written policy. You know insurance covers you even when you do stupid things? The only time you are not covered is when you purposely do something to damage the insured item to collect from and defraud the insurance company.
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