What Can You ACTUALLY Tow? Payload -Tow Capacity - Travel Trailer

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DOWNLOAD My FREE (no strings attached) towing safety checklist and calculator here. Simply plug in some basic specs from your tow vehicle and trailer, and it calculates everything for you! (use at own risk): (please do not request access, simply download as an excel file)

Cut through the dealership lies and internet hype. What can you actually safely tow? Understand why payload will limit you before tow capacity. Understand GVWR, GCWR, weight distribution hitches, sway control, and more. If you own a travel trailer, fifth wheel or towable RV, or are shopping for one and wondering what your vehicle can safely handle, this will be the best 20 minutes you invest in your education. Stop the spread of dangerous misinformation about what you can tow - get educated now.

#towing #traveltrailer #fifthwheel #towcapacity #payload

Index:
00:00 - 01:46 Intro
01:46 - 05:50 GVWR, GCWR, Payload
05:50 - 08:07 Hitch Weight/Ratings
08:07 - 11:29 Myths
11:29 - 14:42 Real Life Example
14:42 - 15:58 Axle & Tire Ratings
15:58 - 18:46 Sway
18:46 - 20:50 Weight Distribution
20:50 - 22:45 Conclusion

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[michalp]

This is exactly how every instructional video should look. No BS music, tacky jokes or presenter acting like a clown. Everything straight to the point!
Always makes me wanna laugh when people brag how much they can tow with their half tons

[rondefilippo]

I am not an engineer and don't connect with a lot of calculations but I'm smart enough to know my limits and to engage with folks like him who does the research. I do my due diligence when needed and I absolutely appreciate people like him who will help keep me out of trouble. Great Job Big Rock!

[Steve-yold]

A good rule for towing is "just because you can, doesn't mean you should."

And remember, Salesmen are NOT YOUR FRIENDS!

A great video, thank you!✌️

[AarenCobb]

One of the best explanations I've ever watched. I never realized how complicated this all is.

[stevenelson]

This is the best educational video I’ve seen on towing! Everyone towing a trailer should watch this. Thank you for your time and research in putting this together. Very well done!

[dwightbernheimer]

At almost 80 years old I've done something all my life you might laugh at. Whatever the towing capacity was for my vehicle, I dropped it by 50% LOL if my truck was supposed to max out at 14000 lb I knew it would tow 7000 lbs comfortably. Operative word... comfortably. Always had way more truck than I actually needed. Better safe than sorry. Never had a problem LOL great stuff thanks for posting

[GinaHale-jezq]

You have No Idea how much this helped me! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the info! I’m a 60 yr old lady who has been bamboozled by dealers trying to push their vehicles. You have saved my life literally!!! I can’t thank you enough!!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[henrymorgan]

The tongue weight is the real mystery if you do not have a GOOD tongue snake. Having good weight distribution in both tow vehicle and trailer is also very important. Great video!

[hankford]

One of the most thorough, comprehensive, informative and straight forward informational video of this type I have ever seen. Thank you!

[johnharris]

My dad sold RV's and he was a very honest man. People would come in a try to buy a trailer or 5th wheel that was to much for their tow vehicle and he would not sell it to them. His rule for towing was 75% of what ever the max tow rating was for that vehicle. He knew if he sold someone a trailer or 5th wheel they could not handle, they would be unhappy and never buy another RV from him. Lets just say he had a lot of return customers who once they started to like RVing, they always wanted something a little bigger.

[hawkeyek]

I don't normally watch instructional videos twice, but when I do, it's this one. Thank you for the knowledge dump, sir.

[ferrari]

This was so informative and not boring. We watch it regularly every time we consider buying a trailer.

[rogeeeferrari]

Fantastic video, 17 idiots dislike it ? Very valuable info for staying safe towing a trailer. I towed a 23 foot Airstream with my Tacoma Truck, even though I was 1000 pounds under the factory max limit the trailer was a load. My late wife and I travelled all over the western US and I always had to be careful about the weight from the water, black/grey tanks when travelling. Hopefully people will learn from your video because it could save their lives...

[marknelson]

Was this video helpful? You're damn right it was helpful!

[MaryOKC]

So i just used your spreadsheet and I am sitting nicely...without those calculations I would have been scratching my head and worrying Im overloaded...now I have peace of mind - thank you so much!

[SF-fmov]

I would add "do not guess at these weights". Find a CAT scale and weigh each axle with the trailer full of water and all of your gear and passengers in both the trailer and the tow vehicle and WDH if used. Then unhook your trailer and weigh again. With a little addition and subtraction, you can determine exact axle weights, tongue weight, GVW, GCVW, trailer weight, and payload. You can then compare these accurate numbers with those maxes allowed. I added a metal case to hold my generator to the rear of my camper and my tongue weight went from 15% to 12%. This actually made my payload legal and placed my tongue weight near the optimum %. I also am not anywhere near my 10, 000 GVW rating of the trailer. I wouldn't have known this had I not weighed everything.

[alaskagirls]

Absolutely one of if not the best video ive seen on towing thank you. I belong to several FB groups of the paticular trailer i have and im shocked how many people on there have tow vehicles too small or ask, “ can i get by”, how little respect people have for towing. I share this and other videos over and over.

[CharlesinGA]

Without making a two hour long video, you did an EXCELLENT job of explaining the entire tow capability situation. Best video I have seen on the subject. You might consider videos on specific items like tires, and how passenger tires on trucks (common on "half tons") have thinner, weaker sidewalls that prevent the truck from controlling trailer sway, close looks at tire sidewalls to see how to find the actual weight capacity of the tire (not just load range), and how light truck tires do a better job when towing. Anyhow, good video.

[__Craig__]

One of the best videos I've seen to gain a clear understanding of towing an rv. Appreciate your content!!

[davidmccombs]

I came across your you tube video. And I was impressed on how you went about explaining all the factors on towing capabilities. I'm new to all this terminology. We bought our first tt and still not sure how much weight I can put in the back of the truck and trailer to stay in a safe zone. But will keep watching over and over.