nickleverock

hi
i just bought a 05 2wd extcab with the short bed
i was wondering how much i can tow and what kinda of tt do you recommend for that weight i have a family of 4 if that helps any thanks

brulaz

Start with the truck's payload as that's usually the limiting factor (not the tow capacity). It should be on the door jamb?

Subtract ALL the weight you're going to put in the truck, driver, passengers, gear from the payload. What's left is the max tongue weight of your trailer.

You might want to double check that calculation by loading everybody and everything into your trailer and weighing it at a CAT scale, subtract the measured GVW from the truck's GVWR (be on the door jamb?). Again, what's left is a more accurate # for the max tongue weight of your trailer.

knowing the trailer's max tongue weight, you can back calculate the trailer's max weight by assuming 12-15% tongue weight. That will include all the stuff you put in the trailer too.

So, if the max tongue weight is 500#, and that represents 12% of the trailer's total weight, the trailer's max weight is 500/0.12 = 4167#. Less than that if more weight is on the tongue.

mbopp

What engine, transmission, & rear end do you have?

nickleverock

It's a 5.4 and I don't know what rear
I have I do I find out

nickleverock

It has the tow package it has trans cooler and all but I'm not sure how to find out what tranny I have either I didn't realize there where so many different types

tomb1269

Your either 7600 or 8100lbs max tow depending on whether you have a 3.55 or 3.73 axle. Check the door sticker for axle code and google search for that code.

mbopp

As far as what TT to get, we need to know a few things first. What's the GVW rating on your door sticker? Half ton pickups run out of payload before they hit the max trailer weight rating. How big are your kids? Do they want their own beds, or will they bunk together? Are you thinking of converting the dinette tabe to a bed for them, or not? Do you want a pop-up tent camper, a hybrid with canvas tent ends, or a full hardsided? Forget a 5th wheel, your truck won't handle one. If the truck doesn't have one you'll need a brake controller, and for anything bigger than a pop-up you should have a weight distrubution (WD) hitch.
There's a few forums you should check out: popupexplorer.com, hybridexplorer.com, and the rv.net forums.

sunofabeach

go to RV.Net to ask this question and here is the answer you'll get:

ask yourself 2 questions:

does your truck have at least 4 wheels in the back?
does your truck have a diesel engine?

if you answer yes to these questions, buy whatever you want cause you can tow anything!

if you answer no, then buy a tent trailer cause you're a danger to society and will crash and kill everybody on the road that is within 10 square miles of you.

Tyssa'sRide

That's funny right there!!!