CK5 - The Full-Size GM Off Road Community

Ok I was told by a trailer place that a trailer with 2 4000lb axels can be rated at 9000 lbs because some of the weight is on the towing truck

If this is true a trailer with 2- 3500lbs could be rated at 7500

What do you think ?? /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

If that WAS true, any kind of accurate formula would have to depend heavily (no pun intended) on how you loaded the tongue.

Not sure how one would go about calculating that... speaking from the 3500# axle perspective, I'd much rather get 4000 or even 6000# axles under my trailer... my 3500#s will be replaced sooner than later.

-Dan

Well what is driving this is I have a year 2000 trailer with low miles and 2-3500lbs (electric breaks on both) and I do not want to buy a new trailer and I plan on being at BB4 next year /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif a 3000 mile trip /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Yea... I know the feeling! I took my BRAND NEW 7000# '02 trailer down to Arkansas this past spring (14hrs 1 way) and it treated me good. For 3000mi, I might consider having TWO spares for the trailer! Other than that, it should be ok for 3000mi of highway...

Be sure you're running a good break controller, and an anti-sway setup... and you should be golden man. Not a second thought. Go prepared, or don't go at all!

-Dan

A couple of different places told me this. They said that on most good quality trailers the axles are the limiting factor by a large margin in regards to the GVW, not the frame, deck, hitch, etc.... So assuming something around a 10% tongue weight an 8,000 lb. load would have 800 lbs. supported by the truck and only 7,2000 lbs. supported by the axles.