Understanding Your TRUE Payload, Towing Capacity & Hitch Weight!

With all of the frame flex issues going on and camping season around the corner i wanted to rerelease this video. Towing well overweight or using an undersized truck could cause frame flex Plus we have lots of new subscribers and I think this is an important video for everyone to watch, new RVer or seasoned full timer.
Towing capacity can be hard to understand sometimes. The fact is with all the different acronyms and various truck factors it really can be confusing. In this video we explain GVWR, GCVWR, GAWR, UVW, Payload Capacity, Towing Capacity, what they all mean and how to find them! We also explain why all of this is important and the consequences of towing over your GVWR or GCVWR which could cause to the frame flex issues we are seeing nowadays on RVs. Frame flex is a hot topic lately and being overweight won’t help your cause.
BOOKMARKS
0:00 Intro
3:00 Towing acronyms & definitions
7:18 Why are these tow numbers important
9:26 Finding your Truck tow numbers
12:33 Finding your RV Tow numbers
12:53 Weighing your RV
16:08 How to get your RV GVW
17:08 Calculating your Hitch/Pin weight
18:35 Calculating your Payload capacity
19:50 Calculating your GCVWR
20:18 Other import RV numbers
#rvtips #rvtowing #frameflex #rvliving
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[@WhyWait]

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[@joeallison2779]

A truly exceptional video thanks for taking the time to make it!

[@WhyWait]

Wow, thanks for the great comment. 👍🏼👍🏼 Appreciate you watching and commenting 😁

[@dougjeanpettit1992]

Excellent video. The first time the info has been provided in such a logical way. Thanks!

[@WhyWait]

Good deal. I hope it helped out. 👍🏼Thanks for watching and commenting

[@captjim97]

Thanks for the great info Chris !!!

[@WhyWait]

Any time! Thanks for always watching 👍🏼

[@bigdaddy51200]

Great Video Chris. I made a spread sheet just like yours . A++++ Keep up the good work. One on my favorite RV channels.

[@WhyWait]

Oh nice! Definitely appreciate the love and the comment. This is one of my videos I wish more people would actually watch. Safe travels out there 👍🏼

[@bobandteriethington1663]

This was excellent!! Thanks!

[@WhyWait]

Appreciate that Bob. I feel like it’s an important topic and one most people really haven’t grasped all the details of. I think too many folks tow unsafely out there just because they think the RV dealers know what they are talking about and they tell people their trucks are ok to tow said campers. I hope this educates more people and creates safer drives on the road. Appreciate you watching 👍🏼

[@joeharker]

So well done, Thank you!

[@WhyWait]

Sure thing. Appreciate you watching 😁

[@mikeparker8382]

Gooood comprehensive video Chris!!! Should’ve had some more ship docking video clips in there. And, it wasn’t too long and boring…goood stuff!!! I’m sitting over here in Gowanus Bay discharging the cement barge now. Thats an impressive payload capacity on your F-450. Our 2022 Ram 3500 Limited with the max tow capacity is only 5K. 👍😃🍻

[@WhyWait]

Haha nice. I’m never up there when you are. Yeah the F-450 from 2008 has some nice features newer ones don’t. The 4.88 rear gear ration which isn’t even offered anymore, higher payload capacity, no DEF, plus I have extra after market leaf springs. Now I just need a new truck lol

[@janehargis9301]

I learned a lot from this. Thank you! As an aside, the axle in a car is spelled, well, axle. An axel is the name of a certain difficult jump in ice skating! Your presentation was meticulously done so I thought you might want to know.

[@WhyWait]

Thanks, I appreciate that. Hoping a lot of people learn about tow limits watching this. And I know about the axle spelling, I do that all the time lol Appreciate you watching 👍🏼

[@timf6916]

Nice

[@biglug9364]

I find your video to be one of the better ones on this subject as you are very articulate comprehensive with these numbers although I did spot one mistake you made when determining your hitch weight you said that it only affects your rear axle this is incorrect my fifth wheel in addition to the weight on the drive axle adds 110 lb to my steer axle this is determined by the position of the fifth wheel hitch as most modern fifth wheel hitches have multiple positions you can arrange it in thanks so much for all the information you provide I will be subscribing to your channel

[@WhyWait]

Thanks, appreciate it. You’re right, this is true. My steer axle actually goes down about 80lbs on mine. Appreciate you watching and commenting. Safe travels out there 👍🏼

[@KyleRainey-ld7rq]

Thanks for the video! Love all the info, and glad someone is putting all this out there because it was a struggle learning all this on my own when we started towing/camping. I have a question based on something that has always confused me, and I saw this math problem in your video as well. Hopefully this could help with some clarity So Ford advertises my payload as 2,120 with my engine. However the yellow/red/white sticker in my door says the combined weight of all occupants and cargo should not exceed 1,650 (I don’t think you showed this sticker in your video). So that means my truck options cut into my “max payload” by that much. Aka crew cab and max tow package, etc. Then using the same chart as you, Ford has my towing capacity at 12,400lbs. My TT is just over 7000 lbs, well within the 12,400 towing capacity. Hitch weight is 792lbs. Average occupant plus cargo weight of about 750lbs. That puts us right at 1550 lbs, which is 100lbs under the payload sticker but well within the advertised payload by 470lbs. It makes me confused on if we could ever get a heavier camper safely or not like with a hitch weight of 1000lbs but trailer weight of 8300lbs for example. What I’ve read is they generate that sticker at the factory by taking GVWR-GVW after options. So going by your number, would that mean that your payload is no longer 6,000lbs, but drops down to 5,813 from your options (14500-8687)? So you are still within your payload (yay!) just by 280lbs not 467lbs. Is that correct?? I feel like so many people go by the advertised payload and not the true payload, and many are overloaded and don’t know it. Or am I overthinking it and I actually do have more wiggle room than I realize? Thank you!

[@WhyWait]

There’s always wiggle room. Use you best judgment and common sense. The GVW of these 2008 F450 trucks were 14,500lbs. This put them in the class 4 trucks and did cause problems for many people trying to register and insure them because class 4 trucks are considered cormercial in most states. F-450 nowadays have a 14,000lb GVW and I’m sure it could be higher but they want to keep it a class 3 truck. It still had the wide front axle, and the GVWR went to the max for a class 3 truck, 14,000lbs. But, the F350DRW got the same GVWR, and with the F450 being heaverier, mainly due to the heaverier 19.5" tires and wheels, the F450 had less payload than the F350DRW. I do believe that Ford purposely kept the GVWR down to the max for class 3 trucks (14,000lbs) for ease of licensing and insurance to the owners. So sometimes yes my payload is 6,000 and the truck can handle that in the bed and I feel its fine if I go over the 14,500 GVW because that number to me is more based on classification than a real number of what the truck can actually handle.

[@Ready2GoTravels]

Excellent video. Just recently upgraded tow vehicle. Do you have a link for the FORD information chart?

[@WhyWait]

No, sorry I really don’t. I just google my year and model truck to find the charts. That should get you what you need. Thanks for watching! 👍🏼

[@jerrykrobby]

Regarding tow capacity, the listed manufacturers tow capacity for 1/2 ton trucks is not for travel trailers. That tow rating is based on a low boy or flat bed style trailer. Subtract at least 20% from the listed manufacturer tow capacity for towing travel trailers.

[@reggie9257]

Great view, Thank you. Is there any way to get a copy of your spreadsheet or find one like it?

[@WhyWait]

No sorry. Something I just made for the video. I didn’t save it or anything. But hey just pause the video and write it down and you can fill in with your numbers as you find them. Appreciate you watching and safe travels out there 👍🏼

[@janehargis9301]

Could you possibly provide a template for your weight spread sheet? I’m brand new at this and my kiddo has had my computer for more than a minute. If you can’t, no worries! Again, great presentation. Thanks.

[@WhyWait]

I wish I could. I don’t have the spreadsheet saved. I would just pause the video and copy it down. Appreciate you watching 👍🏼

[@krazyraine]

Wish you had a link to a sharable/editable spread sheet. Then all your viewers had to do was update the numbers for their own.

[@WhyWait]

I wish I was technically capable of doing that too. Making my own sheet was hard enough 😂 But really all you have to do is pause the screen and copy what I have written in there. My spreadsheet wasn’t even one of those spreadsheets where you punch the numbers in and it’s adds them for you appropriately. I had to do the math myself and put the numbers in the right boxes. Thanks for watching 👍🏼

[@user-tp3by9qy2s]

What did you use to make your lights flash on the truck? Thanks

[@WhyWait]

Guy who owned the truck before me had it all setup like that. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@sparkybadger3594]

You said the same thing 4 times. Lost me

[@WhyWait]

Sorry it was too difficult for you to keep up with 👍🏼

[@sparkybadger3594]

@@WhyWait keep up with what. Time so you could make a longer video with the same content..get your content together before you BS everyone. Jokes on you