GBlack
Evansville, Indiana
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Joined: 08/10/2006
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I thought I had this stuff figured out, but now I'm wondering. I read somewhere I can compute my ACTUAL towing capacity (rather than stated tow capacity) by subtracting the loaded tow vehicle weight from GCWR. My 2009 Highlander has a stated tow capacity of 5000 lbs and GCWR of 10800 lbs. It weighs 4600 lbs loaded. So does that mean my ACTUAL towing capacity is 10800 - 4600 = 6200 lbs, which is 1200 lbs more than the stated tow capacity? I realize I also need to meet the tongue weight limit and GAWR & GVWR limits of the tow vehicle and trailer. But assuming I do, is my real tow capacity 6200 lbs? Don't get me wrong, I don't even plan to tow a full 5000 lbs, but am just wondering how much REAL "reserve" tow capacity I'll have.
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Guest
USA
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Joined: 08/02/2004
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Try a different truck scale, you got a rather optimistic one!
The current generation Highlander is a lot bigger than previous ones. I doubt that it, plus your family, plus all your traveling gear inside weighs 4,600#. Maybe if you are a single, anorexic nudist and were out of gas at the time you weighed.....
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smkettner
Southern California
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Your hitch might be rated only 5000 pounds. Over 5000 generally needs a weight distribution hitch. Your hitch or frame may not be rated for the forces a weight distribution hitch creates. I would stick with a 5000 pound GVWR trailer or less.
2001 F150 SuperCrew
2006 Keystone Springdale 249FWBHLS
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Humpty
Clayton, NC
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Not exactly.
GVWR - Weight of fully loaded vehicle = available payload for tongue weight
GAWR (front) + GAWR 9 rear) DOES NOT = GVWR. GVWR is usually much less.
GCWR is the max the entire rig should weigh.
In my experience with a 28' TT and 1/2 ton Suburban, once you load the family and other stuff in the tow vehicle, you will not get close to the "Max Tow" or "Rated Tow" number without exceeding the GVWR, GAWR (rear) or both. There was no way I could get close to the GCWR without blowing GVWR and GAWR (rear) right out of the water.
2007 Challenger 33DBB w/ Sidewinder
2002 Chevy 3500 CC DRW D/A
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lrak
MA
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Joined: 11/03/2006
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GBlack wrote:So does that mean my ACTUAL towing capacity is 10800 - 4600 = 6200 lbs, which is 1200 lbs more than the stated tow capacity?
Well not exactly. Toyota rates their vehicles (except the Tundra competing on tow ratings) using better real world towing assumptions. They don't pull the "only 150lb driver" in the vehicle with the max rated trailer garbage. You can put a moderate load in your Highlander and hook up a a max rated trailer while staying below all the weight ratings.
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hotrod4x5
Southern Calif
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What is the GVWR of the highlander? You are correct in what you ask, UNLESS your result is higher. You use that formula to get an actual towing figure if your truck weighs a lot.
Arbitrary example: You have a GCVWR of 12,000, and your stated towing capacity is 7,000lbs. But your truck weighs 6,000 fully loaded, you ACTUAL towing capacity is not 7,000 but only 6,000 now.
Rodney 2005 Laredo 29GS 2002 F250 V-10 Hughesnet Satellite Internet
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GBlack
Evansville, Indiana
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The GVWR of my Highlander is 5800 lbs. So 10800 - 5800 = 5000 lbs, which is the stated tow capacity. So maybe the question is: Do tow ratings assume the tow vehicle is loaded up to the GVWR max weight? If they calculate the tow rating as GCWR - GVWR of tow vehicle, that explains the 5000 lb stated tow capacity.
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hotrod4x5
Southern Calif
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5,000 could also be the limit of the receiver. 5,000 is a very typical number for mid sized SUVs.
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BenK
SF BayArea
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This isn't a perfect world, nor does one size fit all....
Ratings are not absolute, nor makes sense to us on the outside of the Product
Team which designed and certified the product.
Ratings is just a number decided on by the product team. It is the 'specification'
and again, not absolute. Meaning the wheels won't instantly fall off if you exceed
that number.
All of these ratings are based on the 'weakest link' and they all don't necessarily
add up.
For discussion purposes, I'll use my Suburban's numbers, as I know it best.
1996 GMC 3/4 ton Suburban, 4x4, automatic, highest/all options (including F60,
the snow plow prep package), big block, etc.
It weighs around 7,400 lbs with me (180), toolbox (+200), full fluids, and misc
stuff (about 50). Most others over at the Suburban forum with the
same setup weigh in at around 6,800-7,000 lbs (they don't have the
toolbox and misc I do). A far cry from the published curb.
Curb is listed 5,400 up to 6,000 lbs
GVWR is 8,600 lbs
GAWR, front is 4,250
GAWR, rear is 6,000
MTWR is 10,000
GCWR is 16,000
My rear axle is the exact same as the 1 ton dually of the same year. With the
brake cylinders the only difference I can find (mine are not as large in dia).
The supplier to GM is AAM and they rate this axle at 10,000 lb GAWR.
If I take the 7,400 + 10,000 MTWR = 17,400. Which is way more than the 16,000
GCWR. Then if I do load up to the 8,600 GVWR + 10,000 = 18,600...even more than
the 16,000 GCWR.
I'll not tow at my listed MTWR of 10,000 lbs. The real one is my actual TV weight
subtracted from 16,000 lbs. I then must watch the GVWR & rear GAWR, which
includes the trailer tongue weight.
Most folks think the numbers have to resolve exactly. They some times do, but
don't necessarily have to.
Bottom line is your own position on risk management...aka gambling. Gambling on
how your setup will perform on that bad day out there when you need to either
brake to avoid, swerve to avoid, etc. The heavier it is, the less performance
it will have.
The OEM has dialed in the vehicle to the min acceptable performance that is
mandated by DOT. Factored by the OEMs warranty requirements (longevity). This
is where there are large differences between domestic OEMs and even more so
with foreign OEMs.
Agree, your 4,600 lbs seems light to me. Go somewhere else and have it weighed
with the same loading.
Your math methodology is correct up to the point you questioned the result against
what you 'think' or 'want' it to be.
-Ben Picture of my rig
1996 GMC SLT Suburban 3/4 ton K3500/7.4L/4:1/+150Kmiles orig owner...
1980 Chevy Silverado C10/long bed/"BUILT" 5.7L/3:73/1 ton helper springs/+329Kmiles, bought it from dad...
1998 Mazda B2500 (1/2 ton) pickup, 2nd owner...
Praise Dyno Brake equiped and all have "nose bleed" braking!
Previous trucks/offroaders: 40's Jeep restored in mid 60's / 69 DuneBuggy (approx +1K lb: VW pan/200hpCorvair: eng, cam, dual carb'w velocity stacks'n 18" runners, 4spd transaxle) made myself from ground up / 1970 Toyota FJ40 / 1973 K5 Blazer (2dr Tahoe, 1 ton axles front/rear, +255K miles when sold it)...
Sold the boat (looking for another): Trophy with twin 150's...
51 cylinders in household, what's yours?...
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skipnchar
Topeka Kansas USA
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Joined: 12/17/2003
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Apparently Toyota is "moving forward" again and has changed the means of establishing tow ratings and in the process making them even MORE confusing than they were before. THEY are using the GVWR to base the tow rating on while everyone else uses the BASE weight of the vehicle to set theirs.
2004 F-250 SCREW Long Bed (new)
OR 2004 F-150 HD (85,000 towing miles)
Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
We have enough YOUTH...how about a fountain of SMART
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