Towing capacity?

[Dustin Anderson]

My ride - 3500 HD high roof

 

I would appreciate any help with figuring out how much I can tow. I carry 800 pounds max in the van. The van is rated for 9500 pounds....but it seems that there are different ways to calculate the trailer weight.

 

Thanks,

Dustin

[ASD Dad]

Nissan used to spec out that the Combined Gross weight of your van and whatever you were towing would be capped at 16,000 lbs for the 3500 HD.

 

Best way to find out weights is to actually weigh your van with it fully loaded how you would be towing.  That will tell you how much you have left for a trailer.  You can weigh it many places from CAT scales at truck stops to stone yards and large farm supply houses.  Some areas even let you use their truck scales on the highway if they are closed to semis (you just need to call the DOT).

 

If your van loaded up comes in at 7000# you now have 9000# total for your trailer.

 

For shopping for trailers, if you are talking campers, you Never go by dry weights.  That is fully empty with nothing in it, sometimes it doesnt even account for propane tanks or a battery!  Take the dry weight and add 1000# to be safe if it is a decent sized camper.  1000# seems like a lot but it is extremely easy to put that much "stuff" in camper.

 

You'll also want a decent weight distribution hitch if you have a good sized camper but the options are many.  You'll also need a brake controller wired into your van (it has a factory pigtail plug you just tap into), again many options.

[Bamps]

I go with a very simple formula. On my NV, the tow cap is 7100lbs. And on my Frontier 6100 lbs. i go strictly by the GVWR on the trailer. That's the MAX trailer weight the axles on the trailer will carry. I always fail conservative, my trailer's GVWR is 3536.

 

Trailer salesman will sell you what they can and try to confuse you on trailer weights and formulas and so on. Just make sure your trailer's GVWR is well below your max tow weight. Forget dry weight. Thats how I figure it and I've towed quite a bit from the 1970's to present. Everybody does it their own way, I certainly am not implying anyone's wrong, I'm just saying you don't need to have a PHD in mathematics to figure this out.

[aabel]

Go to scales at any truck stop. Many times you don't even have to pay for it, just park on the scale and go in the cashiers office and look at the digital weight display that is in clear view most of the time. You only need to pay if you want it certified.

[rolliew]

I carry about 800 lbs in my 2500 hi top v8 and tow about 7000 lbs, tows just fine.