It's extremely important that you have a clear understanding of how much everything you're taking with you weighs.įor example, a camper trailer's listed weight doesn't include any extra cargo, water in the holding tank, or dealer-installed options. When it comes to towing, it's crucial that you understand how much weight your truck can carry, in both passengers and payload, as well as how much it can tow behind the vehicle. pickup truck makers to determine the key factors to consider. We talked to CR's experts and all the major U.S. Before you spend your money, it's important to understand how any tow package will enhance the truck's abilities, and what its total capacity will be once it has been properly outfitted. Manufacturer towing and trailer packages can range from little more than a receiver hitch and trailer wiring harness to comprehensive equipment packages that have integrated controls for electric trailer brakes, beefed-up suspension components, and more. "For example, if you plan on towing, it's well worth the money to get the most comprehensive tow package that is available for your truck," he says. Here at Consumer Reports, we typically recommend that new pickup truck buyers be careful not to purchase more truck than they need (for instance, don't get a heavy-duty truck if you're trying to accomplish mostly lightweight chores), but "when it comes to towing, more capability is always better than less," says John Ibbotson, CR's chief mechanic. That's why it's critical to understand, before you buy your truck, what type of towing you're going to do, the terrain you're most likely to encounter-whether it's mostly flat highways or short, steep hills, for example-and the weight of the trailer, including any gear you're planning to take along. And no one wants to drive up to the RV dealer to pick up a new trailer for the summer family road trip only to find out the truck they bought doesn't have the guts to safely pull it along. But a larger dual-axle RV travel trailer can weigh 8,000 pounds or more. Most compact and full-sized pickups can easily tow a couple of personal watercraft, a small pop-up camper trailer, or even a 20-foot powerboat. If you're shopping for a pickup to tow a specific size or weight trailer, it's important to make sure the truck you're looking at can handle your needs. Many full-sized pickups are available in a dizzying array of configurations, and all can affect the truck's tow rating: cab size, bed length, engine, transmission, and two-wheel or four-wheel drive, as well as optional towing or trailer packages. So how can shoppers know which truck to buy to do the job they need it to do? We have information that will help. Chevy says the label "provides customers with the information they need to calculate their pickup's exact capacities," but the point is this: Owners will still need to do some calculations of their own to figure out how much the truck can actually tow. It includes more information than you'll find on the driver's-side doorjamb of most trucks, but it still doesn't list the truck's tow rating. Or they may be forced to trust that their salesperson has the correct information.Ĭhevrolet started putting a trailering information label on the Silverado 1500 for the 2019 model year. They might be able to look at the towing chart that sometimes appears in the owner's manual, but often the manual refers readers to the manufacturer's online towing guide. The driver's-side doorjamb has labels with other important information, such as tire and wheel size, tire inflation pressure data, and the GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating), but shoppers will need to figure out a truck's individual tow rating on their own. today don't detail exactly how much they can carry in a readily visible location.
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