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    Difference Between Tow Capacity and GCVW

    My wife and I have decided on the grand design 310gk, we are new to this but have done much research on the numbers. Looking to buy a ford f350 crew 4x4 diesel. Thought I had this all figured out. I understand the numbers for the trailer the 22% to 23% pin weight. Understand the trucks cargo weight plus pin weight. I just read one guys blog who was very informative, but he has the GCVW at 22,500. So the question is, a ford f350 like we want for tow vehicle has a tow capacity of 27,500, and I've also seen different ratings for that model at 22,500. It gets confusing. So if the solitude 310 has a max of 15,000, then the f350 even with a tow capacity of 22,500 should be fine. I get that the pin weight would be over at 22%, if hypothetically say it weighed 14,000 then 22% would be 3,080, which pin weight for the 310 is 2,350,over by 730 pounds. So does the tow capacity of the truck mean its the trucks GVW plus the trailer GVW equals the GCVW, or does it mean that the truck can tow 22,500. Sorry if that's confusing, I want to tow safe and get this right. I see many do pull a 310 with a F350.
    Last edited by Joyousnesss; 08-09-2021 at 02:51 PM.

  2. #2
    Site Sponsor NB Canada's Avatar
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    GCW is the total of truck and trailer

    You will be fine. Payload is the biggest factor but I am sure you have enough


    2021 Imagine 2400 BH
    2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew
    2021 Imagine 2400 BH
    2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 Crew 1840lb payload

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    Site Team Second Chance's Avatar
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    There are many variables that affect GVWR/GCVWR/payload - one of most significant of them being single rear wheel or dual rear wheel. Trim levels, cab configuration, bed length (for a SRW truck), options, etc., all affect GVWR and payload. You can't really rely on any numbers you find on-line or in manufacturers' towing guides or brochures - you can only go by the door sticker and the CAT scales. No two trucks are the same unless they are identical.

    The GVWR on the Solitude 310GK is 15,000 lbs... unless you option the 8K axles, disc brakes, and load range H tires - then it's 18,000 lbs. I can tell you that the pin weight on our 310 loaded to 15K is 3,380 lbs. measured at the CAT scales.

    Many do pull the 310 with F350s/3500s. Opinions are cheap, but I believe the Solitudes should be behind a dual rear wheel truck.

    Rob
    U.S. Army Retired
    2012 F350 DRW CC LB Lariat PS 6.7
    2020 Solitude 310GK-R, MORryde IS, disc brakes,
    Sailun LRG tires, solar, DP windows, W/D
    (Previously in a Reflection 337RLS)
    Full time since 08/2015

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    Yes the payload is fine even with the pin weight over, the max payload is 7,640. and max tow is 27,500, gcwr is like 43,000. so I think we'll fine. thanks for the reply. So much info, and not all is the same. I'm a truck driver and that's easy with weight, NET WEIGHT, TARE WEIGHT, GROSS WEIGHT. But this is a whole new ball park for me.

  5. #5
    Site Sponsor SolarPoweredRV's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Joyousnesss View Post
    My wife and I have decided on the grand design 310gk, we are new to this but have done much research on the numbers. Looking to buy a ford f350 crew 4x4 diesel. Thought I had this all figured out. I understand the numbers for the trailer the 22% to 23% pin weight. Understand the trucks cargo weight plus pin weight. I just read one guys blog who was very informative, but he has the GCVW at 22,500. So the question is, a ford f350 like we want for tow vehicle has a tow capacity of 27,500, and I've also seen different ratings for that model at 22,500. It gets confusing. So if the solitude 310 has a max of 15,000, then the f350 even with a tow capacity of 22,500 should be fine. I get that the pin weight would be over at 22%, if hypothetically say it weighed 14,000 then 22% would be 3,080, which pin weight for the 310 is 2,350,over by 730 pounds. So does the tow capacity of the truck mean its the trucks GVW plus the trailer GVW equals the GCVW, or does it mean that the truck can tow 22,500. Sorry if that's confusing, I want to tow safe and get this right. I see many do pull a 310 with a F350.
    First, congrats on your purchase of the 310 GK, we love ours. Second, congrats on choosing the F350 to tow your new camper, ours tows our 310 so well (thanks to the wonderful Reese GooseBox 20k version) that we often feel like we aren't pulling anything at all.

    Now, on to your towing conundrum:

    The tow rating of each truck is based on which components are chosen for the drivetrain of the truck. The combination of Engine, Transmission, tires and Rear Axel Differential are the main components that give each truck it's towing capacity. Please note that there is a different tow rating for each truck based on either 5th Wheel/Gooseneck towing or Trailer hitch towing.

    The only way to figure out exactly what your (potential) truck can tow is by referencing Ford's Super Duty Pickup Trailer Towing Selector for the model year you are considering.

    Here is the link for the 2021 PDF file: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...oL20vV2pJumDAM

    The way I chose my configuration was I added 5,000 lbs to my max 310 GVW, basically, I was shopping for a truck that could haul a 20k 5th Wheel/Gooseneck trailer, based on what body style and bed length I wanted in my truck.

    In my case, the choices were somewhat limited based on the CC, 4x4, Diesel, LB, DRW choices I had already decided on.

    Based on a quick perusal of the Towing Guide (linked above) and the body style choices I listed above, you would have two choices to make with the 6.7 Diesel Engine: a 3:55 or a 4:10 rear differential.

    If you want SRW you could choose the 3:31 or the 3:55 rear end.

    Personally, I recommend the DWR with 3:55 rear end because the platform is very stable for towing a 5th Wheel.

    I hope the Towing Selector helps.

    Good Luck and let us know what you decided.
    David and Peggy
    2019 Ford F350 Lariat, 6.7L Diesel, Dually, Long Bed
    Running with 20k Reese Goosebox (Love It) and Ford Factory "Puck" system.
    Stopping with 8,000 lb Disc Brakes and Titan Hydraulic over Electric Brakes system.
    Powering all this fun with 1200 Watts of Solar, two Tesla, Model S, battery modules, 24 volt Victron Inverter.
    2018 Solitude 310 GK

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Joyousnesss View Post
    Yes the payload is fine even with the pin weight over, the max payload is 7,640. and max tow is 27,500, gcwr is like 43,000. so I think we'll fine. thanks for the reply. So much info, and not all is the same. I'm a truck driver and that's easy with weight, NET WEIGHT, TARE WEIGHT, GROSS WEIGHT. But this is a whole new ball park for me.
    I've yet to see a truck that actually has the manufacturer's max payload in the wild. They exist, I know, but are extremely rare.

    Are you looking at a single rear wheel F-350? Because that payload and GCVWR doesn't add up to even a DRW (43k GCVWR minus 27.5k max trail GVWR = 15.5k GVWR on the truck which is beyond a 1 ton dually). Most real world SRW 1 tons will max out around or under 30K lbs on GCVWR.

    Just making sure you are looking at the right numbers and don't fall into the "I didn't buy enough truck" category like so many of us.

    Newly full timing in our 2021 Momentum 395MS-R with our tow pig being a 2021 F-450 KR

  7. #7
    Seasoned Camper DECelt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Joyousnesss View Post
    Yes the payload is fine even with the pin weight over, the max payload is 7,640. and max tow is 27,500, gcwr is like 43,000. so I think we'll fine. thanks for the reply. So much info, and not all is the same. I'm a truck driver and that's easy with weight, NET WEIGHT, TARE WEIGHT, GROSS WEIGHT. But this is a whole new ball park for me.
    You will find that payload is almost always the limiting number. In my opinion, the yellow door sticker is primarily a registration/tax number. It's a great target, but the rubber meets the road at axle rating and tire capacity rating. Having said that, the 310 is the only Solitude that I would tow with an F350. In terms of cargo capacity you would actually be better off with the gas version....it's much lighter, but I doubt that the towing experience would be as good.
    I have added Timbren springs and Bilstein shocks to my F350, and Sumo springs to my 310. I've also added a rear cargo carrier and carry about 200 lbs there to keep my heavy stuff off of the pin. And to transfer some of the weight to the trailer axles. It's not a lot, but my weights are close enough that I keep an eye on them.

    My last rig was a virtual twin from another manufacturer...right down to factory weights. I weighed in 300 lbs.heavy for the truck yellow sticker weight...fully loaded but with empty tanks. I expect this rig to come in the same or a bit less. I've towed tens of thousands of miles with this weight and it tows and stops wonderfully.

    Just always know that you are close and load accordingly.


    Sent from my moto g power using Tapatalk
    Last edited by DECelt; 08-09-2021 at 04:31 PM.
    DECelt
    2021 Solitude 310-GK
    2022 Ram 3500 CCLB diesel

  8. #8
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    Red face

    Quote Originally Posted by Joyousnesss View Post
    My wife and I have decided on the grand design 310gk, we are new to this but have done much research on the numbers. Looking to buy a ford f350 crew 4x4 diesel. Thought I had this all figured out. I understand the numbers for the trailer the 22% to 23% pin weight. Understand the trucks cargo weight plus pin weight. I just read one guys blog who was very informative, but he has the GCVW at 22,500. So the question is, a ford f350 like we want for tow vehicle has a tow capacity of 27,500, and I've also seen different ratings for that model at 22,500. It gets confusing. So if the solitude 310 has a max of 15,000, then the f350 even with a tow capacity of 22,500 should be fine. I get that the pin weight would be over at 22%, if hypothetically say it weighed 14,000 then 22% would be 3,080, which pin weight for the 310 is 2,350,over by 730 pounds. So does the tow capacity of the truck mean its the trucks GVW plus the trailer GVW equals the GCVW, or does it mean that the truck can tow 22,500. Sorry if that's confusing, I want to tow safe and get this right. I see many do pull a 310 with a F350.
    First of all, Welcome to the forum. The amount of knowlegde available from folks that have been doing this for a lot longer than I have is just staggering. I learn something (that costs me money) just about every day.

    I have recently been around the block with many of the same questions that you have. The "simple" answer is "Yes, you can pull a 310GK with a single rear wheel (SRW) F-350, but your payload and rear axle ratings are going to be either just under or just over at the limits." The over/under depends on what options you have on your rig (generator, washer/dryer, dual pane windows, solar, # of batteries, etc.) and how you pack. Your loaded pin weight for the 310GK will likely be somewhere between 2800 and 3300 lbs. The "Tire and Loading Information" (the yellow sticker on the inside of the door) on my truck says my payload is 3390 lbs. You can see that if my triler was loaded to the gills with goodies, I'd need to run along side of the truck. As it is, my rig is pretty well stripped down and I can keep it just under my limits with my wife and I in the truck.

    As far as tow capacity, I'd be very surprised if you run into trouble pulling a 310GK with a F-350 diesel. Your truck, with a body or two and some gas in it is going to come in around 8500 lbs. If you load the 310GK up to the limit of 15,000 lbs, you're still only at a combined weight of 23,500 lbs, no where near the 27,500 you're likely to get with the F-350.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	2021-07-10 Truck-Gpo-LDO-Weekend Trailer.pdf 
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    The above are my CAT Scale tickets for my truck with me and full tank of gas and for my truck with trailer, the trailer loaded for a week-long trip with my wife and me. I hope these are useful.

    The answer that many on this site will give you is "dually" and that answer isn't wrong. But if you're also using the truck as your daily driver, the dually comes with a whole new set of challenges.

    I see that Rob (Second Chance) commented on your post. He is ABSOLUTELY the 310GK god on this site. Listen to him and you'll never go wrong (or have any money in your checking account).
    2019 Solitude 310GK
    2017 Ford F-350 Lariat SRW CC Short Bed, Power Stroke 6.7L
    Pullrite Superglide 16k

  9. #9
    Seasoned Camper DECelt's Avatar
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    A

    Sent from my moto g power using Tapatalk
    DECelt
    2021 Solitude 310-GK
    2022 Ram 3500 CCLB diesel

  10. #10
    Big Traveler CWSWine's Avatar
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    The GCWR are calculated using a pin weight of 15% or tongue weight of 10% and in real life most 5ers will have 22% to 23% and travel trailer will have 12% to 13%. They are also using a low option truck. You will probably be over your payload if you tow a RV that matches your towing capacity. There is a big difference in 10,000 pound 5er using 15% (1500 pound pin weight) or one with a 23% (2300 pound pin weight). I had a 2016 GMC with a on the door payload sticker of 3727 and a 310GK-R full loaded to 14,500 and had pin weight of 3650 which with me my wife and the hitch and travel stuff put within 200 pounds of our axle ratings and way over payload. If you watch how you load the 5er and don't bring bunch of stuff you will be ok if you don't have a high option 1 ton. I have seen F350 with payloads of 2900 pounds to 4100 pounds so there is a big difference between years and options.

    PS I got tired of fighting payload numbers and didn't want to drive a DRW so I drove the setup onto a RV dealers lot and bought a Class A with 7224 pound payload rating and Jeep Wrangler Rubicon to sight see in and never looked back.
    Last edited by CWSWine; 08-09-2021 at 04:47 PM.
    Dennis & Ellie
    Current 2017 Newmar Ventana Class A & 1994 Airstream Excella Classic Limited Project
    Sold - 310-GK-R Delivered 28 Oct 2016
    2016 GMC Denali 1 Ton Diesel SRW Payload 3727LBS B&W Hitch

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