Steve wrote:
> Would it hurt to carry 1700lbs (of solid metal, literally) in the back
> of a V-6, 200 horsepower 1/2 ton pickup? I know that 1700lbs is more
> than 1/2 a ton, but I'm not sure if that's an accurate way to measure
> a truck's carrying capabilities. I know that I can tow more than
> 1700lbs...but is it safe to carry that much weight in the back of the
> truck?
>
> Any feedback would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks!
> Steve

The load rating for your truck can be found on a sticker on the driver's
door jamb, and if you really want to know for sure you need to visit a scale
that can weigh the front and rear axles independently. GVWR is the gross
vehicle weight rating. That is the maximum total weight that your truck is
allowed to weigh including the truck, load, fuel, passengers, and anything
else including the tongue weight of a trailer (more on trailers later).
There is also GAWR (gross axle weight rating) for the front and rear. That
is the maximum weight allowed on that axle. You are not supposed to exceed
any of these three ratings. It's possible to stay under gross weight and
have an overloaded axle or to load both axles under the GAWR for each and
still be over gross. Will 1700 lbs. damage your truck or cause you to crash?
Who knows for sure. It would probably be safer if you rented or borrowed a
utility trailer that could handle the load and tow it, but now you get to
worry about the towing capacity. It isn't hard to figure out if you
understand how. Check your owner's manual for the maximum tongue weight you
are allowed with the type of hitch you have. It's different for each type
truck and hitch. The tongue weight is the amount of weight the trailer puts
on the hitch ball. The tongue weight of ball towed trailers must be not less
than 10% but no more than 15% of the trailer's weight. If your truck is
equipped with a bumper hitch it might be rated for 500 lbs max tongue
weight. Use the hitch rating to figure out what the trailer weight allowance
would be. The max trailer weight rating for a 500 lb. tongue weight rating
is 5,000 lbs. This is at 10% tongue weight. If the trailer's tongue weight
is 15% of the trailer weight you only get to tow up to 3,333 lbs. Remember
that the tongue weight takes away from your GVWR and GAWR, so don't load the
truck bed up to capacity and still expect to tow a trailer. To figure out
what the tongue weight is you need to weigh the truck without the trailer
and then with the trailer. The total weight of the combined rig subtracted
from the total weight of the truck without the trailer is the trailer's
weight. The difference between the weight of the truck before and after the
trailer is connected is the tongue weight.