I checked and my vehicle supports something like 3,500 lbs per
axle...way more than I need. Thanks for the tip!!

"Nosey" > wrote in message >...
> 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.