Can I Pull a 6900-lbs Trailer with my 2008 Chevy Silverado Extended Cab with Short Bed

Question:

Hello, I have an 08 Silverado 4wd ext. cab 6.5 ft box, z71. My GVWR is 7000 lbs. my GCWR is 13-14k. My GAWR for each axle is 3950. My 2019 rockwood mini lite is GVWR is 6869lbs. Double axle trailer and the GAWR is 3080 for each axle. I have a WDH to go with the trailer at is rated for 10k lbs. Will I have to upgrade my truck for this trailer? I’m at a loss trying to figure this out. Thanks,

asked by: Chad F

Expert Reply:

I'll start off by saying that the weights that you're seeing are the maximum capacities and not their actual weights, so you've got some room to work with. The GVWR is going to be the total weight that the truck can support with passengers and cargo (it factors in 150-lbs for the driver of the vehicle already)- your curb weight is going to be less than that, which is why when you're adding everything up it appears to be over. The good news is that the curb weight of the truck looks to be around 5000-lbs, so as long you're not loading both the truck and the camper to their maximum, you will be just fine towing that trailer with your 2008 Chevy Silverado.

I do recommend running a VIN check to get the build sheet of your truck using a VIN decoder site, so that you can determine what the rear differential is geared at, since that will give you an extra 1000-lbs to work with. As I mentioned previously, as long as you take care not to overload the truck and trailer, you should be able to keep it under the 13000-lbs without issue.

expert reply by: Erik B