GCWR -Suburban

[SUBURBAN5]

This is the part you're missing. The law is enforced per statute. That's why the tag is there, it's required by law. Just like a vin. And a license plate. And a driver's license.
20+ years of Class A CDL experience here, you're free to take or leave my advice, I'll let it go with that.

Since your a veteran CDL driver I'm sure your right. I'm not an expert nor have first hand experience. All I'm saying is the vehicle manufacturer does provide towing information that a regular driver such as myself can look up and tow safe. If the vehicle is within weight rating and your trailer is within weight rating and your combined weight is within rating. You shouldn't have any issues. Yes weighing your vehicle is the most accurate way to tow since realistically people over look tools, food, luggage and ect. We still need a starting point instead of guessing and be careless. Like some people do around the world..
Hats off for being a commercial driver. I don't know how you put up with it...

 

[SUBURBAN5]

Interesting, that one place it says a C1500 Burb, 5.7 engine and 3.42 gears can haul 5500#, and another place it says the same truck can haul 6000#. And also that having a 3.73 rear axle ratio adds 1000# of hauling capacity....

I saw that too on the 373

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Since your a veteran CDL driver I'm sure your right. I'm not an expert nor have first hand experience. All I'm saying is the vehicle manufacturer does provide towing information that a regular driver such as myself can look up and tow safe. If the vehicle is within weight rating and your trailer is within weight rating and your combined weight is within rating. You shouldn't have any issues. Yes weighing your vehicle is the most accurate way to tow since realistically people over look tools, food, luggage and ect. We still need a starting point instead of guessing and be careless. Like some people do around the world..
Hats off for being a commercial driver. I don't know how you put up with it...

Hopefully next year before I go to a meet out of town, but after I've loaded, I can get my rig to the scales. I figure we were running at or a little bit over rated gcvw (9000#) on Rawhide, going to Austin last April.

 

[SUBURBAN5]

Hopefully next year before I go to a meet out of town, but after I've loaded, I can get my rig to the scales. I figure we were running at or a little bit over rated gcvw (9000#) on Rawhide, going to Austin last April.

Being heavy duty I wouldn't be surprised. I was surprised our burbs curb weight is about 4k pounds. I thought they were heavier

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Being heavy duty I wouldn't be surprised. I was surprised our burbs curb weight is about 4k pounds. I thought they were heavier

I think the license weight on my burb is 5100#. Burbs are about 1000# more than pickups because of the "built in camper" and interior. Rawhide's base weight is 5500# IIRC, remember that's spread out over 21 feet and a 3/8" minimum thickness frame.

 

[SUBURBAN5]

I think the license weight on my burb is 5100#. Burbs are about 1000# more than pickups because of the "built in camper" and interior. Rawhide's base weight is 5500# IIRC, remember that's spread out over 21 feet and a 3/8" minimum thickness frame.

Yup your right I just looked at the title. It says 5100 as well

 

[L31MaxExpress]

While interesting, for legal purposes the brochure and glovebox sticker are irrelevant. The only thing that matters to law enforcement is the tag on the door jamb, and your plate classification. The legality of weight, width, length, and height are all determined by those. The legality of your operating said combination is determined by your license.
Typically only applied to commercial hauling, but I've seen them hammer private owners as well.

NONE of my GMs (I have owned atleast 15) have ever had any weight ratings for towing on the door jamb or anywhere else. Same for the Dodge and Nissans I have owned. There is GVW, front and rear axle weight ratings and tire size and inflation on on the door jamb sticker. The only place to find it is in the manufacturer information on that model or occassionally in a chart in the owners manual showing specific combinations.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

I think the license weight on my burb is 5100#. Burbs are about 1000# more than pickups because of the "built in camper" and interior. Rawhide's base weight is 5500# IIRC, remember that's spread out over 21 feet and a 3/8" minimum thickness frame.

The license weight atleast in Texas is not even close though. They have my Express van as 4,700 lbs on the title. It was over 5,200 lbs as a base cargo van and gained a good bit of weight during the conversion process. That weight is merely what they are taxing you for at registration time. To get an accurate weight, run it over a CAT scale. They have an app that you can pay and weigh and not even get out of your truck.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[scottydl]

Trailer Life Towing Guides (free online, a new edition released every year) are the source I always used to determine towing capacity. It’s the general go-to in the RV circles I’m a part of. Those TL guides go back to 1999 and I extended that data back to 1995 (since there is no other source widely available) for the Burb C2500 that I had for towing our 9500# trailer. With the 7.4L and 4.10 gears it was rated at 10k# towing, compared to the later-offered 8.1L that went up to 12k#.

Biggest 2500 gas engine (or even the 6.2 or 6.5? diesel) with 3.73 gears topped out at around 8500# towing IIRC, similar to GMT800 Burbs with the 6.0L after the 7.4 and 8.1 were dropped as options. That’s why 4.10 gears is a crucial option if you’re doing any heavy towing.

 

[tinfoil_hat]

My 'burb might pull 6k lbs but no way in hell it would stop it.
My little landscaping trailer full of firewood or camping supplies is enough to fade the brakes coming down the Sierras.