Understanding Truck Trailer Weights

There are many people who, when shopping around for a truck trailer, dismiss several trailers because of the weight rating. While some may be doing so for the right reasons, others may be misinterpreting the information and disregarding a perfectly valid trailer. When they look at the weight label on the outside of the truck trailer, they will see that the weight listed exceeds the amount that their truck can tow. This is not the weight rating that you should be looking for when making this decision, however.

The weight listed on the outside of the truck trailer is known as the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, or GVWR. The GVWR tells you the total amount of weight that the trailer can carry. This means that if the trailer itself weighs six thousand pounds, and the GVWR is eight thousand pounds, the trailer can carry two thousand pounds. It is entirely possible for you to tow a trailer with a GVWR that is higher than your towing capacity, as long as the weight of the trailer itself is not higher than the towing capacity.

When buying a truck trailer, then, there are a couple things to consider in relation to weight. First of all, you need to take into account how much weight you plan on towing. The amount of weight that you add to the trailer should not cause the total weight of the trailer to exceed the GVWR. In addition to this, you need to consider if the total weight that you plan to tow will exceed the towing capacity of your truck. These are two separate considerations. The GVWR is not used to determine if your truck can two the trailer, it is used to determine how much weight can be safely placed on the trailer.

As long as the trailer is made by a manufacturer that is a member of the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, as it should be, a weight rating label with more detailed information can be found on the inside of the trailer. This will list the GVWR, the Unloaded Vehicle Weight, and the amount of weight that can be added to the trailer, known as the Cargo Carrying Capacity. The Unloaded Vehicle Weight is the weight of the trailer itself. This is the factor that you should be looking at when deciding if it is possible for you to tow the trailer. The GVWR simply tells you the total weight you would be towing if the trailer was completely filled to capacity.