urb Weight vs Gross Weight (What’s the Difference?)
Thinking about towing or transporting heavy loads in your new truck? If you’re thinking about buying a truck soon, it’s important to think about how you want to drive, where you want to go with your truck, and what you want to take with you. Some are much more comfortable, powerful, or cost-effective than others.
Your driver’s door jamb will have some important information on it that tells you how much your truck can carry. Read on to find out what each one means and which applies to you.
How much does my car weigh?
Curbside weight
Curbside weight is often used to refer to the weight of a vehicle when it is sitting unoccupied and unladen on the dealer’s lot. This includes the weight of any optional equipment that may be installed on the vehicle.
Vehicle Curb Weight
A vehicle’s curb weight is also known as the vehicle’s curb weight. This weight is often equivalent to the vehicle’s weight.
According to the U.S. Federal Government, a vehicle’s curb weight is “the weight of the vehicle with the maximum capacity of all fluids necessary to operate the vehicle, but does not include any cargo, passengers, or accessories that are typically removed from the vehicle and not in use.”
Supporting Load
Tongue weight is the weight of the trailer resting on the truck’s hitch. Ideally, tongue load should be about 10-15% of the trailer’s total weight. The placement of the load on or in the trailer affects the tongue load. Make sure the trailer is balanced and not pushing the weight too far back. A good rule of thumb is to have 60% of the load evenly distributed on the front half of the trailer.
If you’ve never towed anything before, have someone with experience check your work before you set off.
Payload
The payload of a truck is the amount of weight it can carry. This is the total weight of everything in the bed and everything in the cabin.
Trailer tongue weight affects payload. Buying a heavier trim will increase the weight of your truck, which may reduce payload and towing capacity.
Premium trims tend to be very heavy and may reduce payload even with all-wheel drive. This is especially true when higher trim levels use the same drivetrain and suspension components.
Maximum Allowed Weight
The GVWR is the maximum weight a vehicle can carry, taking into account the combined weight of all luggage and occupants. The tongue weight of a trailer affects the allowable gross vehicle weight.
Allowable Axle Load
Allowable axle load is the maximum weight each axle can support. The driver’s door frame may have separate front (FR) and rear (RR) axles. When loading your vehicle, pay attention to the weight distribution of your load. This can affect the vehicle’s weight distribution and can have a significant negative effect on the vehicle’s ride and handling. Large trucks have stiffer springs than half-tons and pickup trucks.
Maximum weight allowed
The gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight rating (GCWR) is the weight of the vehicle, all occupants and cargo, plus the weight of the trailer and its cargo.
How many trucks should I buy? Haven’t bought a truck yet? A little planning before you buy a car can help you ensure you buy the right device for your needs.
Large trucks have much higher payload and towing capacities than self-contained SUVs or half-ton pickup trucks. The downsides are that they are expensive to maintain, consume a lot of fuel, and are often difficult to maneuver in tight urban areas.
Not sure how much your load will weigh? It might be wise to do a little research into the type of trailer and the weight of the load you plan to tow or transport.
If you live in a high altitude area, plan to cross mountainous terrain, or both, you should consider buying a truck with a much higher towing capacity than you plan to use it for.
A large truck will be less stressed by the same load than a half-ton pickup truck, especially if the load is close to the half-ton load limit. This means there’s less wear and tear on heavy truck components (like brakes and transmissions) and the truck can withstand the constant demands of towing for a longer period of time.
