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Member
Posts: 25
Location: Columbus, OH | Hi, sorry, because I know this has been done to death, but I'm still confused. What is the difference between Maximum Towing and Maximum GVWR? How can Maximum Towing be higher than Maximum GVWR? I'm researching Suburbans and Expeditions as I'm considering purchasing a used one as a tow vehicle (yes, another topic,) ;) and I saw under 2000 Expedition 2WD Eddie Bauer and XLT models is 8300 each, but Max GVWR is 7000 and 6700 respectively. The 4WD Max towing is 6900 EB and 7400 XLT, and Max GVWR 7200 EB and 6980 XLT. The Suburban (a 1997 GMC 1500 btw,) and all other trucks I've looked up all have the Max GVWR as HIGHER than the Max towing. Why is that??? Also, why is the 2WD capable of towing more than the 4WD? Thanks for any and all answers! Gunnerhorse | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 402
Location: Lockport, Illinois | GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) means the maximum allowable weight of the fully loaded vehicle, including liquids, passengers, cargo and the tongue weight of any towed
The GVWR has nothing to do with the weight of the trailer, only what added weight the trailer puts on the towing vehicle
Edited by BigT 2007-09-30 1:21 PM
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Member
Posts: 25
Location: Columbus, OH | Originally written by BigT on 2007-09-30 2:17 PM GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) means the maximum allowable weight of the fully loaded vehicle, including liquids, passengers, cargo and the tongue weight of any towed
The GVWR has nothing to do with the weight of the trailer, only what added weight the trailer puts on the towing vehicle Hi Big T, Thanks for your response. That does make sense. And does explain why most vehicles whose ratings I have looked at have the GVWR as HIGHER than the Max Tow rating. What you stated has been my understanding of GVWR. I guess my question would have been better phrased as: " Why do those specific models I mentioned have the Max Tow rating HIGHER than the GVWR?" Am I maybe missing something regarding what tongue weight is? Thanks, Ghorse. | |
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Expert
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Location: Vermont | Originally written by Gunnerhorse on 2007-09-30 1:46 PM Also, why is the 2WD capable of towing more than the 4WD? Gunnerhorse The transfer case, gearbox and drivelines for the front axle of a 4WD have to be subtracted from the total weight available for load and towing... | |
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Expert
Posts: 3853
Location: Vermont | Originally written by Gunnerhorse on 2007-09-30 5:32 PM Originally written by BigT on 2007-09-30 2:17 PM GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) means the maximum allowable weight of the fully loaded vehicle, including liquids, passengers, cargo and the tongue weight of any towed
The GVWR has nothing to do with the weight of the trailer, only what added weight the trailer puts on the towing vehicle Hi Big T, Thanks for your response. That does make sense. And does explain why most vehicles whose ratings I have looked at have the GVWR as HIGHER than the Max Tow rating. What you stated has been my understanding of GVWR. I guess my question would have been better phrased as: " Why do those specific models I mentioned have the Max Tow rating HIGHER than the GVWR?" Am I maybe missing something regarding what tongue weight is? Thanks, Ghorse. We need to look at terminology...check out Tow Rating and Actual towing capacity below...I think you will have a better handle on the advertising numbers... GVW: Gross Vehicle Weight - the actual weight of a vehicle.
GVWR: Gross Vehicle Weight Rating: The maximum allowed GVW for a vehicle.
GCW: Gross Combined Weight: The total weight of everything - tow vehicle, trailer, etc.
GCWR: The maximum allowed GCW.
GAW (front or rear): The Gross Axle Weight - the amount of weight on that particular axle.
GAWR (front or rear): The Gross Axle Weight Rating: The maximum allowed GAW.
UVW: Unloaded Vehicle Weight, also know as "Dry Weight". This is the weight of a trailer with no liquids or options. The GVW of the trailer will usually be 500-1500 pounds more than this number.
Tow Rating: The rated towing capacity of a tow vehicle - generally based upon curb weight plus one 150-lb driver. This number is NOT designed as an indicator of what you can tow under normal conditions, but it is useful for comparisons.
Actual towing capacity is about 1,000 pounds less that the tow rating, or, to be more accurate, it's GCWR-GVW, provided that the number you get is less than the tow rating, which it may not be for certain vehicles (it's pretty unusual - mostly heavier duty trucks).
A note on GVWR and GCWR: Sometimes odd things happen with GVWR and GCWR on larger trucks especially. The thing to remember is that neither GVWR nor GCWR can be exceeded safely | |
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Maximum Tow'ing vs. Maximum GVWR why don't they make sense??
