Good tow vehicle for 30' Airstream?

[marshotel]

Why would you add 30% to the GVWR? The GVWR is the MAX weight allowable with all the tanks full including all options AND FULLY LOADED. You cannot legally add more weight beyond the GVWR, so adding 30% doesn't make any sense.

It probably accounts for situations where you have to go up a hill or something

 

[patrickfinley]

Why would you add 30% to the GVWR? The GVWR is the MAX weight allowable with all the tanks full including all options AND FULLY LOADED. You cannot legally add more weight beyond the GVWR, so adding 30% doesn't make any sense. I've sold RVS for a while and the general rule of thumb and a much better rule is 80% of the tow rating as max weight. It's easy to find your weight by using a truck scale. Also watch axle ratings etc too.

Are we kind of saying the same thing? The idea is to give yourself a 20-30% cushion as far as tow rating. They are not suggesting you tow more, just that you allow yourself a gap between your vehicles max GVWR and the GVWR of the trailer.

It's to allow room for control for things like wind, hills, emergency braking or maneuvering, unintentional overloading, etc. Besides vehicle safety I'm sure it also helps prevent wear and tear on your engine.

 

[arbetrader]

Are we kind of saying the same thing? The idea is to give yourself a 20-30% cushion as far as tow rating. They are not suggesting you tow more, just that you allow yourself a gap between your vehicles max GVWR and the GVWR of the trailer.

It's to allow room for control for things like wind, hills, emergency braking or maneuvering, unintentional overloading, etc. Besides vehicle safety I'm sure it also helps prevent wear and tear on your engine.

I definitely don't disagree with the idea of having a margin of allowance, however MANY trailers will never be packed anywhere near their GVW. For example, trailer GVW is often governed by the strength of the axles/frame etc and if it's a little overbuilt it can have a 3-4000+lb payload or more depending on the size of travel trailer etc. What I do is to calculate how heavy the trailer is with all tanks full/batteries/propane etc, then add your gear to that . One could still easily be 2000lb + below GVW at that point. What I'm saying is to weigh your trailer when full to determine your average loaded weight and not to tow if that weight is more than 80-85% of your max tow rating... That's all

 

[TeCKis300]

While I agree with all points above and leaving some margin on the table, I would contend that the 100 series shouldn't be discounted as a capable tow vehicle for the full rating, especially with the later model years.

The 100 series generation was introduced in '98 with a 6500lb tow rating. Consider that the '03+ models got an upgraded 5 speed transmission, and then a power bump in 2006+ with the introduction of VVTi.

While these upgrades, and a slew of other enhancements over the years did not increase the tow rating, it surely made for a better towing platform in general. The earlier model year experiences do not necessarily represent the experience one may have with a similar load on a later model year vehicle. I've towed 6k lbs with mine and it was a stable and positive experience with plenty of power to maintain highway speeds up medium grades.