Just as a reference, my Horton Hauler, 25' with dove tail, dual legs, tool box GN trailer with two 10,000# axles had an MCO weight of 6,100, but a scale weight of 6,800 empty. Depending on your load and how you load, determining your tongue weight on the G/N will help you figure on your GVW rating of the trailer, the truck, and combined - maybe that'll help you answer your question. My rig (as below) combined weighs in empty around 15,000# with 35 gal of fuel. So, per the GVW RATING of the truck (12,200) and the trailer (20,000), I couold put 17,000# on it and be "legal" per the maximum GVW RATING -

 

so how does it work?truck gvwr plus trailer gvwr equals gcvw?
and if your truck gvwr is 12000# and your trailer is 20,000#(25% of trailer on hitch equals 5000#)is does your truck become legally overweighted?or does truckgvwr not count anymore if a trailer is hooked up and the law is gcvw now not truck gvwr?and if dodge reccomended gcvw is 23000# is your 32000# overweight?
I've towed small construction equipment all my life and did'nt even no about towing laws,now that I'm looking at a personnal 44 footer(about 15000#) I'm discovering a lot of towing laws with serious consequences,very complicated.

 

Also look at Longhorn trailers in Texas. i saw them on the internet i think in not sure of the site address. Iam looking at getting a 32 or 34 foot dovetail.

When you start making all that money just go get you one of those M class freightliners. I man i know in the mowing business has one he bought used for about $ 22,000. extreamly nice rig.

 

Rock on dude!!

I finish in December as well, Major in Biology, Minor in Chemistry!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Tx

 

My understanding is as you stated:
Truck + Trailer = Gross COMBINED Vehicle Weight
Regarding the GVW RATING:
My Dodge weighs (full fuel/no gear or passenger) 8,120#. Its GVW RATING is 12,200, so that means it can "accomodate" 4,080# (which would be tongue weight, gear, me). Also, it has specific AXLE WEIGHT RATINGS, so one needs to be certain that each AXLE is not overloaded, even if the entire load is under the GVWR.
In my set up, as I said it weighs around 15K empty. Truck is 8,200, trailer is 6800. So, if 25% is tongue weight (variable as to load and HOW load is placed), that means that, when connected, my TRUCK is now +1700 tongue weight, or at 9,900, and the trailer axle weight (empty) is reduced to 5,100 - combined of course I am still 15,000, but it has been DISTRIBUTED. If I put a 10,000# load on it, I assume 25% of THAT load will also transfer to the tongue, +2,500. There is debate about what % tongue weight is - it all depends on how you load - but getting an empty weight on your truck, and then a weight when the trailer is hooked up, you'll see how much empty weight has been distributed to the tongue - a good reference point for your specific rig.

That should leave me with a truck @ 12,400 (which is 200# OVER the GVW for the truck, assuming the full 25% tongue weight), and the trailer at 12,600 (5,100 empty plus reduced load weight of 7,500) for a COMBINED loaded weight of 25,000#, which is 7,200# UNDER my combined decal GVW for the truck and trailer, perhaps a little OVER on the truck, but well UNDER on the trailer, so I would try to adjust my load back a bit to take a little more weight off the tongue. It is good to have enough room on one's trailer to be able to adjust the load, when one has fixed axles.

I suggest that you weigh the truck empty (full fuel). Then weigh the truck and trailer together (empty), you'll then have a baseline. When you have a load, weigh them again, which helps you understand how WHERE you place your load effects tongue weight. Keep those slips with you - they may prove useful if you get stopped (but don't help THEM prove their case !).

My goal is to try and keep my truck weight (and especially my rear axle weight) UNDER the RATINGS on the Dodge decal. My trailer is overbuilt, so I am not worried about it being safe with my loads. Dodge advised me with my G/N set up and my truck specifics that the "maximum towing capacity" was "16,300#" - so that makes me feel OK with my empty trailer weight and a 10K load. It is not only about being "legal" (which as I wrote before, is not always easy to do EVEN when you are trying !), but about being "safe", and also about not tearing up your equipment. The $15 I spent in weighing my truck (alone) and then with my trailer connected was money well spent, it gave me a lot of good information. I can also prove to anyone that I have been dilligent in trying to do things right - information is power !

It is a bit confusing and daunting, but at least a moderate understanding of GVW, GVWR (rating), GCVW (combined), tare weight, etc helps to know what loads you can carry, and where you should place them. A lot of the numbers don't add up, so one can only do the best possible !

 

so I guess its a do your best type thing and a no win situation and if you get a young eager cop your at his mercy.so your saying carry as much info as you can to prove your case.I read on here some guys saying overloaded fines are huge and avoid it at all costs,others saying you cant avoid being overloaded and hope for the best,sounds like some states are easy and some are big on fines(revenue for the state)I think there should be a federal standard uniform to all states instead of not knowing what the next state you go through laws are.this is why I want rv plates on my new trailer,to be exempt from all the contrasting state laws.thanks for helping shed a little light on the subject.

 

I've got a 25' delta 20' w/5' dove & I really like it, it's just a single wheel, wish I had a dual wheeled one, but I bought this one slightly used ( hauled a couple loads of hay) & got a heckuva deal so I went ahead & bought it, we build fence & have a 236 Cat & a LS170 Hew Holland & have hauled them both a few times on a single wheeled trailer, but I wouldn't make a habit of that, on one w/duals it shouldn't be a problem, & 28'-30' should give you plenty of room, as far as the 3/4 ton truck goes, I wouldn't worry bout that, not sure about pulling a gooseneck w/that much lift though??? guess u'd just have to try it & see, but back to the trailers, I really like my Delta have had good luck w/it, & a friend of mine had a CTC trailer (built in Oklahoma somewhere?) & it was an extremely well built trailer had good luck out of it also, Cherokee is a tough trailer as well as Pro-Trak, I've used all of these & think they are all great choices, hope this helps, Dusty