Truck reporting over hitch weight

[SkaterRace]

I have a 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 without the max towing package. It is not ideal but works fine for my 21ft center console boat. However, it sits a bit low for my comfort which I suspect is tied to what it was reporting last time I drove it. It says I am over hitch weight (GVWR) however I should be able to tow 9000 lbs and no way in hell does a 21ft center console weigh over 9000 lbs even fully loaded on an aluminum trailer.

The boat feels very comfortable behind the truck, gets up and going fast enough and brakes very well. Not as good as my old Ram Rebel but 9k vs 12k is a big difference in towing

Weight breakdown
2019 Blackfin 212CC without an engine -3600lbs
2019 Mercurty 225XL - 475lbs
2019 Load Rite aluminum tandem axle trailer - 6340-5200 = 1140lbs
Full fuel - 646lbs
Gear onboard - 100lbs
A total of 5961lbs which is 3039lbs under the weight limit and at a 10% tongue weight should give me ~600 lbs of tongue weight well under my stated max of 900lbs (door jam says this for conventional towing)

Any ideas what might be up with it? I am guessing adjusted wrong but it sits so well I am not sure what to do about it. I also have no clue how to adjust it myself and would never feel comfortable doing it myself.

 

[tpenfield]

Did you actually check the tongue weight?

 

[SkaterRace]

Did you actually check the tongue weight?

I did not, I was basing it on what the truck was reporting. I know the weight would be too high for a bathroom scale and also have not the slightest clue where the closest public scale would be. I know there are some scales along the 401 highway for transports for safety checks and the only other scales I know of are at the dump. Not sure if there would be a provincial one around or a local business either.

 

[tpenfield]

There are some ball hitch scales that you can buy for not too much money . . . You can also Google how to use a bathroom scale to check/calculate the tongue weight.

Going to the public scales may be more appropriate to get the total weight

 

[Scott Danforth]

stock class 3 hitch is limited way under what the truck can haul.

what is the class rating of the hitch under your truck?
what is the setting on your electric stuff that is telling you that you are over-weight?
what is your actual tongue weight?

below stollen from the Curt website. https://www.curtmfg.com/trailer-parts/couplers/learn-more

B. Measuring with a Bathroom Scale

1. Park on a level surface. ...
2. Lay a 2x4 stud on the ground. ...
3. Position a bathroom scale at one end and a block at the other. ...
4. Center the stud on two pipes. ...
5. Rest the trailer tongue on a vertical pipe. ...
6. Read the scale and multiple by 3.

 

[dingbat]

I have a 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 without the max towing package. It is not ideal but works fine for my 21ft center console boat. However, it sits a bit low for my comfort which I suspect is tied to what it was reporting last time I drove it. It says I am over hitch weight (GVWR) however I should be able to tow 9000 lbs and no way in hell does a 21ft center console weigh over 9000 lbs even fully loaded on an aluminum trailer.

The boat feels very comfortable behind the truck, gets up and going fast enough and brakes very well. Not as good as my old Ram Rebel but 9k vs 12k is a big difference in towing

Weight breakdown
2019 Blackfin 212CC without an engine -3600lbs
2019 Mercurty 225XL - 475lbs
2019 Load Rite aluminum tandem axle trailer - 6340-5200 = 1140lbs
Full fuel - 646lbs
Gear onboard - 100lbs
A total of 5961lbs which is 3039lbs under the weight limit and at a 10% tongue weight should give me ~600 lbs of tongue weight well under my stated max of 900lbs (door jam says this for conventional towing)

Went through this exercise this Spring.
Factory recommends tongue weight for that trailer at 7% which puts you 30% heavy on your tongue weight.

Are you getting this number with a completely empty truck?
Class 4 hitch?

Boat not properly positioned relative to the center of gravity will make you way tongue heavy

 

[redneck joe]

Do scotts thing with the bathroom scale and defer to heavy. Better than too light.

 

[dingbat]

The other thing of note is your manual says the overload is calculated, not real.

Gross Combined Weight (GCW) Alert

If equipped, the GCW Alert can display a message in the Driver Information Center (DIC), indicating that the estimated combined weight of the vehicle and trailer may exceed the vehicle’s GCWR, under certain circumstances. See “Gross Combined Weight Rating” above.

The vehicle does not actually measure the loaded weight of your vehicle or trailer. It uses vehicle data to estimate these weights after you begin a trip.

The alert will not activate unless:
The feature is turned on in the trailering application. See Trailering App pg 321.

The vehicle-trailer combination have been used enough together for the software to estimate the combined vehicle and trailer weight.

The estimated weight could exceed the vehicle’s maximum GCWR and from the Trailering App section (app info starts on page 321, this is from pg 327)

Looks to be a problem with the system

Warning message while towing

Today while towing my travel trailer with my 2022 chevy 1500 lt duramax, I got this message display on the dashboard (dic). Warning vehicle/trailer weight may exceed combined gross vehicle weight rating. Any idea what cause this warning message to display? I know the weight of the truck and trail...

www.gm-trucks.com

 

[redneck joe]

Too dam many thing on new vehicles. Im actively looking for a 70s truck.

 

[Scott Danforth]

My next truck will be made just for these reasons. 1996-1997 Dodge Cummins chassis, warmed over compound turbo 12-valve, manual transmission or Allison, 1948-1984 Chevrolet 4100 cab and front clip, custom bed

 

[Alumarine]

https://www.princessauto.com/en/trailer-tongue-weight-scale/product/PA0009051673

 

[dingbat]

https://www.princessauto.com/en/trailer-tongue-weight-scale/product/PA0009051673

Interesting…… I was looking for something like that earlier in the year

Ended up buying a #600 “crane” scale on Amazon for $25
Used the front end loader to lift the tongue.

 

[JASinIL2006]

In addition to your tongue weight, what is the payload weight in the truck (including passengers)? Lots of light duty trucks run out of payload capacity (e.g., tongue weight plus gear in truck plus passengers weight) before they exceed towing capacity.

 

[bruceb58]

I use a Sherline scale.

Amazon.com

for my boat/trailer that weighs around 6500# I get around 600#. Since that is over the 500# dead weight rating of my receiver, I use a weight distributing hitch.

 

[KD4UPL]

Until you weight the rig and get truck axle weights and tongue weight this whole discussion is pointless. Your truck doesn't know the weight of your trailer and neither do you.
It's entirely posible you have enough people, pets, tools, cargo, and accesories that you are over on payload.

 

[bruceb58]

I am also looking for a new truck 3/4T GMC Denali or Ford F250 Lariat with everything I can put on it. Personally, I love the tech especially adaptive cruise control.

 

[SkaterRace]

Too dam many thing on new vehicles. Im actively looking for a 70s truck.

I agree, I hate the new trucks for half of what they offer and the other half is either nice or I just don't care. If I could get a 10 year old duramax I gladly would but around here they all have too much rust for my liking

 

[SkaterRace]

Until you weight the rig and get truck axle weights and tongue weight this whole discussion is pointless. Your truck doesn't know the weight of your trailer and neither do you.
It's entirely posible you have enough people, pets, tools, cargo, and accesories that you are over on payload.

I can pretty well ensure I am not over with stuff and people in the truck, I myself weigh about 140lbs soaking wet and it goes off when I am by myself. The only stuff I keep in my truck is a small backpack full of overnight stuff as well as 4 rachet straps and 1 tarp. I normally grab everything from the house when I need it. Only thing added to that truck is tint too so nothing there. It is a factory truck

 

[SkaterRace]

https://www.princessauto.com/en/trailer-tongue-weight-scale/product/PA0009051673

Ended up getting someone to pick up one of these for me and I'll grab it after the holidays when I see them and test it out first chance I get with snow gone. Might be a bit off with the winterization but should give a rough idea. still

 

[SkaterRace]

In addition to your tongue weight, what is the payload weight in the truck (including passengers)? Lots of light duty trucks run out of payload capacity (e.g., tongue weight plus gear in truck plus passengers weight) before they exceed towing capacity.

I have maybe ~170lbs worth of stuff and people in at the lightest when this triggers. In theory I think I get 1200-1400 lbs of payload or something like that. So 900 lbs for trailer max then even say 200 lbs of people and stuff and it should still be well under.