How much weight can I carry?

[m3talc0re]

I've got an 83 GMC C1500 with a 305 and a th350 trans. Does anyone know how much weight I can carry on the truck bed? Or even how much I can tow?

[Irish_Alley]

i did write this up a while ago
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=33169.0

but the things to consider with towing stuff in your bed and even in a trailer is front tire contact. ive hauled some loads back when i was a newb that now i wouldnt even try. i go off of how much my rear end squats and this will reflect on how much my front tires are touching the ground, you dont want to sacrifice steering at all.

with a trailer its going to depend on the trailers rating and if it has brakes and how many axles it has. if its a dual axle trailer and with brakes and your hitch is rated for it you can haul a car/truck no problem. one main thing is your trans temp, the hotter it gets the more the trans fluid breaks down and when it breaks down next is your clutches. so if you can get a trans temp sensor put in and keep within your GVWR, hitch rating, terrain (hills) and trailer rating and you wont have any issues.

this is from another post that i made with a guy with a c10 but a 700r4.

your gvwr (gross vehicle weight rating) should be about 6100 curb weight is somewhere between 4000 and 4500. so that leaves with about 2000 lb towing capacity. but dont think 2000 lbs??? that means i cant tow my truck. all that includes is the weight on the front and rear tires, it doesnt include the trailer weight just the tongue weight on the trailer. now your GCWR (gross combination weight rating) includes tow vehicle + trailer and everything in it). i cant help you with those numbers but you can tow a truck (OUT OF OD) as long as you dont have over 2000 lbs of tongue weight. also even with a class 4 hitch your max tongue weight is only 1400 lbs, if your using the stock bumper hitch i think the max is only 400 lbs and i wouldnt tow much more than a bass boat on that.

So as long as your truck can stop (trailer brakes are a must imo) and youre using a hitch you can safely tow another vehicle. but keep in mind the terrain youll be in, i wouldnt take that truck in the hills with a truck on the back.

http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=34958.msg296769#msg296769

[75gmck25]

My '75 GMC K25 has a GVW plate inside the frame of the driver's door.  It is is a 3/4 Camper Special and the plate says its rated for 8400 GVW, with 5650 lbs on the rear axle and 3800 on the front axle (I know, the numbers don't really add up).  Your truck should have a similar data plate.

Since my truck is rated at 8400 lbs , and probably has an unloaded weight of about 4200 lbs, it should be able to carry a total of 4200 lbs of passengers and cargo.   If you allow about 600 lbs for 3 passengers, that puts the cargo max at about 3600 lbs.   I've had up to 1.2 tons (2400 lbs) of cargo measured at the scale and the truck seemed to handle and stop without any problem.

Bruce

[Catrik]

Don't you guys have these written on your registration papers? In my country there is always weight of the vehicle in normal driving condition, maximum in can weight total with cargo, max load per axle and maximum weigh you can tow with brakes. Trailers with no brakes is always 750kg

[Irish_Alley]

yes and no. in maryland as im sure its kind of the way most states go, i can register my vehicle at X amount. but that only means what im supposed to weight not what i can carry according to my gvwr. if you reg less your tag tax will be less, like if i reg my 1 ton at 6000 lbs then i cant haul over that 6000 even if my gvwr is 9k or ill face fines if caught by dot. same deal with trailers, i know a lot of locals were calling up to main to get tags for their trailers cause they require very little and you dont have to live in that state. but DOT was busting them cause they carried no trailer ratings unless you specified when you got your tag and you could put 20k lbs on your registration but you still cant go over your gvwr or trailer rating