How heavy is a truck bed trailer? (examples included)
By
Elaine Knight
In this blog post, we will answer the following question: How heavy is a truck bed trailer? We will explain how one can know how much weight a truck bed trailer can hold, and present to you the top of three trucks with the best towing capacity.
How heavy is a truck bed trailer?
How heavy a truck bed trailer is will depend on its size, and there are three: short bed trucks, standard and long bed trucks. In the table below you can see the average weight of a truck bed trailer.
Average Truck Bed Weight
| Truck bed size | Truck bed weight |
| Short (5 to 6 ft) | 140lb to 200lb. |
| Standard (6 to 8 ft) | 200 and 300lbs |
| Large (8 ft and more) | 400 and 600lbs |
Truck Bed Weight Examples
| Model | Truck bed weight |
| Toyota Tundra | 300lb-500lb |
| Toyota Tacoma | 200-300lbs |
| GMC Silverado | 250-300 lbs |
| Ford F450 | 2,000lbs |
| Dodge RAM 1500 | 300-500lbs |
| CM truck beds | 700lbs |
| Chevrolet S-10 | 275 lbs |
How do I know how much weight my truck bed trailer can hold?
To safely and legally tow with your pick-up truck, you must first establish the towing capacity of the vehicle. This calculation can be done with the vehicle information that appears on the sticker located under the driver’s seat door frame.
Find the vehicle information on the sticker under the driver’s seat door frame.
Look at the total gross weight (GCWR), which refers to the weight of your vehicle, including the cargo, passengers, and trailer together.
Calculate the weight of your vehicle, already loaded with passengers and fuel. This measurement is more accurate if you weigh your vehicle on a public scale. You can find them at service stations, moving companies, gardening companies, sandboxes or gravel pits. If you can’t find a scale, calculate the weight of the vehicle by adding the total of the empty car, the weight of the passengers, and the cargo.
Subtract the loaded weight of your vehicle from the total gross weight. The resulting figure is your towing capacity. For your safety, and to be within the law, keep the weight of your vehicle below the previous weight, of the towing capacity. Weighing your trailer when it is loaded is more accurate.
What are the pick-up trucks that can hold the most weight
The following three pick-up trucks are the most capable of towing very heavy things and not just any truck is capable of doing it. Currently, there are many SUVs and pickups that have a good towing capacity, in fact, there are some that despite not being vehicles designed for towing, do it very well.
However, there are times when heavier things need to be towed and not just any truck is capable of doing the job. Therefore, here we have gathered the three pickups with the best towing capacity.
- RAM Heavy Duty 3500 (2021)
Ram Heavy Duty is available with a 6.7-litre Cummins diesel engine that is capable of producing up to 420 horsepower, an impressive 1,075 pound-feet of torque. The engine paired with a six-speed Aisin automatic transmission is the only option to handle all this power.
The mighty truck is capable of towing up to 37,000 pounds.
This pickup looks clean, sleek and modern, plus it features a number of functional enhancements. It’s rare to see a large truck that was designed for heavy-duty so sleek and attractive.
The RAM features automatic emergency braking, which is compatible with the trailer brake controller, lane keep and steering assist, blind-spot monitoring capable of counting a trailer, radar cruise control and a monitoring system. capable of monitoring up to six truck tires and 12 trailer tires.
- Ford F-450 Super Duty (2021)
The Ford F-450 is only offered with the powerful 6.7-litre Power Stroke V8 diesel engine that is capable of producing up to 475 horsepower and an impressive 1,050 pound-feet of torque. This engine works in conjunction with a new 10-speed heavy-duty TorqShift automatic transmission.
The F-450 can tow up to 24,200 pounds, in rear-wheel or four-wheel-drive configurations. However, the rear-wheel-drive F-450, equipped with a gooseneck tow hitch, will be able to tow an incredible 37,000 pounds.
Super Duty features towing technology, including class-exclusive Pro Trailer Backup Assist, that makes driving even the largest trailers in the tightest of spaces easier.
- Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD (2021)
The Silverado 3500 HD is only offered with the powerful 6.6-litre Duramax turbo-diesel engine that is capable of producing up to 445 horsepower and 910 pound-feet of torque. This engine works in conjunction with a new 10-speed heavy-duty automatic transmission.
This truck is capable of towing 20,000 pounds with a conventional hitch and up to 36,000 pounds with a fifth-wheel hitch.
What happens if the truck bed trailer is overloaded? Final thoughts
When overloading your pickup, you will notice that the vehicle is lower than normal, which can cause other components to be damaged by scraping on bumps or other accidents on the road. You may also notice squeaks or creaks, and a lack of “bounce” from the shock absorbers.
Component damage: one of the systems that suffer the most is suspension. When overloading your pickup, you will notice that the vehicle is lower than normal, which can cause other components to be damaged by scraping on bumps or other accidents on the road. You may also notice squeaks or creaks, and a lack of “bounce” from the shock absorbers.
On the other hand, the tires will also wear out faster and are more prone to a flat tire.
Greater risk of accidents: a truck with more weight than it should be, will be more difficult to control and manoeuvre. Similarly, the vehicle will not brake efficiently, requiring a longer distance to stop.
Fines: In addition to accidents and damage to your truck, you can get a fine, as established by the legislation of your locality. With all this in mind, by overloading your pickup you only increase the chances of not being able to get your load to its destination.
Overloading your pickup can damage many of its components, but above all, it can put you and the people around you at risk, so it is very important that you do not exceed the recommended weight.
Do you have any questions or comments on the content? Please let us know!
FAQ on How heavy is a truck bed trailer?
Can you tow a 5th wheel with a short bed?
Yes, you can tow a 5th wheel with a short bed, but you will have to use either a slider hitch or a sidewinder hitch. You must be careful though, if you do not secure the camper properly, it may turn over.
What is the minimum bed length for a fifth wheel?
The minimum bed length for a fifth wheel should be 8 feet.
Can a 1/2 ton truck pull a 5th wheel camper?
Yes, a ½ ton truck could pull a 5th wheel camper, but for this type of motorhome, we would suggest going higher.
Other FAQs about Truck campers that you may be interested in.
Is it legal to ride in a truck camper in Canada?
What is considered high mileage for a truck?
References
- Pickup bed trailers, I have a couple questions. Anyone have any pics?
- truck bed trailer| Off-Topic Discussion forum | – Grassroots Motorsports
- How Much Does a Truck Weigh? – J.D. Power
