What size truck do I need to haul a travel trailer?

Understanding different trailer sizes can be difficult if you have never purchased a trailer before.A team of trailer experts at Leonard can help you determine the right size trailer for your application.Whether you need to haul a truck, building materials, all-terrain vehicles, or anything else, there is a trailer size to suit your specific needs.If you would like us to walk you through the process, please give us a call or send us an email.To determine what size trailer you can tow, you need to gather a few important pieces of information.First of all, find the gross vehicle weight rating of the vehicle you plan to use to tow the trailer.Pick out your specific or broad needs.What are you towing?Is your haul exposed to the elements?How far will you travel?The questions will help you figure out which type of trailer is best for you.The guide below can help you figure out the right trailer size for your application.You can get the best advice based on your vehicle and usage.

You need to know about GVWR.towing tells you the maximum weight of cargo and passengers you can carry in your pickup truck, SUV, or CUV.All passengers, fuel, fluids, and cargo are included in GVWR.Regardless of what you tow, GVWR is engineered in when the vehicle is manufactured.

The GVWR must include the tongue weight.When you hook up your trailer, you need to know how much weight capacity you have left.

If you have a 5,000-pound truck with a 6,300 pound GVWR, you can safely carry 1,300 pounds in the vehicle.The amount of passengers and gear you can carry is reduced if you are towing a trailer with a 300-pound tongue weight.

You most likely already own your vehicle, and that will be a major factor in deciding what size hitch & trailer to get.

This is an obvious decision for some.The two most common for consumers are Cargo/Enclosed trailers and Utility/ Open trailers.Each Leonard location has a wide range of sizes for both Cargo and Utility trailers.The dimensions and weight of the biggest and heaviest stuff you may need to haul is your first consideration.

It is possible to see the available sizes for both Cargo Trailers and Utility Trailers.The tables were set up by width and length.We ranked each size by the number of units purchased after looking at the last 12 months of sales data.The rankings were plotted on the table to show popularity for each size.The chart below shows the top three selling sizes for cargo trailers.

When comparing the same 12 month period sales data in units, the mix is different for open utility trailers.There are three size utility trailers that are popular.

It's confusing that each trailer has a GVWR, which lets you know the maximum weight of the trailer.The weight is usually determined by the weakest component when the manufacturer sets the GVWR.This is difficult because the axles have a weight rating called GAWR.Most trailer manufacturers set their GVWR at the same weight of the GAWR to be safe and because the DOT usually has restrictions based on GAwr.

Sometimes the GAWR will be set lower than the actual capacity to make sure the trailer stays under a restriction level.The values enforced will be the ratings posted on the trailer and vehicle.Payload is what we want to know.How much more stuff can I cram into my trailer after I load the fridge?The empty trailer's weight is subtracted from the GVWR to calculate load capacity.If your hitch and vehicle weight ratings allow it, you can haul 1,999 lbs on a trailer with a deadweight of 1,000 lbs.We have professionals at each of our Leonard locations who can help you out with all of this, so stop by when you get an opportunity, and we will work it all out for you.