Actual Towing Capacity on Door Sticker vs. Actual Trailer Weight

LynchTR · 08-25-2004, 12:42 PM

I am having issues between my Titan, the dealership and the State Police. The badge sticker on the inside of my door says that my Titan (W/ Big Tow Pkg) is only rated for a 6400 lb (GVWR)towing capacity. My horse trailer sticker says it weighs 5020 lbs. With three very healthy 1000 - 1200 lb horses in the trailer. Ooops!!!! I am over my limit and until I get a sticker that says that my truck is rated for a 9500 lb. towing capacity, I will also have a ticket as I have been informed. My service manager is doing his best to resolve this problem but nothing yet. So please, check your door badge vs your trailer weights before hitting the highway towing them and if yours is the same way, ask your dealer to correct the problem. I purchased the King Cab SE with the Big Tow Package that is supposed to raise my towing cap. to 9500 lbs. Nissan is not putting the towing upgrades on the door badges of the trucks that are being purchased with the Big Tow Package and this needs to be brought to everyone's attention or someone may have a glitch in their vacation that they didn't expect, not to mention a dent in their pocket book. I think it is more of an issue for those hauling livestock because you have to stop at the stateline weighstations to show health certificates but anyone pulling any trailer anywhere can be stopped and checked for excessive weight.

bestatchess · 08-25-2004, 12:50 PM

Thank you for this post. I am wondering does the GVWR also appear on your registration or just on the door sticker?

LynchTR · 08-25-2004, 12:57 PM

I am not 100% sure since my truck is only 2 weeks old and I have not yet received my registration.

SupraTitan · 08-25-2004, 01:02 PM

GVWR is the maximum allowable weight for a single vehicle, trailers don't count. I believe your looking for Gross combined weight rating (GCWR) which includes the vehicle and trailer.

LynchTR · 08-25-2004, 01:11 PM

GVWR of the tow vehicle includes the curb weight of the vehicle, payload, and hitch weight. Hitch weight is the percentage of the trailer weight that is placed on the trailer coupler of the tow vehicle. Reguardless, according to the LSP and the sticker on my door, I have exceeded my towing weight.

bestatchess · 08-25-2004, 01:16 PM

With all that heavy towing, you should make sure your rear differential is full.

rvsixer · 08-25-2004, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LynchTR

I am having issues between my Titan, the dealership and the State Police. The badge sticker on the inside of my door says that my Titan (W/ Big Tow Pkg) is only rated for a 6400 lb (GVWR)towing capacity. My horse trailer sticker says it weighs 5020 lbs. With three very healthy 1000 - 1200 lb horses in the trailer. Ooops!!!! I am over my limit and until I get a sticker that says that my truck is rated for a 9500 lb. towing capacity, I will also have a ticket as I have been informed. My service manager is doing his best to resolve this problem but nothing yet. So please, check your door badge vs your trailer weights before hitting the highway towing them and if yours is the same way, ask your dealer to correct the problem. I purchased the King Cab SE with the Big Tow Package that is supposed to raise my towing cap. to 9500 lbs. Nissan is not putting the towing upgrades on the door badges of the trucks that are being purchased with the Big Tow Package and this needs to be brought to everyone's attention or someone may have a glitch in their vacation that they didn't expect, not to mention a dent in their pocket book. I think it is more of an issue for those hauling livestock because you have to stop at the stateline weighstations to show health certificates but anyone pulling any trailer anywhere can be stopped and checked for excessive weight.

GVWR defines the maximum weight of the truck (truck, pax, fuel, cargo, tongue weight). Not the trailer tow capacity. Scary the state police doesn't know this

, maybe they should read the owner's manual as it explains all this stuff

.

An SE XC 2WD w/tow pkg and w/o utility bed has a tow rating of 9500lb and a CGVWR of 14,600lb (if you have anything other than a SE XC 2WD w/tow pkg and w/o utility bed the ratings are different usually less check the manual!). Of course if the truck weighs in at max GVWR your max tow capability is limited to 14,600 CGVWR-6400 GVWR = 8200lb.

SupraTitan · 08-25-2004, 01:17 PM

Gross combination weight rating (GCWR) means the weight specified by the manufacturer as the loaded weight of a combination or articulated vehicle. In the absence of a weight specified by the manufacturer, GCWR shall be determined by adding the GVWR of the power unit and the total unladen weight of the towed units and any load thereon.

bestatchess · 08-25-2004, 01:33 PM

"Scary the state police doesn't know this"

Scary indeed, you could end up like Cool Hand Luke down there on a chain gang.

LynchTR · 08-25-2004, 01:45 PM

I don't know about all of that. All I know is that according to LSP, I am overloaded. Nissan has admitted that the door badge reflects false information about the towing capabilities of the truck and they are doing their best to fix it. That is it. Maybe I misunderstood what the man was trying to say to me and I relayed it incorrectly, but the fact still remains that the sticker on the inside of my door contains some sort of false information that results in a citation and as for me, I want mine fixed.

rvsixer · 08-25-2004, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LynchTR

...and until I get a sticker that says that my truck is rated for a 9500 lb. towing capacity

Incidentally the door sticker refers you to the owner's manual for any further info, and the owner's manual lists your tow and CGVWR capacity. I take that the same as the sticker having the tow and CGVWR ratings stamped on it.

rholland · 08-25-2004, 01:53 PM

The towing spec chart is in the owner manual on page 9-23. The SE w/ Big Tow Is: 9,500 lbs(2wd K/cab)
950 lb tongue weight, 14,600 gross combined weight rating.

rvsixer · 08-25-2004, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LynchTR

Nissan has admitted that the door badge reflects false information about the towing capabilities of the truck and they are doing their best to fix it.

Most interesting admission. Did the dealer say this or Nissan corporate? The door badge doesn't even list the tow capability of the truck, how can it reflect it falsely? The door badge clearly directs you to the owner's manual for the info, and the owner's manual clearly states the tow capabilities.

LynchTR · 08-25-2004, 02:10 PM

Yes, but apparently your sticker is correct and mine is not. That is why I recommend that you check your stickers and make sure the same errors weren't made on yours. I have numbers where I should have letters and letters where I should have numbers. I didn't think anything of the sticker on the door until the whole overload thing came about over the weekend. All I am saying is that you should check the information on your door sticker and make sure that it reflects the correct information for your truck and while you are at it you may want to verify your VIN# because according to their computer, my truck was a KC XE base model. You can either use this information or not use this information, either way really doesn't matter to me. My problem is being resolved.

PHOEBISIS · 08-25-2004, 02:20 PM

LynchTR,you don't have an absolute 9500 lb tow capacity-that number is just for advertising,and confusing(it changes depending on passengers and payload).You do have 2 absolutes-6400 lbs and 14600 lbs;they don't change with passengers and payload..
The 6400 lbs is the max that the truck can weigh with just it's 4 wheels on the scale,but with the passengers in it,and the trailer attached but not on the scale.They will have you drive just just the 4 wheels onto the scale.
They then will have you drive everything onto the scale-truck,and trailer and it has to weigh 14600 or less with you in it..
You have to be under both of these limits,if not they will ticket you.No truck has an absolute towing capacity.It changes depending on passengers,bed payload.These other 2 numbers are absolutes;they don't change with payload or passengers.
The cops won't bother weighing your trailer.
The only way to get 9500 lb tow capacity with your~4800 dry weight truck is to put about 100(about 16 gallons) lbs of gas in it,and 200 of just you in it(5100 lbs).14,600-5100=9500.If you weigh more,put less gas in it.A full 28 gallons is about 150 lbs,so all you could weigh(fully clothed) is 150 lbs.Luck,Charlie
PS you should be ok,unless you are a big colt!
4800+150(gas)+900(tongue wt)=5850-so you can weigh 550 lbs
4800+150(gas)+9000=13950-so you can weigh 650 lbs