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Long and odd rear suspension question.


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So first off my understanding of the HD payload package is this, different gears and basically an extra leaf spring. True or not true? So with that question, the “axle housing” is the same correct? I ask because right before trading in my last truck, Ford, which had the HD tow, the wife told me we were never going to buy a TT. Well the COVID hit and our Hawaii trip had to get canceled for the year, so she made us get one. I have towed it home from the dealer, and on one 200 mile round trip with no issues towing at all. I just am concerned about the fact that the “payload” of the non HD tow is 1560 lbs ish.
 

With the trailer at about 800 lbs, my canopy I’m guessing 200 lbs, 2 65 lbs labs and their kennels and my family about 600 lbs were over the trucks payload. So my question is, the HD has a 2200+ payload rating with just an extra spring and lower gears for better mpg really while towing. If I were to pay to have the stiffer spring pack put on through GM are you able to get the door sticker replaced saying the increased payload capacity? I would love a 2500, but I have only had this truck for about 8 months, and the prospect of a $1000 a month payment does not excite me too much. Thank you for any input.

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So first off my understanding of the HD payload package is this, different gears and basically an extra leaf spring. True or not true? So with that question, the “axle housing” is the same correct? I ask because right before trading in my last truck, Ford, which had the HD tow, the wife told me we were never going to buy a TT. Well the COVID hit and our Hawaii trip had to get canceled for the year, so she made us get one. I have towed it home from the dealer, and on one 200 mile round trip with no issues towing at all. I just am concerned about the fact that the “payload” of the non HD tow is 1560 lbs ish.
 
With the trailer at about 800 lbs, my canopy I’m guessing 200 lbs, 2 65 lbs labs and their kennels and my family about 600 lbs were over the trucks payload. So my question is, the HD has a 2200+ payload rating with just an extra spring and lower gears for better mpg really while towing. If I were to pay to have the stiffer spring pack put on through GM are you able to get the door sticker replaced saying the increased payload capacity? I would love a 2500, but I have only had this truck for about 8 months, and the prospect of a $1000 a month payment does not excite me too much. Thank you for any input.
How much does the trailer weigh? Reguardless of what you do to the truck, if you put every max tow part on the truck, it would not change the sticker/vin, so you still wouldnt be legal if its over what your sticker shows. That said, i would just do a set of airbags instead of swapping leaf packs. As for gears, i believe the max tow comes with a heavier rear axle.

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1 minute ago, ullose272 said:

How much does the trailer weigh? Reguardless of what you do to the truck, if you put every max tow part on the truck, it would not change the sticker/vin, so you still wouldnt be legal if its over what your sticker shows. That said, i would just do a set of airbags instead of swapping leaf packs. As for gears, i believe the max tow comes with a heavier rear axle.

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Fully loaded trailer weight is 8800 lbs. So GM would not offer to amend/replace the sticker if I added the HD package after the fact? I was going to do airbags, but when I let my mind mess with me, the legality of it if something were to happen, I am over the listed payload of the truck is what is steering me towards getting a 2500. I know airbags would help, but not that aspect. Thank you for your info on the heavier axle.

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You would probably have to find a dealer that would be willing to work through the problem with you.  They will probably charge a pretty penny for it but they might be able to say that they changed the suspension components and that upgraded the capabilities.  Whether they change the current sticker or add another sticker which ive seen done in the past.  Im guessing finding a dealer that would even want to try to work with this problem would be hard to do. 

 

IMO: Get some bags and a nice weight distribution hitch. No one is going to be in a rush to weight your truck and its individual axles for any legal reasons. 

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19 minutes ago, Logan Lanfear said:

You would probably have to find a dealer that would be willing to work through the problem with you.  They will probably charge a pretty penny for it but they might be able to say that they changed the suspension components and that upgraded the capabilities.  Whether they change the current sticker or add another sticker which ive seen done in the past.  Im guessing finding a dealer that would even want to try to work with this problem would be hard to do. 

 

IMO: Get some bags and a nice weight distribution hitch. No one is going to be in a rush to weight your truck and its individual axles for any legal reasons. 

I do have the Equalizer hitch. Ok thanks.

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No you can not get the sticker changed, it is connected to your VIN when it is assembled at the factory.  Honestly you bought too heavy of a trailer man, if you're 8800 loaded, I can guarantee  your tongue weight is ~1000 lbs. The max trailering package only increases your payload by 100 lbs anyways.  Put  your setup on the scales and make sure you aren't overloading your rear axle.

 

Correction: NHT increases GVWR by 100 lbs

Edited by pewterliftedz
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6 minutes ago, pewterliftedz said:

No you can not get the sticker changed, it is connected to your VIN when it is assembled at the factory.  Honestly you bought too heavy of a trailer man, if you're 8800 loaded, I can guarantee  your tongue weight is ~1000 lbs. The max trailering package only increases your payload by 100 lbs anyways.  Put  your setup on the scales and make sure you aren't overloading your rear axle.

Tongue weight is, fully loaded, 835 lbs. max tow says 2200 lbs and I have a 1560 lbs payload. Truck is rated to tow 9300 lbs so it not to heavy for the truck. I do plan on running over some scales to see how it’s distributed as I know with the equalizer hitch it helps, and the 835 lbs tongue weight is with no equalizing hitch just straight up on the hitch. Truck sits dam near level hooked up, it’s like 1 1/4” lower then with no trailer.

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46 minutes ago, Londart2020 said:

Tongue weight is, fully loaded, 835 lbs. max tow says 2200 lbs and I have a 1560 lbs payload. Truck is rated to tow 9300 lbs so it not to heavy for the truck. I do plan on running over some scales to see how it’s distributed as I know with the equalizer hitch it helps, and the 835 lbs tongue weight is with no equalizing hitch just straight up on the hitch. Truck sits dam near level hooked up, it’s like 1 1/4” lower then with no trailer.

Your tongue weight should be 10-12% of your trailer weight to tow safely.  Where are you getting 835 and 8800 from, is that from the sticker on the trailer, or did you actually weigh it?

 

With your payload being 15xx lbs I'm guessing you have a 4wd crew cab standard bed.

 

This is a crew cab short bed with the max trailering package, payload would be lower if the truck was a standard bed.  To get 2200lb payload it would have to be a double cab 2wd I believe

7EE869FC-8919-45AD-BBBF-4FC230A450FD.thumb.jpeg.e862d7fed7dcdb111c6ea543697a0005.jpeg

Edited by pewterliftedz
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49 minutes ago, pewterliftedz said:

Your tongue weight should be 10-12% of your trailer weight to tow safely.  Where are you getting 835 and 8800 from, is that from the sticker on the trailer, or did you actually weigh it?

 

With your payload being 15xx lbs I'm guessing you have a 4wd crew cab standard bed.

 

This is a crew cab short bed with the max trailering package, payload would be lower if the truck was a standard bed.  To get 2200lb payload it would have to be a double cab 2wd I believe

7EE869FC-8919-45AD-BBBF-4FC230A450FD.thumb.jpeg.e862d7fed7dcdb111c6ea543697a0005.jpeg

Manufactures website. I do have the crew cab 4x4 short box yes. I seen 2200 on the GMC website when I was looking something up, that I looked at the sticker like you are showing here to see the 15xx

weight.jpg

Edited by Londart2020
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6 minutes ago, Londart2020 said:

Manufactures website. I do have the crew cab 4x4 short box yes. I seen 2200 on the GMC website when I was looking something up, that I looked at the sticker like you are showing here to see the 15xx

weight.jpg

Yah that number is dry with no propane tanks, batteries, or weight distribution hitch added.  Jump on the scales fully loaded with and without the trailer

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4 minutes ago, pewterliftedz said:

Yah that number is dry with no propane tanks, batteries, or weight distribution hitch added.  Jump on the scales fully loaded with and without the trailer

I plan to.

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3 hours ago, Londart2020 said:

So first off my understanding of the HD payload package is this, different gears and basically an extra leaf spring. True or not true? So with that question, the “axle housing” is the same correct? I ask because right before trading in my last truck, Ford, which had the HD tow, the wife told me we were never going to buy a TT. Well the COVID hit and our Hawaii trip had to get canceled for the year, so she made us get one. I have towed it home from the dealer, and on one 200 mile round trip with no issues towing at all. I just am concerned about the fact that the “payload” of the non HD tow is 1560 lbs ish.
 

With the trailer at about 800 lbs, my canopy I’m guessing 200 lbs, 2 65 lbs labs and their kennels and my family about 600 lbs were over the trucks payload. So my question is, the HD has a 2200+ payload rating with just an extra spring and lower gears for better mpg really while towing. If I were to pay to have the stiffer spring pack put on through GM are you able to get the door sticker replaced saying the increased payload capacity? I would love a 2500, but I have only had this truck for about 8 months, and the prospect of a $1000 a month payment does not excite me too much. Thank you for any input.

Just to clarify one thing, the Max Tow pkg (NHT) DOES come with a different rear axle housing (as well as lower 3.42 gear ratio) than the non-NHT trucks. 

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Just to clarify one thing, the Max Tow pkg (NHT) DOES come with a different rear axle housing (as well as lower 3.42 gear ratio) than the non-NHT trucks. 
Its comes with the 9.76 axle, which according to another post on here comes with the 6.2 and according to that post it looks like the 3.0 as well.

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