How would I find tow capacity for an older truck?

MrJimi · May 9, 2007

I have a 1991 GMC stepvan with a Cummins 3.9 diesel turbo engine, it weighs 6,500 pounds empty and is 7 foot 9 inches wide and 27 feet long bumper to bumper with 19.5 tires with a dually rear, it has 14 leaf springs over the axle
Somebody here knows this answer.
Thanks

Jim

art · May 9, 2007

Normally there is a tag that has all the load specs on it. I'd be leary of load on the truck and hooked to the trailer with the size engine that you have.

MrJimi · May 10, 2007

The tag you speak of is on the left door jamb, I don't have a left door.
anyone

Jimbrown · May 10, 2007

What you have is a Chevy P30 They came in various ratings GVWR from 14500 up to around 17000. Any half decent chevy dealer should have some sort of specs on a P30. On the motorhome versions the tow rating is directly related to how the hitch is attached to the frame in the rear of the chassis. On most trucks like yours the van part was not built by GM and the rear bumper/ hitch was almost always attached to some sort of subframe that reduced the tow capacity of the truck.

Highbeam · May 10, 2007

That's a 4 cylinder cummins turbo diesel, baby brother to the dodge ram engines. I would love to have that engine in a regular pickup for mpg. Fleet sales departments at the GM dealer would know especially if you can provide the vin.

MrJimi · May 10, 2007

Highbeam said:
That's a 4 cylinder cummins turbo diesel, baby brother to the dodge ram engines. I would love to have that engine in a regular pickup for mpg. Fleet sales departments at the GM dealer would know especially if you can provide the vin.

We have been all over the southeast with and we use it as a camper and I have alway got high 15 MPG to low 16 MPG, it carries 40 gallons of diesel and a 500 mile tank is real easy after 32 gallons with it, its ugly but does great.
We put motorcycle, 4 bird cages and still lots of room for what evers
engine is a Cummins BT4, 3.9

Builder · May 10, 2007

art said:
Normally there is a tag that has all the load specs on it. I'd be leary of load on the truck and hooked to the trailer with the size engine that you have.

Not me. I've driven lots of big trucks with only 175HP small gas or diesel engines in them. They struggle, but they keep you from going too fast and getting into an accident, too.

You just have to give yourself more time and not pull out in front of a car when it's close.

I'd be more concerned with the stopping power of the brakes, strength of the hitch and frame.

BTDT · May 11, 2007

MrJimi said:
The tag you speak of is on the left door jamb, I don't have a left door.
anyone

Jim, does the unit have a glove box. Sometimes there is a paper tag glued to door with all the specs. I was thinking that by law there has to be a tag mounted near the driver somewhere. On an old Dodge motorhome I used to have it was an aluminum tag riveted under the drivers window.

MrJimi · May 11, 2007

BTDT said:
Jim, does the unit have a glove box. Sometimes there is a paper tag glued to door with all the specs. I was thinking that by law there has to be a tag mounted near the driver somewhere. On an old Dodge motorhome I used to have it was an aluminum tag riveted under the drivers window.

A glove box

I wish I had one or a metal tag, It was a uniform truck and I still can't understand why it is so heavy built ? I will look all over today and report back with my finds
Jim

thatguy · May 11, 2007

MrJimi said:
A glove box I wish I had one or a metal tag, It was a uniform truck and I still can't understand why it is so heavy built ? I will look all over today and report back with my finds
Jim

its built so heavy because when they load it down with both clean and dirty uniforms and those rubber backed entry rugs they will overload it in a heart beat.. At another job we leased a fleet of the same P30's to a uniform company and they went thru transmissions so quickly we kept spares ready to go. The guys in the shop could swap one out very quickly after doing it many, many times..

They load the truck with the "i cant be overloaded I still have empty space left" mentality.. When we went to renew the lease we changed to a 20k gvw truck that was made to haul the loads they carried.

I wish I could remember the gross weight we had on them - but as someonen pointed it it was in the 11 to 15k range..

Brian