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You getting ready to purchase 2500/3500 SRW?

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truck weight

Upgrading 15” to 16” wheels in TT

Please consider the following real world info. .



Consider a 2500 & my 3500 DRW:



If I add the following to my 3500:



Fender flairs

6 mud flaps and bar to support 2 of them

300 pound 5er hitch

spray on bed liner and fender well spray on Line_X

Front reciever hitch with aluminum 2x4 tray

In cab guages of all types and wiring

on roof air foil

modified air box and K&N filter with cooool air tubing

wooden center console

bypass filter and tubing

xtra fuel filter

replacement 60 gallon fuel tank

H/D front winch bumber

additional rubber cab floor mats

cross the bed toolbox loaded lightly

full tank of fuel @ 35 gallons

and now all factory options from standard truck



The published weight of my 3500 DRW from DC website is:



Base Curb Weight [lb] - with Automatic Transmission [lb] 7001 / 6746



My weigh ticket indicates 8920 pounds



That is an increase of:



8920

6746= equals increase of 2174 pounds



Now where do you think that difference comes from? The factory weights are always bare bones truck. My weight is true to life actual as I drive it every day.



DC website : Payload Capacity - Standard [lb] 4710

That figure is at the factory sitting in their parking lot in Mexico with NO options added and bone empty of fuel.



Once I get it home to North Carolina by payload capacity of a 2008 3500 DRW QC is as follows:



12,200 posted GVW

8,920 actual weight after I have added all gizmos

------

3,280 pounds that I can now put on a 5er pin and not overload my truck...



DC website: Payload Capacity - Standard [lb] 4710



What the "BFT" Somebody is lying!!!!!

Actually that is "Built for towing" here in North Carolina.



NO these are the "real world" figures.





Now here is the real point... ... ... ...



All of the above figures are NOT claiming comparing "Apples to Oranges"



Every weight and option added above can and will be added to a 2500 or 3500 SRW.



Now their figures... From DC website for SLT 2500 QC LB



Base Curb Weight [lb] - with Automatic Transmission [lb] 6257



8,800 GVW



Now let's add the weight of my options to my DRW but they will be close to the same of a 2500 equally equipped. 2,174 pounds



6,257 factory mty weight

2,174 options after you get it home

------

8,431 pounds after gizmos



8,800 factory GVW per calculations on DC website

8,431 real world weight

-----

369 pounds of payload capacity for an 08 2500 SRW QC LB



Now bare in mind you still have not backed up to your 5er or bumper tow or goose neck trailer



What will they do to your total payload on your truck???



If my addition is wrong please show me!
 
The numbers on the DC website will be a little different depending on what truck you select. Whether it is SLT or Laramie, etc.



OK



9,000 GVW

7,242 for the weight you can up with

--------

1,758 available carrying load



Remember your list of added gizmos is 2,400 plus



That already puts you in the negative before you add 5er pin load.
 
I add airbags to my 2500's, that is all the truck I need to safely haul more than what the sticker says. If you feel you must live by some numbers in a book, by all means, go ahead.



I'll stick with the 2500, until there is a real difference 2500 vs 3500.
 
I add airbags to my 2500's, that is all the truck I need to safely haul more than what the sticker says. If you feel you must live by some numbers in a book, by all means, go ahead.



I'll stick with the 2500, until there is a real difference 2500 vs 3500.



I do not agree with you... . I realize that DC or other truck manufacturer's are conservative with their respective documentation,however,they are there for a reason. You could have an accident and be overloaded and you will be liable if your rig was indeed overloaded. Insurance companies are always looking for ways to deny claims. Some choose to make it easier for them to do so. BTW,the last couple of years,noticed more and more from RV shows and tech seminars,that more concern is placed on this very subject. Just look at what has evolved with trailers and motorhomes as far as GVW is concerned. A typical motorhome in the 70's and 80's and even early 90's would gross no higher than 17K with most avg around 12K. 5vers were rarely over 28' and if you did find one,you couldn't tow it safely with what the big 3 offered as 1 ton duallys with big-block V-8's. I know I will here critics from that view but let's face it... the diesel in the 80's could easily be outperformed by big-block gassers. Times have changed and so has the turbo diesel. The more powerful the truck,the bigger the RV trailer gets. The motorhome chassis are getting heftier also... many are now over 22K and as high as 26K. That's knocking on the doors of big diesel chassis.

I'm sure your truck 'feels' safe when overloaded,but in the eyes of the law and Ins. Co. ,you are overloaded and subsequently at fault in the unlikely event of an accident.
 
MG,



I was of the same opinion that my 04. 5 SRW 2500 could tow and carry a bunch. And it did. I added 2 full length leaf springs and a rear sway bar. It carried the load as good as my 06 & 07. 5 turbo diesels. On a trip from NC to Colorado 2 years ago with my 04. 5 I had to make one panic stop behind a dump truck and allowed my RV wheels to leave the side of the road one other time. It will never happen again to me in a SRW. I don't care how good a driver you are this experience will wake you up. The two extra wheels are a life saver.



CumminZ
 
I am not debating the merits of dual rear wheels, I am a believer that they make a heavy load much more stable. I am referring to the 2500 vs 3500 srw.
 
The weight police just never give up. Give them all guns and send them to Iraq. Our troops could all come home next month.

1500 = 1/2 ton = 1000 lbs.
2500 = 3/4 ton = 1500 lbs.
3500 = 1 ton = 2000 lbs.

It's all BS. I carried 3000 lbs. in the back of a 1964 D100 for 3 years every day during the Summer (90-100F) 50 miles one way at 60-65 mph.

I feel more than comfortable carrying 4000 lbs. in my 2004 2500 with 4 wheel disc brakes, Rickson 19. 5" aluminum wheels and 14 ply tires.

As someone else said, if you want to go by the numbers, feel free to do so. You are making me nervous knowing you are out there on the highway though because you undoubtedly lack confidence in your equipment and your ability and skill.

People that lack confidence tend to overreact - either by not handling the equipment or themselves properly.
 
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The weight police just never give up. Give them all guns and send them to Iraq. Our troops could all come home next month.



1500 = 1/2 ton = 1000 lbs.

2500 = 3/4 ton = 1500 lbs.

3500 = 1 ton = 2000 lbs.



It's all BS. I carried 3000 lbs. in the back of a 1964 D100 for 3 years every day during the Summer (90-100F) 50 miles one way at 60-65 mph.



I feel more than comfortable carrying 4000 lbs. in my 2004 2500 with 4 wheel disc brakes, Rickson 19. 5" aluminum wheels and 14 ply tires.



As someone else said, if you want to go by the numbers, feel free to do so. You are making me nervous knowing you are out there on the highway though because you undoubtedly lack confidence in your equipment and your ability and skill.



People that lack confidence tend to overreact - either by not handling the equipment or themselves properly.



If you are referring to my post about being overloaded... I was merely making a statement regarding what the law and Ins. Co. are looking for when your truck has an accident in traffic and someone was hurt. The Police are going to look for someone to blame on the accident and Ins. Co. will find a way to deny your claim... . if you're overloaded or not properly loaded or whatever. If you feel comfortable being overloaded then by all means,go for it. All I'm saying is that you will eventually pay the price when your caught. That doesn't mean I can't handle an overloaded machine,it simply means that I'm not ready to chance it with the law or my family.
 
The weight police just never give up. Give them all guns and send them to Iraq. Our troops could all come home next month.



1500 = 1/2 ton = 1000 lbs.

2500 = 3/4 ton = 1500 lbs.

3500 = 1 ton = 2000 lbs.



If those numbers are supposed to mean anything at all, then a 3500 SRW and a 3500 DRW have exactly the same GVWR or capacity.
 
I will no longer try to defend myself and the original post. I simply was speaking to prospective buyer not you guys who have already purchased. No need for name calling or applying your names to others that don't agree with your decisions. I stated the facts as I saw them. I have also carried a few loads over the suggested numbers. When we do things against the posted facts we often get caught and sometimes it costs lives. Many drunk drivers live thru their mishaps and kill innocent people.



CumminZ
 
I purchased my truck used last year and was torn between the one I bought and another 02' 3500 Dually. Since then,I have purchased a bigger trailer to transport my tools and such and subsequently added more and more weight. Still under GCWR for 2500 but that extra set of wheels would be nice right now. The drunk driver example you brung up was a pretty good BTW!
 
Fact!! THERE ARE NO LAWS THAT LIMIT YOU TO THE FACTORY GVW!!!!



Fact!!! Insurance co take your money, you are insured. Think about it, if you are speeding and have an accident, you are lible, your insuance co pays. Your dunk and have an accident, you are lible, your ins co pays. These are violation of LAWS and the ins co have to pay, why would they not pay if you are over your GVWR?
 
I think Bob V makes a good point. The insurance company has to cover whatever bonehead move you make, they also have the right to refuse to continue coverage after they pay for said bonehead move.
 
Several years ago we had some steel delivered from Alabama to SC. It was brought on a goose neck towed by an F350 CC automatic with a 7. 3 PS. I asked him how he got past the weigh stations with the load. He said he was tagged for 26K and that was all the real weight police looked at. They never looked at his door sticker.
He said he was stopped in CumminZ great state of NC at over 28K and fined but allowed to proceed. All this weight/dually stuff is pure BS. Have you noticed how many new tractors are on the road with tandem single tires now? Unsafe for sure! The only time in 40 years I had a rear blowout was on a dually and and it took out BOTH tires. Keep your training wheels if you want, just save the bull for believers.
 
Yeah, OK. It has nothing to do with the number of tires. It's how much they are rated to carry.



Come on now the catch word for dually lovers is "stability" not capacity. I had a 1973 Dodge Camper 9000 SRW that had the tire capacity of a dually at that time. Face it the "dually crowd" just likes the "old" big truck look of training wheels. :)
 
As one that has had both, I think those that want to argue against duallies, just never had the pleasure of hauling with one. At least that is the case with me, had I known how sweet the dually is, I would have had one years ago.
 
Its only axle rating or advertised tire rating (whats stamped on the tire) if you go over those, then the law can come down on you. My insurance agent tried to pull that on me when I was looking for a commercial policy when he stated you can not go over the Dodges advertised numbers. I just registered my 3500 C&C for 26K and he issued the commercial policy after he knew that ;).



Now, as to the advertised numbers by Dodge, if you go over them then you risk becoming your own warranty station. I checked with my dealer and they will warranty my truck under the new weight registration, however the other dealers don't have too if they find out. The only problem is I have to display a sticker on the doors for 26K :{



Don't forget you will also need a class "A" license for some weights.



Steve...
 
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