pin weight too heavy?

[PatrickCampbell]

It's not what I SEE as reasonable, it's math. Do the math.

 

[DPelletier]

Patrick,

Your right, you could be at 10,500 and not be over the axle or tire ratings (not sure whether the brakes or springs have ratings), but you'd still be over GVWR. front GAWR + rear GAWR does not = GVWR. Just the way it is.



Dave

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

We seem to continually see this area of denial of fact resurfacing...



Some owners simply will NOT accept or admit that what the manufacturer has established from regulations and OVERALL vehicle construction and testing - then clearly posted and advertised as GVWR is in fact, what it IS!



Sure, you CAN haul or tow over that rating - and probably get by with it (for a while!) - but doing so stresses parts beyond established ratings and warranty coverage, creating accellerated wear and in some cases, endangering the vehicle operator and those around him.



SO, tow consistently heavy, or over the GVWR of the TOTAL vehicle if yer absolutely determined to do so, but even if you can manage to motivate a few others of the same mindset to step up an agree with you, GVWR is GVWR, and rationalization or "fuzzy math" WON'T change it!



Here's a picture of my Ford driving Rving bud - he figured HE could "fudge" on GVWR too - but with less than 75K on his '99 Super Duty Power Stroke, and $3200 for a new transmission, another $1500 for a differential rebuild and new U-joints, he now has faced the fact his truck simply is NOT stout enough for the 33' Alpenlite he tows, and is looking for something bigger...



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The law of physics WILL get you, sooner or later! - no matter HOW hard you try to rationalize to the contrary!

 

[PatrickCampbell]

Maybe you all can tell me which part of the vehicle it is that will become unsafe if I run a GVW over 9000 on my truck.



Because the only difference between my SRW and a dually with a GVW of 11500 is the TIRES and SPRINGS as far as I know, so it must not be the frame, must not be the axle, must not be the brakes, and we've already determined that it's possible to go over the GVW of a SRW but still within the tire/axle limits.



Interesting.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Well, I for ONE, have explicitly attempted to point out that it is up to the MAKER to determine and set GVWR for our vehicles, NOT the individual owner attempting to justify exceeding that specification...



THEREFORE, I would suggest that contacting DC for THEIR input on the subject would be FAR more appropriate than trying to get that info from members here who probably don't have any more insite into the various regulations, controls and parameters governing GVWR than I do...



All *I* know is what is clearly printed in DC literature and on the door tag for my truck - and I'm not about to claim to be smarter or more knowledgeable on this issue than the guys who actually MAKE the truck!

 

[NIsaacs]

On my last post of 06-06-04, I pointed out the difference in GCW of the V-10 vs the Cummins. This was for the 1994 model year. In 02 the V-10 remains the same, but the Cummins is rated at 20,000 GCW any ratio. The HO stands at 21,500. This makes sense since the 6-spd. is very heavy duty. If the 94 Cummins model is only rated at 14,500 and the 02 model is rated at 20,000, what regulation, control, or parameter changed Since there isn't 10 cents of difference in the two trucks, I say competition was the determining factor I will also agree that hauling over the weight limits will make a difference in how long your truck will last. However I know people that have never towed any loads and their truck still lost tranys, rear ends, motors, and ect, way before they should have. When we get in to this type of issue, we are getting into all kinds of variables. Back in the 50s & 60s most people used cars to tow with. Why? because they had more power and comfort than pickups, not because of the GVW or GCW.



"IF IT AIN'T CUMMINS POWERED, IT AIN'T A TRUCK"



"NICK"

 

[klenger]

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[AC]

I want to agree with Gary on this. It doesn't make sense that we ignore posted limits on our vehicles. It's a safety issue. How would you feel ( if you lived ) if you were overloaded, lost control, and killed someone. However, these figures that are posted in the tables simply don't add up. In the owners manual I am allowed 10,100 GVWR 10,000 Max trailer weight, and a GCWR of 16,000. This is the max for a 3500 The truck weighs 7500 empty. If I fuel it up and throw my family in I'm at least 8,000 lbs. This means the maximum trailer weight would be 8,000. Even if you were a family of butterflies the max trailer weight would be 8,500. So what's with the 10,000 max trailer weight? It's impossible to achieve. I also think the GVWR is ridiculous. Two thousand pounds is the most I can legally put in the bed of my truck. I can carry much more than that and not even know its there. When the numbers in these tables were obviously wrong I chose to ignore them. Confession time: I tow a 9000 lb trailer with a 3500 lb camper. I'm sure the truck is about 12k with the tongue weight included. So I'm 2,000 over on the truck and 3,000 over on the GCWR. The truck handles and drives beautifully. I want to stay within the guide lines but feel that my combo is safe. So lump me in with all the other rationalizers. AC

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

When some owners look at the truck's weight rating per axle, they seem to overlook that the figures for the front and rear axles CANNOT be combined, or added together to arrive at the maximum TOTAL vehicle GVWR...



SOME owners use their trucks for snowplowing or similar service that essentially places greater loads on the FRONT of the truck than at the rear. With that in mind, makers provide BOTH front AND rear axle ratings so maximum loads can be determined properly for individual uses, NOT so both can be added together to provide a greater TOTAL GVWR than what is also clearly indicated for the vehicle.