Realistic Max GCVW

[ohnoitsyu]

I say if you know what your doing and drive according to the load you have and stay within your tire and axle ratings then go for it, but it's your butt on the line if you screw up!!!!!!!QUOTE]



And my life, as well as everyone else on or near the road where he travels.



I'll tell you what, if I found out that someone who was determined to be overloaded (basically totally negligence) killed any of my family members, you can bet that I'd take action much more swiftly than the legal system. On the other hand, the legal system will take care of you pretty well.



For those of you who have forgotten, read this thread: http://www.glamisdunes.com/invision/index.php?showtopic=24262

 

[TX Gooseneck]

As a company we have seen over 40k on our trucks on several instances. With my 04. 5 for instance rated at 11,500 and the trailer rated at 24,999lbs I have a GCVR of 36,499lbs. I have heard everything from that being my limit to the total weight capacity of all tires, and even the apportioned weight. We had a driver whose Dodge 3500 was apportioned up to 48,000lbs. You can move axles on trailers to put more weight on the truck or more on the trailer.

 

[tgrfan2]

I don't want to stir up a hornets nest but... . The facts are that we have had metal delivered by a (Southern State) Carriers F350 auto CC dually pulling a tandem gooseneck several times. He told me he has never had a problem with DOT unless he was over 26,000 which is his tag limit. He was fined and made to wait and unload some weight in NC at a weigh station for grossing 28,500#.

Now way back when I had a '78 Dodge W150 440 that I hauled grain and equipment with for 9 years. With 350 bushel of wheat on the triaxle gooseneck I grossed 32,500. When I sold that truck at 110K it still had not given me one tire or power train problem. Surely your new Cummins can do close to that.

Before the weight police start, I had the bins balanced so my pin weight was around 1500# normally, loaded I ran in low 4 50mph max, and the triaxle had enough brakes to stop the trailer and truck. Any of you that think any pickup can stop a trailer at it's GCW rating don't know anything about towing. All you know is how to read a door tag!

 

[CUMMINZ]

Like it or not the towing capacity of your truck has nothing to do with the GVW of any trailer. The GCVW of your rig is what the manufacturer rates your truck for. My 2004. 5 is rated at 20k by Dodge. No exceptions. The math is real plain. If my truck weighs 10. 5k with the kin pin applied then you do the math.



20,000

11,500

--------

8,500 pounds max that my trailer tires can weigh.



I carry 12k tag on my truck. And I am exempt from running through weigh stations with my RV but if I have a goose neck behind my truck I must run through weigh stations and the 12k tag is not enough. I then have to have enough tag for combination of both truck and goose neck. Although mostly NC does not pay attention to non commercial looking rigs. (pickups). You pass a weigh station with pickup with 30k looking gooseneck with rear of truck on the ground and you look menacing I will bet they will chase you down.

 

[macdaddy]

Cumminz



GCWR for 04. 5's



3:73's=21K



4:10's=23K



No flame suits required



Mac

 

[abdiver]

What is a 12k tag ?

 

[CUMMINZ]

Tag

12k tag is 12,000# NC truck tag. That means I can gross 12,000# total with my truck.



MacDaddy,

I have never seen those figures published. On Dodge website it is 20k.



CUMMINZ

 

[klenger]

The 21k and 23k numbers are documented here: http://www.klenger.net/dodge/3rd-gen-reference/2004-ram-towing.pdf

 

[dhauser]

Dave, do the thing that " no self respecting ,truckdriving, I've been driving forever , male," ever does . READ YOUR OWNERS MANUAL!!! It will clearly state under the towing section what the rated combined GVW for YOUR truck is. As we have similar trucks I would be supprised if the rated CGVW of yours is over 20000 lbs. As my truck is an automatic, my truck is rated at 18000. At 34000 lbs, to quote the sheriff in Jaws " you'r gonna need a bigger boat" Good luck, Dave PS. not yelling with caps, just want to emphasize point.

 

[GWBourne]

I have the B&W turn over and it is rated for 30,000. It works superb. I have been at 23,000 with no problems.

ill second that but add 3200 lbs before fueling up with the low fuel light on...



i have an exhaust brake, 32 foot goose with 3 7k dexters all of wich have brakes. the only think i would change about my setup is the truck on the trialer would run :-laf



it stops GREAT and goes just fine as well. i have 4. 10's though and if i was you would upgrade to them as well.

Grant

 

[CUMMINZ]

Original question

I'll bet no one remembers what the original question was or is?



My statements were correct. The correct GCVW for my 2500 is 20k. Thank you "K" you proved that with your link.



3500 is 21-23k.



Tell me why the 3500 SRW of 9900# GVW would be 21-23k with only difference is a rear leaf overload. ??



2006 QuadCab DRW is only 23k. .



We are arguing over peanuts.....



CUMMINZ

 

[abdiver]

CUMMINZ, Thanks for the answer. So this is a NC deal, I am familiar with tag axles but just didn't know what 12k tag meant



Thanks again, Bill

 

[CUMMINZ]

Ab

Maybe I should explain a little better. When I refer to TAG. That is the license plate on the rear of the truck. You purchase the tag in 1000# increments to cover the amount of weight you want to haul. My truck weighs 8,000# and I may want to place 3000-4000# of load in the bed. That takes my total weight to 12,000#. I purchased TAG for 12,000#. Which was about $192. 00.



Later



CUMMINZ

 

[obert]

not to go off on a tangent here, but,

I purchased TAG for 12,000#. Which was about $192. 00.



Later



CUMMINZ

is that comercial?? My non-comm. tags are good for what the trucks numbers allow, ie I could haul firewood and weigh 8000 or hitch my camper and weigh 16000. Even with "special logo" (extra $25) my tags are only about $75.

 

[klenger]

My truck is registered for 00000 lbs, and that only cost me about $400 / year.

 

[JJ Jackson]

At what point does the weight really start to destroy things. :{



Options I should look for in a hitch



Options I should look for in a trailer besides brakes.



Any advice you like to share is also great,



I don’t want to start any Flame wars and such but more of looking for useful info



Thanks

David

I think the last sentance sums it up. He wants useful info, not a bunch of thread hijackers debateing the legality of towing beyond GCVW. I think we have hashed this out in numerous other threads.



If you have a beef with towing beyond GCWR then post a link to a previous thread that states your point, so that we can decide whether to read through paragraph after paragraph of weight calculations.



I think if you load your truck past its GCWR then you should take it out to deserted area and find its limitations, ie: measure stopping distances, practice highway speed defensive driving techniques, and check tire temps and calculate tire load.



I believe with some good common sense, one could handle a heavy load with no problem. Heck, DC says I can't even load my Lance camper in an 06 dually for chrissakes.



I'm not trying to flame, I would also like to know what towing beyond GCWR has done to some of your trucks.



Just trying to steer the thread back on track..... Jim

 

[obert]

I think the last sentance sums it up. ... .

I believe with some good common sense, one could handle a heavy load with no problem.....

... ... also like to know what towing beyond GCWR has done to some of your trucks.



..... Jim

Amen. And Jim to your question, and play with matches at the same time...



I had to move a piece of equipment. I knew it was a bit much so we went slow and easy on a sunday afternoon, never got over 50 on the freeway.

Hauled a 636P Pettibone rough terrain forklift, with poly-filled tires. Known weight of 636 + known tare on rig = just over 40,000#. The trailer brakes stopped it all fine, just a great sunday drive. It wasnt a stunt or a hobby trip, just had to get the thing about 15 miles down the road.



All on a stock truck, the drive shaft didnt fall out, brimstone didnt fall from the sky and the bears were hibernating. Our trucks CAN do way more than advertised, but care and respect for the equipment, (un)common sense, and knowing limits of your loaded rig must increase for evry pound you add, above OR below what the factory claims your rigs capacity may be.



PS I chalk this move up on the "dumb things I did" list due to the fact that pretty much evry weight rating you could think of but maybe the truck axles was exeded. Thats what my truck did and it still lives.

 

[JJ Jackson]

I borrowed a friends dump trailer and filled it with gravel (not knowing that you're not supposed to fill it up). I weighed in at 29,500 GCW. I was a bit worried at first but once I got going and tested my brakes a few times it seemed like it could handle the load just fine.



Well, I found out where the weak link was, the input shaft of my Gear Vendors overdrive. I took off fom a stop sign smoothly and then a huge bang followed by silence and no forward movement.



I put it in 4wheel once I realized what had happened, and it pulled fine. I had to have a friend pull it up my driveway (30% grade), I wouldn't dare try that with just the front end.



All in all, the expierience was not so bad, but I would not try it again, that was a $750. 00 mistake, it could have snapped something else had the GV not broken.

 

[JimB1]

MAshley, Question- "At what point does weight really start to destroy things". Answer- When you're 1 lb over what you're INSURED for.

 

[abdiver]

OBERT, I won't tell anyone about the time when I had to move my dozer and all my Big trucks (10 wheel Dump trucks) were somewhere else. One of my employees had a old stock Military Jeep with pintle hitch. We hooked up the 3 axle equipt trailer loaded the Dozer on trailer placed a little (very little) weight on jeep hitch and he started on on the windy road had to keep it under 10 mph as it wanted to wiggle the jeep abit or that is what he told me when he reached town.