Why I would never have a 3/4 ton...

[Gary - K7GLD]

Dunno about the 3rd gennie trucks - but my '02, set up for towing and ready to go, no occupants, weighs 7000 lbs...



GVWR for the truck is 8800 lbs.



Pin weight of our 24 ft 5er is 1200 lbs.



Leaves 600 lbs for passengers, etc. , to keep within legal GVWR when towing the 5th wheel...

 

[opjohnny]

Wow, many replies from the 3/4 ton owners only. I am glad the 1 ton owners are ignoring this post. I ordered my truck to pull the dream trailer I wanted and it was a bumper pull not a fifth wheel so I did not need the extra capacity. Because of this I ordered a 3/4 ton. It has more then enough payload. If your in the market for fth wheel I think you had just step right on up to a DRW and bypass the SRW after looking at the tongue weights of the model my wife likes. Tim I think your trying to stir things up. When some one posts a question on deciding between the two models then its fair game. A big half ton would pull my dream trailer just not as well as my truck!

 

[Jengle]

Ok, I'll throw my numbers into the mix for those enquiring minds. I recently weighed my truck on a CAT scale, so I know its right. This is with me (205) and a half tank of fuel, nothing else.



Front axle 4740

Rear axle 3040

Total 7780



See my sig. for the details.

 

[Heavyweight]

HA,,, I got the regular cab for increased payload>>> Yes, the 2500 Regular cab will hold more and pull more weight then you posers in a 2500 "QC"! Oo.

JK,,, I had to add some phlim phlam,,,,

 

[DBrickel]

I thought the 1tons had bigger brakes. Am I wrong?

 

[klenger]

With my 2001. 5 2500 towing my 5th wheel, I was about 300 lbs over GVWR. With the 2004. 5 3500 SRW towing the same trailer, I am about 400 lbs under GVWR. If I had gotten the 2WD, I would be 1000 lbs under. Bottom line is that a 3rd gen 2500 quad cab 4WD has very little payload. For about $300 more, I got the 3500 SRW. Small price to pay for 900 lbs more capacity.



I think one of the problems with 3/4 ton trucks goes back to the 70's and 80's when the average 3/4 ton truck has a gas engine, 2WD, and regular cab. Back then, a 3/4 ton was truely a heavy duty truck. Now add a 1000 lb diesel engine, massive NV5600 transmission, four-door quad cab, 4WD, and the 3/4 ton truck now has the capacity of an older 1/2 ton. The manufacturers would do us all a favor if they would sell trucks based of payload capacity instead of x/x ton rating.

 

[DIESELMAN]

I traded my Desert Fox and bought a 5th Wheel so I can do this... . (Below)



And be legal, right, with 160 Gallons of fuel, full water, gear the wife and I, this is 24,640.



The ATV's/Trailer are 2,300 but it tows like a dream. Couldn't imagine this with even my 3500 SRW and certainly not a 3/4T.

 

[akshadow]

other reasons for limit on 3500?

Are there some states that have special taxes rules etc. if truck is rated for 10000 pounds as compared to 9900 pounds? I seem to remember someone talking about higher fees and being considered "commercial". Maybe the real difference is MARKETING strategy. Because it is clear the true limit is not 9900 pounds

 

[rbattelle]

I thought the 1tons had bigger brakes. Am I wrong?

There was some speculation that the rear pistons were slightly larger on the 3500 trucks. Page 5-15 of my service manual may indicate 2 piston sizes:



HD 56mm caliper

LD 54mm caliper



I'm not clear on whether "LD" means 3/4 ton and "HD" means 1-ton. Or "LD" might mean "SRW" and "HD" means "DRW".



-Ryan

 

[ECappleman]

I weigh 135 lbs.

:-laf :-laf :-laf :-laf

I weighed that in 9th grade.

 

[midlife crisis]

I'm with opjohnny on this one.

Here I go and buy a 3/4 ton diesel when a 1/2 ton gasser would sit in my barn 350 days a year just as easily, not to mention pull my little trailer, and some guy starts a thread with-"why to never have a 3/4 ton". Do I have to explain my rationale for my purchase to you? Rename your post to " My truck works for me... hope yours works for you"... and move on.

 

[RChamberlain]

I got a 2500 and a 29ft toy hauler bumber tow that weighs in at 8,000lbs empty. know add the 100 gallons of water, 50 gals of gas in the trailer for my generator and fule station for the bikes, 3 4 whellers, and usually at least 20 gallons of race gass for my bike in the back of the truck. plus food, dog, and all the other crap thats in there. I have not weighed with this truck, but with my 96 power stroke 3/4 ton ex cab long bed trailer and truck was almost 20,000 lbs. and I don't care if I'm over my gvw I just pull the damn thing and it pulls like a freaking freight train. I love it.

 

[Tim]

Wow, many replies from the 3/4 ton owners only. I am glad the 1 ton owners are ignoring this post. I ordered my truck to pull the dream trailer I wanted and it was a bumper pull not a fifth wheel so I did not need the extra capacity. Because of this I ordered a 3/4 ton. It has more then enough payload. If your in the market for fth wheel I think you had just step right on up to a DRW and bypass the SRW after looking at the tongue weights of the model my wife likes. Tim I think your trying to stir things up. When some one posts a question on deciding between the two models then its fair game. A big half ton would pull my dream trailer just not as well as my truck!

If you look at the picture, my trailer IS a bumper pull and only 20' long. The reason I started this post is that I was shocked at how such a small trailer put so much weight on the wheels on my truck.



I will post up my weight slips if necessary, I weighed this on a CAT scale as well.



The only reason I made this post was to give everyone a little heads up on how easy it is to take what is a 7,000 lb truck when it's empty, and so quickly have it near the GVWR with a relatively light trailer. Keep in mind that my total combined weight was only 16,040 lbs, which is WELL under the GCWR--but if my truck was a 2500, I'd be within 400 lbs of the GVWR, which is what shocked me.



I just didn't realize how close I was to the GVWR of a 2500. I ordered a 3500 because I had figured my mom would want me to pull her 5th wheel on occassion, which is 32' long. The reason I started this post is that I was quite shocked that a bumper pull trailer would put a 2500 so close to its max GVWR.

 

[Heavyweight]

No shat,,, I am tipping the toledo at 267... . I am not phat though... Oo.

 

[Tim]

TIM just learned one of the things I've been preaching for some time - it's easy, and very possible to exceed your Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) *long* before you ever hit the trucks Gross Combined Weigt Rating (GCWR)!



I'm right at my GVWR with a relatively small 24 foot kit 5er - even tho' I still have over 5000 lbs of GCWR left that I can't legally use... [/b]

That's the point I was making. In Illinois it's not illegal to overload a truck. My truck is plated for 12,000 lbs and my trailer for 8,000. I still do not believe in overloading trucks though, that is why I have spent my own money to weigh and ensure that I'm loaded correctly.

I'm with opjohnny on this one.

Here I go and buy a 3/4 ton diesel when a 1/2 ton gasser would sit in my barn 350 days a year just as easily, not to mention pull my little trailer, and some guy starts a thread with-"why to never have a 3/4 ton". Do I have to explain my rationale for my purchase to you? Rename your post to " My truck works for me... hope yours works for you"... and move on.

It was a poor choice of subjects but I couldn't think of anything else at the time. I just wanted to get the point across as to how easily it is to overload a truck's GVWR or get very close to it without ever getting anywhere near the GCWR.



I changed the subject.

 

[J.Post]

Could someone actually compare part numbers, between the 2500 and 3500, from the critical areas to figure out what actually makes a 3500 able to carry more bed weight?

 

[Tim]

Could someone actually compare part numbers, between the 2500 and 3500, from the critical areas to figure out what actually makes a 3500 able to carry more bed weight?

It's not more, "bed weight". The rear GAWR is similar on both. It's the GVWR. The 3500 is rated for 900 more lbs than the 2500 truck. That's for the whole vehicle, not one axle or the other.

 

[MMiller]

Boy, with a little bumper hitch, a fullsize trail rig and a one ton truck and you are almost over loaded? What the heck good does 325 hp/610 ft lbs do, if you can't even put a load behind it? My buddy for several years towed his wheeling truck all over the midwest with a 1/2 ton chevy, 350/ 700r4 combo.



I can't believe we're still beating this dead horse. :-{} You can jump me for towing my 32' gooseneck with 2 fullsize rigs behind my 3/4 ton truck. Oh yeah, its an old first genner too. The GVWR is purely marketing and taking Dodge out of the liability equation. Boys, as long as the factory springs hold up the weight, and the truck doesn't bounce terrible its in the limits of the truck. Yeah it ain't gonna stop well, yeah it will wear out quicker, and yeah it will break easier, but really, if its not on the bump stops, and it doesn't bounce out of control the truck will handle it. The DRIVER of the pickup may not be able to due to lack of training, thought process, or ability, but the truck will handle it. It has been proven time and time again. #ad




No, my tow vehicle does not need the air lift bags to haul this load. I had them installed because I raised the front of the truck, and thought I "needed" the air lift bags to keep the headlights out of the trees while loaded. In fact I believe I will be pulling off the air lift bags. This load here with the kelderman pumped up, the FACTORY overloads don't touch. Also when I ran stock size tires, the truck was completely stock under the hood and would handle loads like this very well. Yes, if or when I ever get into an accident with this setup, I am ready for any consequences. I do believe that even if I was within all said "limits" of the truck I would still be dropped by my insurance, and sued, mostly because of the state of the people in our world today!



Have I had any problems with this setup or my truck? Nothing I would consider problems due to the trailer. I have broke one pinion gear in the rear. I think that had more to do with the regular smokey launches from stop lights on saturday nights. Or from the many times yanking stuck trucks from deep mud holes. The brakes seem to be no worse for wear. I keep the brakes on the unit all adjusted up, the steering is nice and tight, and all the tires are inspected, and correctly inflated for the load. I have only had 2 sets of brake pads on the front of the truck, and three on the rear. The rear leaf pack is completely stock, factory original. On my gosh, the gooseneck hitch is welded to the frame. All with 219,XXX miles. I know I am not invincable, and I know there are tons of stupid people out there that may help me get into a wreck. But heck, thats life, whether I pull a trailer or not.



Michael

 

[brods]

Also we can't assume the 2500 will weigh in at 8560 like the 3500 did. So there may be more cushion there still.

Yep, in the real world the '05 3500 srw weighs 106 lbs more, which nets the 3500 an extra 794 lbs payload capacity over a comparable equipped 4x4, ctd,QC 2500. http://www-5.dodge.com/vehsuite/TowingGuide.jsp



So the 240 went to 440 and now is 546 lbs. Um ... so what was the point of this whole thread again?



Oh yeah 2500s suck, long live the 3500srw!!!!!!!

Oh wait... crap... I got stuck with a 2500 :{





PS Tim good of you to change the subject, might want to correct your math as well.

 

[Heavyweight]

Also factor in regular cab to "QC". there is another 300-400 pounds... So in theory, My regular cab is only 500 pounds GVWR under a 3500... . Then, on top of all that, it will out pull "ANY" stock 3500... . :-laf