King pin weight

Okay, I'll take the bait. First, my reference to GVWR was the lead in to an observation about towing, which is the subject of this thread, and has been taken out of context. Second, pickup trucks have changed a lot over the years. Now, they usually have power brakes, at least front disk brakes, and better tires. So stopping is accomplished in shorter distances with less pedal effort. But physics still works. Heavy loads need more stopping distance and can affect overall handling. For me, the GVWR rating works as a guide on how much weight to carry in the bed; and, in this situation, it also happens to be an easily understood legal limit. Yes, most set-ups can probably carry more. But the chances one takes and how much one wants to extend load and stopping distance are matters of personal choice and experience, some of which is, unfortunately, learned the hard way with a ticket, a close call, a mashed up truck, and/or serious injury.

JRMunn