RV Salesman "It's 1/2T towable"
I traded in a 5th wheel on a new toy hauler recently. I went to the dealers website the other day and got a good laugh. My old 5er was listed as 1/2T towable. "At a weight of only 9400 lbs it is 1/2T ...
Forum Discussion
So, this seems to bring up what seems to be the issue: There really isn't a good description of what a "1/2 ton", or "3/4 ton" etc means. The definitions seem to be a general grouping based on an individual's experiences, backed up by assumptions, sometimes unfounded. So making a blanket claim based on those groupings just doesn't hold up. Going back and forth about it will always be comparing one guys apples to another guys oranges.
While RV manufacturers don't have much in the way of regulations they have to be compliant with, car/truck makers sure do. To state that the truck makers overinflate their claims is extreme. If their published specs are that their vehicle can pull 11,000 lbs, or carry a payload of 2,300 lbs, that means the tires, axles, brakes and all the rest are engineered to do so. Which means an F-150, so equipped, is clearly a "1 ton" (if we use the really old definition of payload capacity for the grouping). And they would face major legal and financial issues if their vehicles were misrepresented. Sure, there's still some game playing - you have to buy the version that meets the specs. And they will use different versions to make different claims. But none of it is egregious misrepresentation. It's not a "buyer beware" situation, as much as it is a "buyer decide what you need".
Back to the RV side - that IS where the misrepresentation, especially for 5th wheels, can be a big deal. We know that the actual limit generally is the payload capacity. But tow weight is used to back up the claim that XYZ RV is "1/2 ton towable". But until regs. equivalent to those imposed on car makers come along, it will continue to be a "buyer beware" situation.
Some dealers are honest! At mine, their chief mechanic drives a rig identical to mine! He even temporarily pulled parts off of his to get me through a delay in parts being delivered. And while they had several models the manufacturer said were "1/2 ton towable", they quickly steered me away from the bigger ones due to the payload concerns.
While RV manufacturers don't have much in the way of regulations they have to be compliant with, car/truck makers sure do. To state that the truck makers overinflate their claims is extreme. If their published specs are that their vehicle can pull 11,000 lbs, or carry a payload of 2,300 lbs, that means the tires, axles, brakes and all the rest are engineered to do so. Which means an F-150, so equipped, is clearly a "1 ton" (if we use the really old definition of payload capacity for the grouping). And they would face major legal and financial issues if their vehicles were misrepresented. Sure, there's still some game playing - you have to buy the version that meets the specs. And they will use different versions to make different claims. But none of it is egregious misrepresentation. It's not a "buyer beware" situation, as much as it is a "buyer decide what you need".
Back to the RV side - that IS where the misrepresentation, especially for 5th wheels, can be a big deal. We know that the actual limit generally is the payload capacity. But tow weight is used to back up the claim that XYZ RV is "1/2 ton towable". But until regs. equivalent to those imposed on car makers come along, it will continue to be a "buyer beware" situation.
Some dealers are honest! At mine, their chief mechanic drives a rig identical to mine! He even temporarily pulled parts off of his to get me through a delay in parts being delivered. And while they had several models the manufacturer said were "1/2 ton towable", they quickly steered me away from the bigger ones due to the payload concerns.
