TDInewguy wrote:
There is 10,000lb capacity on diesels, but two things. the hitch rating AND the tranmission. The lower cost diesel motorhomes USUALLY have the Allison 2000 or 2500 transmission, and the beefy ones have the Allison 3000 transmission. This is a big piece in the tow capacity.
I have an allison 3000 and can safely tow 10,000 all day long and I have done it for over 40,000 miles. I did have a custom hitch made that was much stronger than the OEM hitch, but that is another discussion and is related to my wanting things to be more than safe.
good luck on your search!
This is exactly how things like this get started. Where did the idea that "There is 10,000lb capacity on diesels, but two things. the hitch rating AND the transmission" come from because that simply is NOT TRUE. There are many components that come into play when GVWR and GCWR ratings are established.
First, there are many coaches that have a GCWR greater than 10,000 lbs. So, your statement that "there is a 10,000 lb capacity on diesels..." is completely incorrect. As an example, on our current coach, we have a GVWR of 44,600. We have a GCWR of 59,600 and a hitch capacity of 15,000. So, clearly we have a maximum towing capacity of 15,000 lbs.
Second, your statement that the hitch and the transmission alone set these ratings is incorrect. The overall GCWR is set by the manufacturer looking at many different items ie: axle capacity, frame engineering etc. and using industry standards.
The last piece of advise I would give is before you ever entertain the idea of custom making a hitch as you have stated, you first get a copy of the welders liability insurance information. Hitches are rated for a reason and the guy at the local welding shop has no means of rating any hitch.
Safe travels.