Forum Discussion
blt2ski
Mar 12, 2023Moderator
Grit
I had NO problem hauling upwards of 3 tons locally with my SW 3500's with the same suspension as the OP's fathers truck! Would I do this towing a trailer for a LONGER trip, heck no! I usually put 2500-3000 lbs loaded on the truck with family of 6, dogs, canoe, rack cross bed tool box, and a whopping 700 lbs of HW for my 24' travel trailer. I wont mention the day at the scale at I90 and HWY 18 after sitting at ALpental parking lot for 3 days as it snowed some 4-6' up there, a foot or more down here, roof collapsed on a local Orielly's auto parts, Covered marina floats went down taking boats under them too.... I had over 6000 lbs of snow load on the truck and trailer!
OUR trucks as you know can handle way more than rated depending on how speced to work. My tires on my truck are good to 3800 lbs or so, IF I keep the speed below 25mph, they are rated to 5700, as are ANY tires!
SOme of the truck ratings thru the years have been reasonably correct, others, you have to question the engineers' thoughts. Like the one blathering in the duramax kitchen facilities during a tour I took back in September 01. Saying don't put 265-75-16 rubber on your DA combo! It would harm the motor, trans, electronics etc etc etc blather blather....... 04 model IIRC came out with a SW 3500. What tire was on it? Yep, that tire size that would blow up our beloved motor trans etc.
IT WILL do it, but as I noted earlier, when folks bought the SW 2500's put 2 tons of hitch weight, they bottomed out as I have when you go over a speed bump too fast, hit the bottom of a hill then go back up quick.
Also to those with the payload sticker on an 02. I'm seeming to recall my 2000 having one. Even my 81 had one per say, look in glove box for max camper load, add in 150 lbs per seat belt, you have max payload for that truck and EVERY truck rated to carry a camper I've had since then. That is how the max hitch weight of a 5W or BP trailer should be figured too. Them engineers wont figure that out for a bit either....
Marty
I had NO problem hauling upwards of 3 tons locally with my SW 3500's with the same suspension as the OP's fathers truck! Would I do this towing a trailer for a LONGER trip, heck no! I usually put 2500-3000 lbs loaded on the truck with family of 6, dogs, canoe, rack cross bed tool box, and a whopping 700 lbs of HW for my 24' travel trailer. I wont mention the day at the scale at I90 and HWY 18 after sitting at ALpental parking lot for 3 days as it snowed some 4-6' up there, a foot or more down here, roof collapsed on a local Orielly's auto parts, Covered marina floats went down taking boats under them too.... I had over 6000 lbs of snow load on the truck and trailer!
OUR trucks as you know can handle way more than rated depending on how speced to work. My tires on my truck are good to 3800 lbs or so, IF I keep the speed below 25mph, they are rated to 5700, as are ANY tires!
SOme of the truck ratings thru the years have been reasonably correct, others, you have to question the engineers' thoughts. Like the one blathering in the duramax kitchen facilities during a tour I took back in September 01. Saying don't put 265-75-16 rubber on your DA combo! It would harm the motor, trans, electronics etc etc etc blather blather....... 04 model IIRC came out with a SW 3500. What tire was on it? Yep, that tire size that would blow up our beloved motor trans etc.
IT WILL do it, but as I noted earlier, when folks bought the SW 2500's put 2 tons of hitch weight, they bottomed out as I have when you go over a speed bump too fast, hit the bottom of a hill then go back up quick.
Also to those with the payload sticker on an 02. I'm seeming to recall my 2000 having one. Even my 81 had one per say, look in glove box for max camper load, add in 150 lbs per seat belt, you have max payload for that truck and EVERY truck rated to carry a camper I've had since then. That is how the max hitch weight of a 5W or BP trailer should be figured too. Them engineers wont figure that out for a bit either....
Marty
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