10,000 lb Vehicle weight and the law

burningman wrote:


Also, in general the DOT is unconcerned about manufacturer's weight ratings. They go by their own formula of tire size, number of axles, and wheelbase. Those are the things that determine LEGAL weight capacity. I'm pretty sure there's nothing in the law anywhere about what rating the manufacturer places on a truck. That's of no more consequence than a manufacturer's speed rating vs. the state's speed limit. THEY decide the limit based on their own criteria, in both cases.

I don't know why people find this so hard to beleive.

Use the mfgr weigh ratings as a guide. On a 1/2 they are probably a bit more black and white than a 3/4 or 1 ton, simply based on application and part interchangeability.

Case in point, my 2005 SRW 3500 has the same frame as my brothers 06 2500 Hemi, my Dad's 06 2500 Cummins, and my friends 07 6.7 Cummins DRW 3500... All 4 trucks have different a GVWR. All 4 run the same brakes, same front axle and same rear axle on the diesels (DRW vs SRW is same axle with slight config differences, rated the same by AAM). The only GVW that is might be an actual limit is the one found on the DRW of 12,200. Anything below that is a mfgr placard that is NOT based on structural ability. The rear axle has 4 "limits" that I can find. 2500 6,010lbs, 3500 SRW 6,200lbs, 3500 DRW 9,350lbs, AAM 10,912lbs. Which one do you think matters the most?

Having a 9,900lb GVWR is nice for the legal side of being over 10,000 GVWR.. but that in no way stops me from loading my truck up heavier. I personally keep it to the 12,200 limit, the highest from Dodge. I know many people will bust that 12,200 limit but that's the max I will run. I have yet to break 11,300, but will be close to 12,000 on my next camping trip.

~DJ~ wrote:
We also license our trucks as passenger cars. :)

Be careful with that one. The passenger car plate is only good to 8,000lbs and ISP has started issuing tickets for it. There are 2 other plates 8,001-16,000 and 16,001-26,000. Trailers that have an RV sticker are excempt from your weigh, but if the TV is over 8,000 with the trailer unhooked and you have passenger car plates. I register for 26K so I don't have to mess with it. I am over 8K nearly all of the time, even with an empty bed.

The real BS part about it is that the DMV doesn't advertise the different plates, nor do they ask you about what weight you want when you register.

If an Idaho plate expires in any month but December it's for sure a passenger car plate, if it expires in December it could be a passenger car or 8,000+ non-commercial.