06Fargo wrote:
NC Hauler wrote:
jims1 wrote:
I too am making this leap to the dark side. What alot of folks don't realize is that their Dodges, Fords, and Chevy's are not built to handle the advertised weight ratings day in, day out. We tow 17.5-18k depending on the level in the tanks. .
Some truth to that, but there are also a lot of us out here who do know what they're doing, can do the simple math and know what we need to tow with. My 2013' Ram 3500 crew cab, long bed, 4X4 Dually, with 4:10 gearing has a GVWR of 14,000#, with a RAWR of 9750# and a GCWR of 37,000#. My 5er has a GVW of 16,950#, loaded to 16,050, with a 3300# pin weight. CAT scales has my truck loaded, ready to hook to my 5er with full tanks,5er hitch, wife, pets and toolbox @ 9,420#. That put's my loaded truck at a weight of 12,720#( 9420# plus 3300# pin weight), and total weight of 25,470.(5er @ 16,050# plus truck loaded weight of 9420)) So as you can see, I'm 1280# under my trucks GVWR, and WELL under my trucks GCWR and doing it all with a 1 ton crew cab dually which, at this time, has to also be my daily driver.
You're basically saying, those that tow well over their trucks limits day in , day out, won't last.. I agree with you on this, if it's what you meant. But i also believe if one has matched the truck with what they're towing, and is maintained properly it WILL perform day in and day out, just as it was designed to do.
My truck also has the medium duty Aisin transmission option in it, which, which makes my towing combo of Cummins/Aisin a little more robust, capable of towing even your examples of a 5er in the 17.5-18K weight range with just the 1 ton dually....
Any speculation at all why Chrysler engineers (lawyers?) rate a pickup for 37,000lbs GCWR, but it is not rated to haul the sum of it's two axle ratings without a trailer?
I recall there's a change in safety standards and/or emission standards for trucks over 14K. (Conversely, that might be why Ford rates the E450 just OVER that, at 14,050.) I also recall some states require commercial registration (fuel permits, DOT numbers, etc.) around that GVWR.
