Question about GVWR.

As others have stated, only the manufacturer knows where gvwr number comes from. Feel free to change any component you want. I hope that it is the weak link that the builder is aware of. Simply changing brakes or frame thickness may be all it takes. Good luck with your experimenting.

Your Silverado has a particular rating due to the components selected during build and the class of vehicle under which it was marketed. If you change any of those components, it is possible to decrease to increase the rating because your sticker no longer reflects the current configuration. It is also possible that your truck has derated sticker to stay within parameters that have nothing to do with safety. It's up to you, as the owner, to investigate how or why your GVWR is set if you plan modify from OEM. Just because because you deviate, does not mean you are not safe if you know the effects of your changes.

The OP asked, "Take my F150 (heavy) pickup for example. The FGAWR = 4,050#. The RGAWR = 4,800#. Yet the GVWR = 8,200#. Why shouldn't the GVWR = 8,850#?"

I have driven overloaded vehicles, and it is neither fun, safe, nor wise. I don't think it is giving good advice to tell people to combine axle weights to surpass their GVWR. My Silverado clearly states, what the maximum weight of vehicle, occupants, and cargo is. Changing front tires or rear axles does not change that number.

Gr8life wrote:
Licensing requirements (taxes) are the reason for the dual GVWR ratings. Has nothing to do with GVWR or RAWR. Completely irrelevant to the discussion.

You're probably more correct in some ways than others. Others are more correct.

Yes, you could put a 8K rated dual tired axel under an S-10, Ranger or equal, Toyota used to put a dual axel under there 4banger rigs. You could maybe get the s10 recertified to show it could handle the weight. Reality is, the scale guys probably would not care, as long as your PAID for gvw was greater than the actual gvw. Along with you are under the road bed max weight limits.

As I said earlier, there is more than one way to look at this, one has to know ALL of the legal and non legal ways of looking at this issue. For me, as I stated earlier, as long as I am under the road bed limits, have a paid for license that is over what I am going down the road at. I am legal. Not necessarily "safe", but I am legal!

"Safe" certainly has many connotations too. I've driven over gvwr, gcwr with my family of 6 in a given truck or two or three. The only white knuckle issues have had to do with other issues, not weight related. Like the 35 15-20 passenger vans coming the opposite direction I was going on a 1.5 lane width mountain road. I was on the cliff side! I really do not see how gvwr/gcwr has to do with these kind of situations.

There is not right or wrong, other than to a degree, the person in the scale shack, and maybe the person doing an accident report after the fact.

Marty

Licensing requirements (taxes) are the reason for the dual GVWR ratings. Has nothing to do with GVWR or RAWR. Completely irrelevant to the discussion.

The thread is about GVWR.
My F350 SRW info was too show how the truck makers GVWR can be manipulated.
Read my reply again...I didn't say anything about local taxes.

JIMNLIN wrote:
They offer a 11200 GVWR or a 10000 GVWR for the exact same configured truck/same GAWRs/same engine and tranny /same frame/same brake specs/same tire and wheel packages/etc ,just a different GVWR numbers.

And the reason has anything at all to with RAWR? Or local taxes? You lost me on this sidetrack.

it is a simple thing to upgrade your F-150 to a F-450, simply change out the rear axle.

Doing so still doesn't change the F150 RAWR on the trucks certification placard. Its still a F150.

Ford does offer several GVWR packages from 10000 lbs up to 11500 lbs for the F350 SRW.
They offer a 11200 GVWR or a 10000 GVWR for the exact same configured truck/same GAWRs/same engine and tranny /same frame/same brake specs/same tire and wheel packages/etc ,just a different GVWR numbers.

Since some say that all you have to do is stay under RAWR, it is a simple thing to upgrade your F-150 to a F-450, simply change out the rear axle. Forget about the frame, brakes, suspension, and other components of your pickup. Why didn't Ford thing of this? They could have eliminated building so darn many models. (GVWR is what they foolishly go by)

KevinO wrote:
That is 7640lbs total which leaves me 2260lbs for payload. but according to the scale slip I still have 3830lbs available on my rear axle...

Just stay under your trucks certified 6830 RAWR which includes tires/wheels and rear spring pack and/or if your state has a weighted registration. In my state we have no weight to register our private use trucks at so we simply carry weight determined by the RAWR in the case of a truck pulling a trailer.

If your going to carry more weight on the rear axle then you will have to up grade to higher rated tires/wheels and the rear spring pack or some type of aftermarket suspension help.