Tow rating.
What percentage of your tow vehicles tow rating are you comfortable towing? Mine has a 6600lb rating. I know to consider the tongue weight but am just asking about the total weight. I will be using a...
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I've stalled a few rigs below the tow ratings, Even stall one at gvwr on a STEEP grade. One thing to remember, is new ratings only give you to around a 12% grade. I've had to go up grades in the low 30% range, 15-20 is not uncommon. So if you only have a 12% start ability.......you may find yourself stalling out with the new ratings!
as such, I have never trusted the ratings, today, yesterday, nor tomorrow!
I've pulled a trailer that weighed a rigs GCWR, never had an issue. Yet that 89 R3500 dually with 410's, auto trans stalled out in the 12-13K range on 20% grades. Blew up auto transmissions every 30K like clockwork! Did the same with my 88 K3500 too! Meanwhile my 81 with a 292 I6 and a muncie 4 sp would go up hills at 12K, come down and hook up to stalled out 1 tons, and pull that 12K up the hill! It had a gcwr of 100 lbs LESS than its GVWR!
My 96 K3500 with one of the junquie 6.5TDs, had no issues pulling a 12K trailer around, never stalled out. Its gcwr with the NV4500 manual trans was 12500. The auto version 14500. But stalled out on 20% grades at 12K lbs. My manual version was going up the 20% grades at 20K total lbs.
Gearing in axles, transmissions, and correct powering of you setup will get you places, GCWR means squat! Other than a warranty rating.
I was actually surprised I only stalled out my 05 dmax once. And it was at around 20K lbs on a mid 20% grade......about where I figure it would frankly! The 6.5 I figured it would stall out on a 30% grade at 20K lbs. On a freeway grade, the dmax and its 300hp left behind the 185hp 6.5 tho. 2-5% freeway grades is where HP is king. SLOW steep grades in 1st gear is where torque multiplication via tranny, axel and tire diam times torque wins. The highest multiplier usually wins and gets up the grade.
I'll pull up to around 2x grawr, to maybe 2.25. I then find above this the trailer wags the truck too much.
Just my 02 or 03 or ...........
as such, I have never trusted the ratings, today, yesterday, nor tomorrow!
I've pulled a trailer that weighed a rigs GCWR, never had an issue. Yet that 89 R3500 dually with 410's, auto trans stalled out in the 12-13K range on 20% grades. Blew up auto transmissions every 30K like clockwork! Did the same with my 88 K3500 too! Meanwhile my 81 with a 292 I6 and a muncie 4 sp would go up hills at 12K, come down and hook up to stalled out 1 tons, and pull that 12K up the hill! It had a gcwr of 100 lbs LESS than its GVWR!
My 96 K3500 with one of the junquie 6.5TDs, had no issues pulling a 12K trailer around, never stalled out. Its gcwr with the NV4500 manual trans was 12500. The auto version 14500. But stalled out on 20% grades at 12K lbs. My manual version was going up the 20% grades at 20K total lbs.
Gearing in axles, transmissions, and correct powering of you setup will get you places, GCWR means squat! Other than a warranty rating.
I was actually surprised I only stalled out my 05 dmax once. And it was at around 20K lbs on a mid 20% grade......about where I figure it would frankly! The 6.5 I figured it would stall out on a 30% grade at 20K lbs. On a freeway grade, the dmax and its 300hp left behind the 185hp 6.5 tho. 2-5% freeway grades is where HP is king. SLOW steep grades in 1st gear is where torque multiplication via tranny, axel and tire diam times torque wins. The highest multiplier usually wins and gets up the grade.
I'll pull up to around 2x grawr, to maybe 2.25. I then find above this the trailer wags the truck too much.
Just my 02 or 03 or ...........
