Tow Vehicle GARS vs GVWR

transamz9 wrote:

LarryJM wrote:
The real answer which no one has mentioned IMO is that the vehicle must pass stringent braking standards such as fade, temps, etc. based on a specific number which is the GVWR and it would be cost prohibitive to have all the various GVWRs certified so you will generally find one class of vehicle with a specified GVWR and then for different axle and tire options and even some suspension options you will get various axle wt. ratings whose sum often don't equal the GVWR for that vehicle. A good example is my Van where with the diesel engine there is an option for what is called "ONE UP FAWR" which increases the FAWR 200lbs, but has zero change to the vehicles GVWR.

Larry

That's weird because a lot of 250/2500's have the exact same brakes as the 350/3500.:h

Doesn't matter since both undergo separate independent brake testing so each have a separate certification for that class vehicle. If they have the same braking system it just means the lower GVWR preforms better than the higher GVWR, but both meet or exceed the required performance standards. It is totally up to the manufacturer to specify what the GVWR is as long as it is less than or equal to the sum of the two lowest GAWRs for all the potential factory option combinations.

One thing I'm not sure of is how they handle the various tire options within a class of vehicle as far as testing goes.
Larry