SRW vs DRW

[klr650goldwing]

Is there a general rule regarding how much weight is okay for SRW and how much is too much? We are thinking of a larger 5er and not sure how much larger will require a new truck too.

[rhagfo]

MFL wrote:
FWIW, his 2011 had the 3.42, and like Gary mentioned, not much sense trading a late model 2500, for a SRW 3500. Now if making the choice, for towing a FW, between purchasing 2500 or 3500, most of us would choose the 3500. IMO, best to get a DRW if GVW of FW is 15K or more.

Jerry

I feel the same way, moving from a 2500 to a 3500 SRW is a lateral the only real change is the GVWR number on the VIN sticker. I felt that even going from our 2001 to 2013 or newer would still be a lateral move. Thus we chose to go DRW, as a future proof for a larger 5er.

[Cummins12V98]

rhagfo wrote:

garyp4951 wrote:
I think Ron has a 3:42 ratio, and if I ever go bigger than a 2500 it will be a dually.

Ron has a 4.10, his 2012 had 3.42’s.

Constantly fact checking! 😉

2011 was 3.42.

[MFL]

FWIW, his 2011 had the 3.42, and like Gary mentioned, not much sense trading a late model 2500, for a SRW 3500. Now if making the choice, for towing a FW, between purchasing 2500 or 3500, most of us would choose the 3500. IMO, best to get a DRW if GVW of FW is 15K or more.

Jerry

[rhagfo]

garyp4951 wrote:
I think Ron has a 3:42 ratio, and if I ever go bigger than a 2500 it will be a dually.

Ron has a 4.10, his 2012 had 3.42’s.

[garyp4951]

I think Ron has a 3:42 ratio, and if I ever go bigger than a 2500 it will be a dually.

[Cummins12V98]

4x4ord wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
Yes, the general rule is to pull the ratings for the truck. If you are within the rating...it's good.

NOT really, I can tow 30k or so but in a two axle 5er with 25% pin no way and stay at or under 9,750# RAWR! I look more at what the RAWR is.

I need clarification on your post. You tow 30k with 25% of that on your pin .... so 7500 lbs pin weight, which puts you over your gross axle rating yet you say you look at what the RAWR is?

Edit I think I get it. You're saying you could tow a 30,000 lb goosneck but because tandem axle 5vers oftem put up to 25% of their weight on the pin you would limit yourself by your RAWR when towing a heavy 5ver. So that might drop you down to about a 22000 lb fifth wheel?

Dang, no coffee when reading my post???

"I" "can't" tow a 30k 5er two axle but I probably could tow 3 axle with 15% pin.

I am at my RAWR towing my 23k 5er two axle at 25% pin.

[rhagfo]

4x4ord wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
Yes, the general rule is to pull the ratings for the truck. If you are within the rating...it's good.

NOT really, I can tow 30k or so but in a two axle 5er with 25% pin no way and stay at or under 9,750# RAWR! I look more at what the RAWR is.

I need clarification on your post. You tow 30k with 25% of that on your pin .... so 7500 lbs pin weight, which puts you over your gross axle rating yet you say you look at what the RAWR is?

Edit I think I get it. You're saying you could tow a 30,000 lb goosneck but because tandem axle 5vers oftem put up to 25% of their weight on the pin you would limit yourself by your RAWR when towing a heavy 5ver. So that might drop you down to about a 22000 lb fifth wheel?

What Ron is saying is that his Ram with 4.10 and Aisin is rated to PULL about 30,000#, but that it can't CARRY the pin weight of a 5er that heavy. Now if it was a Hay wagon with front steer axle, then he could PULL that 30,000#.
This is why so many get misled when it comes to towing with 3/4 tons, many 3/4 ton diesels have tow capacity of 17,000#+.

[4x4ord]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
Yes, the general rule is to pull the ratings for the truck. If you are within the rating...it's good.

NOT really, I can tow 30k or so but in a two axle 5er with 25% pin no way and stay at or under 9,750# RAWR! I look more at what the RAWR is.

I need clarification on your post. You tow 30k with 25% of that on your pin .... so 7500 lbs pin weight, which puts you over your gross axle rating yet you say you look at what the RAWR is?

Edit I think I get it. You're saying you could tow a 30,000 lb goosneck but because tandem axle 5vers oftem put up to 25% of their weight on the pin you would limit yourself by your RAWR when towing a heavy 5ver. So that might drop you down to about a 22000 lb fifth wheel?

[Cummins12V98]

valhalla360 wrote:
Yes, the general rule is to pull the ratings for the truck. If you are within the rating...it's good.

NOT really, I can tow 30k or so but in a two axle 5er with 25% pin no way and stay at or under 9,750# RAWR! I look more at what the RAWR is.

[valhalla360]

Yes, the general rule is to pull the ratings for the truck. If you are within the rating...it's good.

[Super_Dave]

When I looked at your 2004 specs, it looks like your truck weighs about 6,000 pounds and has a payload rating of approximately 3,900 pounds. 12,000 pound GVW trailer seems safe.

[JIMNLIN]

goldwing....for some reason Ford dropped their Fleet Ford spec website that covered 2000 on up to current Ford trucks.
The only one I found is their new websites but covers 2014 and up trucks.

Any Ford gurus know how to access the old fleet fordbbas.com website for 2000 and up trucks. Their was a wealth of mechanical specs in those pages. The info he seeks should be in that web.

[JIMNLIN]

If you need a law enforcement officer to ticket you in order to ensure you're loading your truck safely, I don't really know what to say.

A LEO will not cannot ticket anyone for carrying weight above the truck makers GVWR. The reason he cannot is their are no state/fed overweight codes for exceeding the truck makers GVWR.

I've got several states size and weight codes for vehicle weights. Their all worded differently but point in the same direction as this one; ..used for example only...
(c) Gross weight.--No vehicle or combination shall be driven
with a gross weight in excess of the sum of the allowable axle
weights as set forth in this section, nor shall any vehicle or
combination be driven with a gross weight in excess of the sum
of the manufacturer's rated axle capacities.**

Sorry OP for the weight hijack.

[rhagfo]

klr650goldwing wrote:
Thanks everyone. There is a wealth of information here. I checked the weight tag on my truck and found the following information: GVWR 9900, FRONT GAWR 5200, REAR GAWR 6830. I don't know how to calculate total towing capacity from those numbers. I bought this truck new. When new it had 3.73 differential gearing. I had those gears changed to 4.56. That increased the towing capacity of the truck, but I don't remember how the truck shop calculated those numbers. Can anyone determine the maximum weight 5er this truck can tow?

Well if you go by GVWR, likely about 12,000#

Until recently towed a 12,500# 5er with our 2001 Ram 2500, the TV scaled at 10,500# with 5er. so you would be about 600# over your GVWR. I chose to just step up to a 2016 Ram 3500 DRW, now my GVWR is 14,000# and huge max trailer and GCVWR.

[Wadcutter]

twodownzero wrote:

It doesn't matter what your state says. If you're over your GVWR, you're overloaded.
If you need a law enforcement officer to ticket you in order to ensure you're loading your truck safely, I don't really know what to say.

Please! Let's stick with what is actually the law and not what someone think the law says or wishes the law said just to support their unsupported argument. People who spout off that stuff have never read a law or most likely even know where to look for it even if they could understand what they read.
No LEO is going to give him a ticket for being over the manufacturer's GVWR. There's a very simple reason why. The manufacturer's GVWR is a rating by the manufacturer. It's not a legal weight limit. Manufacturers do not make the law. It is a non-enforceable rating used only by the manufacturer for their ratings. It's not a legal document and has no bearing on legal weights.
I didn't get my knowledge from listening to some fat guy in a flannel shirt sitting around a campfire. I taught truck laws and weight laws for a lot of years. I was recognized by the courts and FMCS as an expert in truck laws and weights. If a person is going to use a legal comment to support their personal opinion then post the statute. At least it might show the person knows what they're talking about.