Hitch for 3/4 ton TV and 37-ft TT

dsmith3 wrote:

Here are towing specs from 1999 Ford Super Duty Towing Chart (F-250 SRW):
GCWR 20,000
GVWR 8,800
Payload 2,900
Rear Axle Rating 6,830 NOTE: The GAWR is the topic of current discussion

dsmith3 wrote:

The "6830 Rear Axle Rating" was pulled from a website that had the towing chart for my truck. I honestly didn't know what this figure was supposed to represent but included it in case it was informative.

I went out this evening and looked at my door sticker and here are the GAWR limits:
~ GVWR 8800 lbs (3991 kg)
~ Rear GAWR 4410 lbs (at 50 PSI)
~ Front GAWR 4970 lbs (at 55 PSI)
~ Tires: LT265/75R16E

rhagfo wrote:

I find it interesting the 6,830# rear axle rating in the first post, as that in theory what the axle rating if you were running 265/75-16 E tires 3,415# each.

dsmith3 wrote:

Russ -

After doing some research it sounds like I have a door sticker from Ford with bad weights which apparently was a problem on 1999 models of my F-250.

This is becoming very, very interesting!

Here is TSB (Technical Service Bulletin):
http://www.ford-trucks.com/tsbs/fulltext/?do=ViewTSB&tsbmodel=F-250%20SUPER%20DUTY&tsbyear=1999&tsbno=99-23-2

Here is some Ford forum banter about the issue:
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/626108-early-99s-check-your-gawr-sticker.html
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/637530-please-post-your-truck-info-and-door-jam-sticker-gvwr-and-gawr-info-2.html

So it appears your instincts were very correct.

Thank you!
Dave

Russ (rhagfo), John (JBarca), and others -

I have visited with my Ford dealer (per instructions in TSB above) re: what appear to be incorrect GAWR weights (4400-4900 lb) on my door sticker for my 1999 F-250 7.3. The service manager told me they don't support trucks over 10 years and that the contact phone numbers in the TSB are no longer working. But he is trying to help.

I thought I would provide some additional information in case others have any more opinions or recommendations.

Here is my tire information that I am running on my F-250:
- BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A
- LT295/75R16
- Load Range D
- Max Load Single 3415 lbs (1550 kg) @ 65 psi COLD
- Max Load Dual 3085 lbs (1400 kg) @ 65 psi COLD

I am new to towing safety and all that goes along with it. Do I determine what the actual GAWR (front and rear) should be for my truck based on the tires I have as follows:

3415 x 2 = 6830 lbs per axle?

Again, the factory sticker says the following:
LT265/75R16E
Front GAWR 4970 lbs @ 55 psi COLD
Rear GAWR 4410 lbs @ 50 psi COLD

That's about a 2,000 lb difference!

Many thanks for all the input on this important issue.

Dave