GVWR; how close are you?

[bikerdib]

I guess there is no way to post a poll on this forum. But with several threads discussing ways to increase the carrying capacity of trucks used to haul slide in campers I got to wondering how everyone fits with regards to weight.

While I'm under the front and rear GAWR of my truck, I'm slightly over the GVWR.

How about you?

[recycler]

06Fargo wrote:

JIMNLIN wrote:

06Fargo wrote:
I was parked beside a late model GMC dually - goose neck trailer hot shot rig.

Licensed GVW on his door said "22,000 kg"

The 22000 GVW in this case is his declared total "truck and trailer" operating weight which is over 48000 lbs. Some hotshots declare a much higher operating weight but haul at a lower number. That way they have wiggle room. However at some point declaring all that weight gets expensive unless its a company truck. (deep pockets)

A GMC dually could be a one ton DRW pickup bed or flatbed or a 4500/5500 with a haulers bed.

Sorry I should have mentioned it was a pickup bed.

that is not that unusual of a declared wieght for hot shotters..my friends had a 48,000lbs declared wieght on their company f350 cc dually so they could haul their d4 dozer and cat vibra packer at same time..lots of hot shots use pick ups.. from my understanding is so they don't have to go over the scales as much..some states do not want pick ups going over them..studied up on it as i though of turning my f550 into hot shot tractor with a custom built by me 53ft semi style flat deck and a 54,000 declared wieght..

[CAJW]

DCBarger wrote:
. Earlier this year, I had an inside dual blow and rip the fender off. Now I keep up on tire pressures, use good tires (the one that blew was a Goodyear with only about 5k miles on it). Pulled the wheels and the other side inside tire was cracked all around the sidewall. Naturally, now I'm kinda skittish about the whole weight deal and spent a bunch of time here trying to figure out if or how bad the tire problem is.

I got one of these systems so I can concentrate on driving as the alarms will give me a warning if something is going south. Great piece of mind as it monitors both temperatures and pressures. Enjoy WTown and hopefully the biker gangs aren't visiting! 😉 TST tire pressure monitor

[noteven]

Keep your truck and camper and good tires on the truck. Use the depreciation $ and interest $ you save to drive about the country... 🙂

[DCBarger]

After years of lurking, I joined just because of this subject. I had a Lance 11'6" on a 94 Chevy C3500 dually years ago and never thought about total weights. We went everywhere in it and I pulled a big ski boat, a couple different race car trailers with never a problem. Got rid of the TC when family started growing but always missed it.
After kids went off to college, picked up a Lance 1121 to go on my 2000 Chevy C3500 DRW. Had it a couple years been a bunch of places and really like it. Earlier this year, I had an inside dual blow and rip the fender off. Now I keep up on tire pressures, use good tires (the one that blew was a Goodyear with only about 5k miles on it). Pulled the wheels and the other side inside tire was cracked all around the sidewall. Naturally, now I'm kinda skittish about the whole weight deal and spent a bunch of time here trying to figure out if or how bad the tire problem is.
Our truck with a camper shell and tail gate on is 6800 lbs with a full tank of fuel and me in the truck. I figure the shell and tailgate are 300-400 lbs or so. Pulled the shell, put the camper on and the truck is 10,720 with no water and only minimal stuff. That's about 720 over the GVWR but well under tire ratings (new Michelin tires rated at 2480 ea as duals)....
So I'm trying to decide, sell the camper and buy something lighter. Kinda my preference as I like my truck and it's paid for. DW hates the idea of any camper with a wet shower. Alternatively, do I keep the camper and buy a new truck. Wife likes that idea but we only drive the truck about 5000 miles a year and I hate the idea of tying up $50k or so on something I don't use all the time....
We're off to Whiskytown lake over Labor Day and gonna try to come up with a plan...

[JIMNLIN]

I'm one week away to make my final decision and I'm freaking out about the weight of the 865 and 811 Arctic Fox. I have a 2001 F350 dually and realized that if I buy any of those two models, I'm going to be overweight. Am I missing something? How can I be overweight with the lightest floorplans and a dually? My GVWR is 11500 pounds, my truck weighs 7500lbs, the 811AF weighs 3300lbs, which leaves me with only 700lbs. I know for sure I'll add minimum 1300lbs of cargo.

Your missing the fact that trucks carry weight out here on our highways determined by thier axle/tire load ratings and not GVWR or a GCWR number.
This email from a RV.net member with a question about GVWR/GCWR to the state of Ca and a in part answer from a California section commander;
(snipped)
Q: “Many of the owners travel over their tow vehicle GVWR and /or
GCWR. Are there any state laws against this? Or does the owner just
take the risk if they wish?”
A: The California Vehicle Code (CVC) does not contain a law that
specifically limits the amount of weight a vehicle may tow based on the
towing vehicle GVWR or GCWR. There are, however, laws that limit the
amount a vehicle may tow based on other criteria.
(snipped)
Section 1085(d) of Title 13 California Code of Regulations prohibits
the loading of tires above the maximum load rating marked on the tire,
or if unmarked the maximum load rating as specified in the applicable
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, or in a publication furnished to
the public by the tire manufacturer. This would most likely happen in
the case of a pickup truck towing a large fifth wheel travel trailer, as
those types of trailers tend to transfer a larger portion of their
weight to the last axle of the towing unit causing that axle to exceed
the tire load limits.
(snip)
I trust this has adequately answered your questions. Should you desire
any further information, please contact Officer Ron Leimer, of my staff,
at (916) 445-1865.
Sincerely,
S. B. DOWLING, Captain
Commander
Commercial Vehicle Section"

Many large GN trailers have 5500-6500 lb hitch weights. I'm not up on older Ford RAWR numbers but you may have a 9000 RAWR. Your trucks rear axle may weigh 3500 lbs unladin. That leaves the truck with a 5500 lb payload before going over axle/tire load limits as the CVS commander mentioned.

Get a front and rear axle weight numbers and go from there.

[DaButcher]

Bought a 1993 Elkhorn 9vs yesterday. Cat scales put me at 10,440lb which is 440 over on my 2011 F250 with camper package. Camper was not stocked but does have two full propane bottles. Truck rode much better loaded than empty and handled the camper wonderfully. Truck is about 8300lb with me and 1/2 tank of fuel so this is not a heavy camper. I expect to add a few hundred more pounds of gear and supplies before using.

[insp1505]

Natt85 wrote:
Great thread!
Very surprising to me... I guess those trucks are built to tow not too carry heavy loads.

I ran into the same thing several years ago when I bought my Arctic Fox 1150. I had a 1996 GMC dually and thought I could haul any TC, boy was I wrong. The older dually's can't haul as much as the newer ones but they tow well like you said.

I had to upgrade to my 05 Dodge DRW just to be under rear axle weight rating but still over GVWR with my AF. If I remember right from my second round of shopping for a truck to haul my AF I also would have needed an 05 Ford and something like an 08 GM for the same effect. The Ford was out due to the engine and the GM's were too expensive and still had less RAWR than Dodge's 9350 lb rear end.

I recently sold the Arctic Fox and went with a Northern Lite because I no longer had the need for a camper that big and what a difference losing 2000 lbs makes! Your truck will handle either AF you are looking at just fine with some stable-loads and at least you have the good engine if yours is a diesel but if you want a light weight camper and can get by without a slide don't forget to check out Northern Lite. It's nice to be under GVW with a TC even while towing.

[realter]

My 3/4 ton GMC has a GVWR of 9,200 lbs, and with the Northstar Laredo and myself, all loaded for a weekend of camping, it comes in about 9100 lbs. Now if my wife comes with......, but she rarely does, something about climbing out of the overhead bed..... I have weighed it numerous times on various scales and always comes out about the same. I travel like a backpacker, there just is no extra room in a TC to bring a lot of unnecessary stuff.

[Natt85]

Great thread!

I'm one week away to make my final decision and I'm freaking out about the weight of the 865 and 811 Arctic Fox. I have a 2001 F350 dually and realized that if I buy any of those two models, I'm going to be overweight. Am I missing something? How can I be overweight with the lightest floorplans and a dually? My GVWR is 11500 pounds, my truck weighs 7500lbs, the 811AF weighs 3300lbs, which leaves me with only 700lbs. I know for sure I'll add minimum 1300lbs of cargo.
The 865AF isn't far behind, it weighs 3000lbs.
Since, I'm going to drive in bumpy, mountainous, dangerous windy curvy roads, I'm a bit concerned about those numbers.
I looked at Lance, Adventurer and their numbers are not the lightest either...
Very surprising to me... I guess those trucks are built to tow not too carry heavy loads.

[kehale]

About 3,500 lbs under GVWR.

Thinking about adding a fish tank.

[Bedlam]

Almost one ton over my GVWR yet under tire, rim, axle and GCW ratings.

[brholt]

With three people, a lab, full fuel water and loaded for camping we came in at 13,700 lbs on a CAT scale. GVWR is 14,000 so under by 300 lbs.

[deltabravo]

OVER!!

With the propane tanks full, and about half tank of water, and NO GEAR in the camper, I'm over weight. This was on the way home from the dealer.



We can install all kinds of upgrades and mods, but they don't increase the weight carrying capacity of the truck, they just make the truck handle better or improve the safety margins of carrying said weight.

Regardless of what I do to my truck, it's still only rated to carry the weight that the sticker on the door says... which is 11,200.... but at you can see in the photo, I'm carrying more.

[whizbang]

We are spot on the GVWR and the axle rating. A fluke. It just worked out that way.

By the way, that is with the jacks removed....

The truck handles great, even off road.