GVWR's - Tow Ratings - weight police weigh in please

So is a guy that's over weight using WD sway control safer than a guy at the limits not using WD sway control? I see lots of trucks pulling TT's that are IMO near the max tow rating using nothing more than a round bar WD setup w/o sway control.

IMHO, the keys are common sense, knowing your limitations, and staying with the legal limits. Like Jim said with his excerpt from the CVC, the law says you must keep within your tire weights (the law). The manufactured ratings are there for a reason (commons sense). So take them into consideration, as guidelines that shouldn't be exceeded without some thought and maybe a modification of driving habits, like: speed, following distance, anticipated traffic, etc (your limitations).

With those three thoughts, I'm slightly above GVW and 2K above GCWR (see below) and drive conservatively (below 60MPH, avoid heavy traffic, keep extra stopping space and am alert for knuckleheads). I consider myself and family safer and more "legal" going down the road than a good majority of folks who are texting, speeding, not well rested, drunk, etc.
Here are my weights:

GVW: Rated: 9,900/Loaded 10,120 (over by 220lbs)
Ax Wt (front) Rated:4,750/Loaded 4,460 (under by 220lbs)
Ax Wt (rear): Rated 6,150/Actual 5,660 (under by 490lbs)
GCWR: 19,000/Actual 21,000 (over by 2,000lbs)
Trailer Axle Wt: 10,880lbs
Trailer Wt: 13,480lbs
Tongue Wt: 2,600lbs (19.3% of trailer wt)

I have spent sometime pouring over the tow guides Ford has published. I noticed that in 2004 (my truck) at a certain point, GCWR just stopped at 20,000#. Engines increased (gas to diesel)and gear ratios went from 3.73 to 4.1 or 4.3, SRW to DRW and the rating stayed the same. In the more modern trucks you "get credit" for those additional upgrades.

Since the "tow wars" started, all of a sudden you get credit for all these upgrade.

Now in some states I've learned the by capping GVWR at 10,000# they save on insurance and registration (private vs commercial) and so the truck was "de-rated".

We must not forget lawyers, insurance and politicians. Based on state and federal laws I believe manufactures cap the posted ratings of their equipment.

With all that said I try had to stay within the "posted" ratings of my truck although I do hit the 20,000# GCWR (by CAT Scale) when I travel. I'm well within GVWR's and GAWR's of truck and trailer as loaded but if you looked at the GVWR's of each separately, they total 22,000#.

"Bridge laws" which effect commercial truck axle weights and placement to protect the road surface and bridges are well above what many RVers will see (except Class A DP). At 20,000# per single axle or tire ratings (up to single axle rating). 34,000# per tandem axle. These are the only legal limits the police are worried about except registration fees.

:B

GVWR's - Tow Ratings - weight police weigh in please

This email from a real weight police perspective on GVWR and GCWR and was originated by a RV.net member and has been posted several times on this and other websites. He apparently doesn't like it being posted for whatever reason. I'll post it in part anyway (snipped for length) :B

"This is in response to your electronic mail dated October 14, 2009.
First, allow me to apologize for the untimely response to your e-mail.
My staff recently received your request and by the date of your e-mail,
it appears to have been lost in the system. You were requesting
information pertaining to state laws limiting the gross vehicle weight
rating (GVWR) and/or gross combined weight rating (GCWR) for fifth wheel
and recreational vehicle owners. I have answered each of your questions
in the order asked.

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.
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.

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"

And as most know our trucks tires are matched to the GAWRs per the FMVSS's.

This is a actual weight code he has supplied and not a worksheet or just a recommendation/informational sheet that gets posted.

An 89 Astro we had was at 6100 of 6200 total. 3100 of 3100 on the rear. 3000 of 3100 on the front.

My navistar on the other hand, total GVWR IS the sum of the axel components lowest denominator. Axel front 6000, tires 7000 springs 8K. Rear axel springs 15500, rims 12600, tires 12200. 12200 plus 6000 equal 18200. Legally with stock 8r19.5 tires, I can go down the road at 29k with 600 lbs per inch width of tire. Not that I will recomend this......

marty

720Deere wrote:
You can't add the GAWR together to come up with a maximum capacity. More than 90% of the time, you are not going to transfer any weight to the front axle when you are towing a heavy trailer. Gooseneck and fifth wheel hitches are typically centered over the rear axle or just a few inches forward of it. It is pretty hard to leverage any weight to the front axle.

GVWR like anything else in life is limited by the weakest link in the system. It could be tires, brakes, axles, springs, frame or even the transmission. Ram has made a lot of changes to their trucks since 2006. I never understood their lack of payload capacity up until recently.

This statement is a little funny in light that newer trucks now run a GVWR in the neighbor hood of 90%+ to 95% of total axle rating. The F150 Max, Max GVWR is within in 650# of the total axle rating, assuming an EB engine, the rear axle can easily be overloaded with the truck within GVWR!

Many trucks up through about the 07 model year only run a GVWR around 80% of of total axle rating.

In my case 01 Ram 2500

FGAWR 5200
RGAWR 6084
Total 11,284
GVWR 8,800
Differance 2,484

I am at 78% of total axle rating.

You can't add the GAWR together to come up with a maximum capacity. More than 90% of the time, you are not going to transfer any weight to the front axle when you are towing a heavy trailer. Gooseneck and fifth wheel hitches are typically centered over the rear axle or just a few inches forward of it. It is pretty hard to leverage any weight to the front axle.

GVWR like anything else in life is limited by the weakest link in the system. It could be tires, brakes, axles, springs, frame or even the transmission. Ram has made a lot of changes to their trucks since 2006. I never understood their lack of payload capacity up until recently.

So how does the dual wheel model have more trailer weight capacity than the single wheel truck in 2013 but not in 2006?

Many other changes were made....

That diff between the gvwr and the max combined axle rating is that gray area many people operate in. Mostly on your 250's or 2500's. You run out of payload before you are anywhere close to max tow weight. Most people bag it or add a leaf and call it a 350 now.