Looking for a new truck and found this

[Walterm]

Howdy from orlando. I have been looking to trade in my 2000 Silverado for a new one and just finished reading a chevy trailer guide. It looks like some tow ratings will be changing soon. Here is what i found. Snip.....snip....
CHANGE IS CoMING The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has recently announced some new guidelines for trailer ratings. General Motors will therefore be changing its ratings in the next few years. GM has tested and prepared ratings to the new SAE standard and is ready to implement the new ratings when it won’t create consumer confusion about comparisons of vehicles commonly used for trailering. At this point, key competitors are continuing to use their existing ratings for 2013 model year pickups, so GM has decided that retaining the existing rating system for the 2013 model year will reduce confusion for dealers and customers.
Please always refer to your Owner’s Manual for more information on trailering and on how to drive using a trailer.
Snip....snip.....
Any idea what they are changing to?

Walter

[45Ricochet]

Me Again wrote:
Sorta like RAM's tow a 30K trailer with a GCWR of 37500. No RAM truck spec'd to tow the 30K is at or under 7500 pounds!

Chris

Actually a regular cab ST/Tradesman 4x4 with the 68RFE and the Cummins is listed at 7422 lbs unladen. Yeah I know, not to many folks want a 2 door :W

LINK

Most of the loaded out Longhorns are north of 9k lbs which only gives you room for a 28,500 lb RV :B

[kaydeejay]

KD4UPL wrote:
............Currently each manufacturer just comes up with some sort of number based on marketing, thin air, whatever..............

In our litigation prone society, do you really believe the vehicle engineers do not have all the documentation and test data required to support the published tow ratings?
You bet they do, because they are the ones who would be on the hook in a law-suit - not the Marketing types who request target ratings from Engineering.
Are the tests different between different manufacturers? I'm sure they are and agree that a single set of standards is a "good thing" to help level the playing field.
Problem right now is that the SAE ratings are slightly lower than the current manufacturers numbers so they all think they would be at a disadvantage if they switch.
GM was ready to go, Ford baulked, so until they all agree (or are legislated into changing) the situation is not going to change.
In fairness to Toyota, they HAVE already changed to the SAE ratings and it did lower their tow ratings slightly.

[a64armt]

Since many manufacturers are not interested or hesitant to adopt the standards, it would be interesting if publications like Trailer Life, Truck Trends, etc, performed some independent testing of the latest vehicles (and some previous generation models) to the new SAE J2807 standard. One might even consider a collaboration between Truck/Auto and RV or recreational boating publications to help spread some of the cost and provide some insight into the result of the new tests. If the manufacturers are not willing to provide new models for testing, some owners might be willing to participate.

It would be interesting to stack up the big three’s claims against the actual results of these standardized tests.

There is the risk of reprisal by some of the manufacturers that may advertise in these publications so I am doubtful we will see such an independent test or comparison. Because of the importance of advertising dollars, it is hard to get any publication to say anything negative during a vehicle “test”.

OJ

[gmcsmoke]

Me Again wrote:
Sorta like RAM's tow a 30K trailer with a GCWR of 37500. No RAM truck spec'd to tow the 30K is at or under 7500 pounds!

Chris

Never question the biblical towing prophecy of the almighty Ram.

[It_s_Me]

You forgot to mention that Toyota is already using the SAE standard. At least one manufacturer wasn't embarrassed to step up to the plate when tow rating drop, and they will drop.

[mdamerell]

That Dam Towing Test: New SAE Trailering Standards Explained

RV101 about the new standards

No Go for Standardized Tow Ratings

Why the Big Three are Stalling on Truck Ratings


Comparing apples to apples. Not apples to oranges.

[skipnchar]

If the government mandates tow ratings they are effectively telling manufacturers what they must warranty. It might force some to warranty a higher rating than they currently do and it might force some to warranty LESS. Tow ratings are WARRANTY issues and SHOULD be left in the hands of those offering the warranty.

SAFETY ratings are already pretty well defined on your door post (GVWR, GAWR, Payload numbers, tire ratings and pressure etc. If they want to mess with those at least it would be done from engineering data. Guess we'll have to wait and see just what (if anything) they end up changing.

[fla-gypsy]

Don't count on this ever really happening

[Me_Again]

Sorta like RAM's tow a 30K trailer with a GCWR of 37500. No RAM truck spec'd to tow the 30K is at or under 7500 pounds!

Chris

[KD4UPL]

They are changing to actual standards so that every manufacturers ratings are comparable. Currently each manufacturer just comes up with some sort of number based on marketing, thin air, whatever.
I don't know all the details of the common standards but it includes such things as: accelerating a given load up a given slope in a certain amount of time, Stopping a given load in a particular distance, etc.
I welcome the change.
For the last few years no one has been willing to change to the new standards until everyone else did. Otherwise an uninformed buyer might see a huge difference in ratings and buy their competition.
It's kind of a "I dare you to change first" sort of thing.

[dbbls]

I think all manufacturing companies will use the same system to rate their vehicles. Will make it easier to compare different brands.