Will a 3/4 ton do
I have an rv that is at the 14000 GVWR. I need a new tow vehicle and was wondering if a 2500 or 3/4 ton truck would safely tow this. I would appreciate your knowledgeable input on this. Would this ...
Forum Discussion
BurbMan wrote:
You obviously know more about trucks than I do...I do not know for a fact that the axles on a 2500 and 3500 are the same. I only posted the results from my trip to the scale and compared them to the ratings on my truck and the ratings published for a 2500.
I've been contributing to this forum since 2001, 11+ years before you joined, so if anybody is trolling it's you. The OP asked a question about weights and you're trying your best to turn this into an argument.
I believe that ratings are there for a reason, you obviously think they are concocted for political reasons have have no basis in fact. As my Dad used to say, "You're entitled to your opinion, no matter how wrong it may be."
The ratings are for warranty and registration purposes only. You can register a Tacoma to 14,000 lbs and load it up and be perfectly LEGAL, though I doubt it would move very far.
There used to be a larger mechanical difference between 3/4 and 1 ton trucks, but the manufacturers long ago realized that it is much cheaper and easier to put essenentially the same rolling chassis under either truck and change the spring pack and the sticker on the door to meet the DOT requirements for a class 2B truck.
The spring pack is easy to overcome, with helper springs, Timbrens or air bags.
The sticker can simply be ignored and your truck registered for whatever weights you are willing to pay.
My Ram has AAM 11.5" axles in the rear. They are rated to 12,000 lbs by AAM, derated to 7,000 lbs for the 3500 and 6,500 lbs for the 2500 with 18" rims, and 6,000 for the 2500 with 17" rims. Same axle.
The brakes, wheel studs, engine, transmission, rear differential, bumpers, bed, body, tires, radiator, etc are exactly the same. The frame is slightly different, just due to the shock mounts from the 2500 coil to the 3500 leaf. Ram rates the coils at 500 lbs lower than the leaf springs. If that 500 lbs worries someone, they can put bags or Timbrens to make up the difference.
The only reason that truck manufacturers make a 3/4 ton these days is to get into the class 2B market, which only allows a vehicle a max GVWR of 10,000 lbs. You can by a Ford F350 with a 10,000 lbs sticker, does that make it any less capable than an identical F350 with an 11,500 sticker?
