# 1/2 Ton Owners May Find This Interesting



## malibutay (Sep 5, 2007)

The towing capacity numbers game has been driving me crazy for some time now. Anyway here is some more info I found for that do I need a diesel or 3/4 ton truck question. I would love to see a study on total failure weight but of course I don't want that to be me. What happen to the days when no one cared how much the trailer that there station wagon was pulling weighed?









http://www.trucktrend.com/oftheyear/truck/...g_payloads.html


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## malibutay (Sep 5, 2007)

This is from Motor Trend a highly recognized and reliable source when talking about the honda that almost dictates failure numbers:

"The problem is that it ignores the commonly understood (yet unspoken) practice of understating the maximum payload number. Pickup experts know that truck buyers will use the "maximum" number only as a starting point and most likely add more (if not a few full-size passengers as well)."


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## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

While not an advocate of overloading, I have to wonder when I see forty, forty-five foot horse trailers with living quarters up front, axles in the rear, and gooseneck in the bed... These things have to be way heavier than most of our rv's, as do the loads the hotshotters are flying down the highway with. Super heavy duty trailers with loaders, backhoes, etc on them - I know are heavier than we are.

Sluggo


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## Airboss (Jul 14, 2007)

I participate in a truck forum (yes, there really is another forum out there







) and you would be shocked at the loads some of these folks tow. I'm not talking about flirting with GVW or payload, I'm talking about 25,000# trailers or 5ers with 2500# pin in a 2500 Mega Cab.









I used to mention that going over their weights could cause them a whole lot of trouble if they were ever in an accident, but nobody wants to hear that so I was ignored. At least they didn't make fun of me.


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

Yeah, everyone usually overloads their 1/2-ton pickups, thinking they are built for the task. Last weekend I observed two Peoria County Deputy Sherriffs in a Ford F-150 Crew Cab, pulling a horse trailer with two horses on board. And I'm sure that they also had their saddles and tack, as well as some hay, etc on board, as well. The rear of the pickup was really squatting. It showed extremely visible signs of being overloaded (and I know that the trailer and horses had to exceed the weight capacities of that truck).









You'd think that those guys would at least be legal. What a liability for the County if they were to get into an accident and it was determined that the overloaded TV was the cause! And police officers, too!

Mike


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Scoutr2 said:


> ...
> You'd think that those guys would at least be legal. What a liability for the County if they were to get into an accident and it was determined that the overloaded TV was the cause! And police officers, too!
> 
> Mike


Has anyone actually checked on this?








I mean Carey is towing trailers professionally and he isn't legally restricted to GVWR or GCWR for his truck.


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## malibutay (Sep 5, 2007)

I just am not the type to blindly follow what is presented without an explanation. Ok so my towing capacity is what? Ok why is it that? Nobody has a reason for any capacity they state. This includes manufactures and towing guides. Believe me I have questioned both via e-mails and phone calls without any response back or at least a reason. I am truly not rich but believe I should be able to have a tt that fits my needs with out breaking the bank on what people say I should have without a reason why. It says it, so it must be true…ok? Liability on whose part?


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

malibutay said:


> I just am not the type to blindly follow what is presented without an explanation. Ok so my towing capacity is what? Ok why is it that? Nobody has a reason for any capacity they state. This includes manufactures and towing guides. Believe me I have questioned both via e-mails and phone calls without any response back or at least a reason. I am truly not rich but believe I should be able to have a tt that fits my needs with out breaking the bank on what people say I should have without a reason why. It says it, so it must be true&#8230;ok? Liability on whose part?


My guess is the limits are arrived at by the engineers who designed, tested and built these trucks.

Liability is on you if you exceed the stated capacities

Besides, why would you want to run your truck at or over it's limits? We did that for a while and it starts to get pretty expensive

Mike


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

Sluggo54 said:


> While not an advocate of overloading, I have to wonder when I see forty, forty-five foot horse trailers with living quarters up front, axles in the rear, and gooseneck in the bed... These things have to be way heavier than most of our rv's, as do the loads the hotshotters are flying down the highway with. Super heavy duty trailers with loaders, backhoes, etc on them - I know are heavier than we are.
> 
> Sluggo


I just bought a commercial GVW lisc plate for my 06 Dodge Dually. It cost me 1067 bucks for a year and will never go down in price. They ask me what weight I'd like to liscence it for. I ask them what the max was? They said 38,000lbs. To get that I would need an apportioned plate and an IFTA sticker. The price was about 1500..

I was just wondering, but all I needed was a 26,000lb gross plate. So thats what I got. I do have an allowance to 30,000lbs. So even though I am liscenced for 26k, I can weigh up to 30k on occasion.

For fun I asked the DOT officer what is the allowable weight my Dodge could carry. He quickly looked at my tires. 3000lbs each for the front, and 2850 x 4 for the rear. So all together my truck could weigh 11400 plus 6000 equals 17400lbs.

So legally my truck could weigh 17400 plus a trailer of 8600 which would equal 26000lbs. or if I were properly liscenced, 17400 for the truck and a trailer of 20600 which would equal 38000lbs..

He said the only thing the law cares about is not exceeding the tire ratings.. He said they could care a less what the truck rating is.. This is coming from a DOT guy, not the NHTSA...

But anyway you can liscence a vehicle commercially way over gvw/gcvw ratings.

Carey

ps my gvw rating is 12300 and my gcvw rating is 23000. When I pull empty 40 foot Cyclones my gvw is right at 14000 full of fuel(150 gallons). My front axle weighs 5000 and my rear axle weighs 9000.. The scale guys do not even 2nd look me.. They just roll me thru. The trailer weighs about 11500, so i am over my liscence weight by 500 lbs.

Many guys have 500,000 miles on these duallies towing heavy like this.. They use synthetic oil and change it every 100k.. I have never heard of a single rear diff problem ever.. I have personally spoke with about 100 guys so far who use there truck towing commercially.

pss lol I carry about 1500 lbs in extras.

Many guys pull these 40 foot toyhaulers with 1 ton single tire trucks. The payload of the trailer is 4000lbs.. Put 3-4 4wheelers and soak down that trailer with liquids, plus supplies. I bet most guys are 2000 over gvw of these big toyhaulers... just think how far over they are with there trucks.... I bet many are 28000lbs+ rolling down the highway!

Bet you feel safe now when rolling down the highway!


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

If any have any questions, I wont be back for 5 days... Heading up by the Yukon Territory to deliver a trailer.. Fort St. John, BC. Crossing the border in the morn..

Snowing like a banshee here in Minot, ND right now!

Weather is supposed to be pretty decent after tonight I guess..

I have my lil cummins set at 1200 rpms... Nice and toasty in here! lol

Going to bed... Seeyall!

Carey


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Colorado~DirtBikers said:


> If any have any questions, I wont be back for 5 days... Heading up by the Yukon Territory to deliver a trailer.. Fort St. John, BC. Crossing the border in the morn..
> 
> Snowing like a banshee here in Minot, ND right now!
> 
> ...


What is your fuel use per hour when on fast idle?


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