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Thread: My tow vehicle

  1. #91
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    Quote Originally Posted by JeffD68 View Post
    xrated- You are the epitome of the sticker devotees! And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. You will always be operating within the capacity and capability of your truck. If you prioritize GVWR above all else, the other ratings are irrelevant to you. It is literally impossible to exceed your payload capacity and virtually impossible to exceed any other ratings. For my truck, I would exceed my GVWR by 1,880 lbs. before I exceeded my rear axle rating.

    If you are going to prioritize ratings, I believe staying under the tire rating is far and away the most critical. I have never witnessed or heard of an axle or spring failing due to overload. Actually, I have never heard of them failing, period. They are obviously engineered to withstand forces well beyond their rating. Tires fail catastrophically all the time. They are susceptible to overloading, under inflation, over inflation and road hazards.

    Most of us understand that no enhancement can increase your payload capacity as printed on the sticker in our drivers side door jamb but many of them do increase your actual capability.

    Everything comes with a warning. It has little to do with protecting you and everything to do with the manufacturer protecting themselves from potential liability. Heck, a cup of coffee comes with a warning!

    I do not intend this to be confrontational, but I have asked this question so many times and no member of the weight police has ever answered it; Do you adhere to all rules this fervently? When you see a rule, do you absolutely follow it without applying any logic or reason? Are you willing to exceed the speed limit on an empty highway in good road conditions? What is it about the payload issue that makes people so fanatical? Most of us make judgments every day before determining if we are willing to break a rule, exceed a limit, or surpass a rating. The weight police tend to be myopic on this one very specific rating and I highly doubt they are like that in other aspects of their life. I guess this is more of a character study than helpful towing information.

    I respect the position of the weight police as it pertains to their personal choice but there is more than one way (no pun intended) to view this issue. Not many things in life are as black and white as the weight police tend to make this issue.
    Thank you for your reply, and it wasn't the least bit confrontational to me....and hopefully to no one else either. We all have our opinions on this as well as thousands of other topics. Generally speaking, I am pretty much abide by the rules, but I have exceptions to that and I'd be lying if I said otherwise. I'm really not sure why I feel as strongly about the weight/towing stuff as strongly as I do, other than this possible motive. I've worked hard my whole life to have what I have and it seems to me, especially in these times of "sue happy" folks....a way for someone to be able to put responsibility/liability on me if I were involved in a very serious accident or fatality and I was knowingly towing over my ratings for the truck and trailer. And of course I have worked too hard to have the possibility of losing everything if that were to happen. Of course I realize that pretty much anyone can sue anyone about almost anything at anytime...frivolous or not, but especially at this point in my life (65 years old), maybe old age and maturity have finally caught up with me and I'm just not willing to give a shot at me....that easily by knowingly and willingly being overweight while towing. Plus there is that factor of self preservation and living out my life relatively healthy. I know, lots of what ifs, and such, but we are all individuals and have to live by what we believe is the right thing to do for ourselves.

    So there you have it......confessions of the weight police!
    2016 F350 CrewCab Dually
    2018 Momentum 394M...Heavily Modded!
    2023 Suzuki GSX-S1000 GT+
    Excessive Payload is a Wonderful Thing

    "If it ain't fast....It ain't Fun"

  2. #92
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    Quote Originally Posted by ramcneal View Post
    I only have one thing to note regarding your choice to disregard the posted ratings. By doing so you limit your ability to travel into Canada. I've forgotten if it was a member on this forum or another who lives in Canada and noted that in Canada their police now randomly pull over trucks, including RVs, and perform spot inspections with scales. If your trailer exceeds the GVWR you can't move the trailer until the problem is fixed. If your truck exceeds the limits, same thing, the problem must be fixed before you're allowed to move again. I don't remember if there are fines involved, but it wouldn't surprise me if there was. Again, your choice as you say. I certainly wouldn't want my vacation interrupted. It wouldn't surprise me if California implemented something like that given the number of RV's. California already has lower speed limits for any vehicle towing a trailer and shorter overall length allowed than other states.
    Life is a procession of calculated risks; stepping into the shower, plugging in the toaster, getting on the freeway to drive to work, boarding an airplane to visit family or attend a conference. I will add towing my mid-size fifth wheel with with a truck that I special ordered to specifically accomplish that task safely and comfortably, while still maintaining eligibility for my company's vehicle allowance program, in some as yet unidentified province in Canada, to the list. Actually, it is quite likely that by time I tour Canada, I will have a F450 and a 310GK, so never mind. Hopefully, Calunicornia doesn't start their random GVWR inspections for another five tears. At that point I will be retired and out of this oppressive, socialist, incredibly sunny and beautiful Utopian dream land.
    2019 F250 Platinum, 6.7, LB, FX4, High Capacity Tow Package
    B & W Companion
    2019 303RLS

  3. #93
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    Quote Originally Posted by xrated View Post
    Thank you for your reply, and it wasn't the least bit confrontational to me....and hopefully to no one else either. We all have our opinions on this as well as thousands of other topics. Generally speaking, I am pretty much abide by the rules, but I have exceptions to that and I'd be lying if I said otherwise. I'm really not sure why I feel as strongly about the weight/towing stuff as strongly as I do, other than this possible motive. I've worked hard my whole life to have what I have and it seems to me, especially in these times of "sue happy" folks....a way for someone to be able to put responsibility/liability on me if I were involved in a very serious accident or fatality and I was knowingly towing over my ratings for the truck and trailer. And of course I have worked too hard to have the possibility of losing everything if that were to happen. Of course I realize that pretty much anyone can sue anyone about almost anything at anytime...frivolous or not, but especially at this point in my life (65 years old), maybe old age and maturity have finally caught up with me and I'm just not willing to give a shot at me....that easily by knowingly and willingly being overweight while towing. Plus there is that factor of self preservation and living out my life relatively healthy. I know, lots of what ifs, and such, but we are all individuals and have to live by what we believe is the right thing to do for ourselves.

    So there you have it......confessions of the weight police!
    xrated- I truly appreciate your sincere and honest response. Like you, I am also a "by the rules" guy. I'm 50 years old, so I have lived some life and learned a lot of lessons. I am also completely driven by logic. I rarely accept anything at face value. Why anyone would at this point is beyond me. Information is readily available right at lour fingertips. If it's within my limited mental capacity, I prefer to do some research and apply some logic to most things. I simply accept that E=mc2, but I can quite easily ascertain that GVWR is driven as much by marketing as it is by actual capability. It only takes a minimal amount of research to come to that conclusion. I cannot and will not argue that there may be some legal or regulatory risk to exceeding the GVWR of your truck. I don't see much evidence that makes me think it's likely but logic dictates that it is possible.

    I think my real hope is that we, as a community, can cut down on the rhetoric. Intended or not, the weight police tend to come off as preachy and dogmatic. I get it, they have a solid position. Real life is full of preachy and dogmatic people and positions.This is supposed to be fun; an escape from the negativity of the "real world". What good does it do to tell someone to buy a new truck or buy a new trailer otherwise you are unsafe and a menace on the road. It probably isn't realistic or true. It makes more sense to me to have an open mind and try to come up with solutions that make the best of a less than ideal situation. Hey, if you're towing a triple axle toyhauler with a F250, you seriously need to buy a dually. If you are towing a Reflection fifth wheel with a late model F250, or RAM/GM 2500, what can we suggest to make that combination as safe as possible. That is not likely an eminently threatening situation, regardless of what the sticker says. It just isn't. Real world experience bears that truth out. Tens of thousand of people have towed their fifth wheels hundreds of thousands of miles and virtually none of us has any first hand knowledge of that situation leading to spontaneous disaster.

    In the famous words of Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along?"
    2019 F250 Platinum, 6.7, LB, FX4, High Capacity Tow Package
    B & W Companion
    2019 303RLS

  4. #94
    Seasoned Camper Cajun Couple's Avatar
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    Click image for larger version. 

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    Our 377MBS that grosses out close to 17K pounds is a good match for my F350 DRW with the 4.10's. Get's 9 to 10 mpg depending on speed while doing it safely and legally. Going with a big and heavy 5th wheel why not use the right tool for the job!
    2018 Grand Design Solitude 377MBS

    2017 Ford F-350 Lariat DRW...FX4...4.10's...White Gold/Caribou with Black interior. Curt Q20 hitch. BakFlip MX4

  5. #95
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    Quote Originally Posted by JeffD68 View Post
    You got it! If the GVWR is a fixed number, adding actual mechanical capability, which is always heavy, will cost you capacity on paper. I have always prioritize actual capability, safety, comfort and convenience over theoretical (paper) capacity. Others see it differently.
    Slighty OT. Does the high capacity tow package get you the springs and axles of the 350?

  6. #96
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    Quote Originally Posted by Heavy Half Ton View Post
    Slighty OT. Does the high capacity tow package get you the springs and axles of the 350?
    It is only available with the diesel option and it gets you the same Dana rear axle as the diesel F350. Same rear main spring pack as any other F250 but adds the overloads. Also gives your the 21K pound, 3" hitch and 5,600 pound front springs. The max tow rating and GCWR are increased but those numbers are fairly irrelevant. A F250 outfitted like this cost the same as an F350. Unless you are compelled to purchase the 250 for some reason, don't bother. Just buy the 350. The daily driving and towing experience will be the same with either truck but the 350 gets you an extra 1,500 pounds on the payload sticker.
    2019 F250 Platinum, 6.7, LB, FX4, High Capacity Tow Package
    B & W Companion
    2019 303RLS

  7. #97
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    Insurance and registration costs are significantly cheaper in NY for a 250.

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