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Towing heavy with 3/4 Ton... How Many Know......

rhagfo
Explorer
Explorer
I am just wondering as one who towed for years with a Ram 2500 towing over GVWR. How many of the others that do the same keep a close eye on their other weights?
While I was well over the GVWR of our 2001 Ram 2500, I was still under rear GAWR and far under the optional 265/75-16E tire rating of 3,415# capacity. My math was GVWR 8,800# GVW with 5er was 10,500# that is 1,700# over, but rear GARW was 6,084# last scale was 5,900#. I watched that later weights closely, tires being the crucial item.

Just wondering is it just an assumption by others that if a 350/3500 SRW can carry it so can I just slap some bags on it (I didn't have bags!), or do you weigh and watch.

This could also apply to those carrying a 5er with a 150/1500.
Russ & Paula the Beagle Belle.
2016 Ram Laramie 3500 Aisin DRW 4X4 Long bed.
2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS, 32' GVWR 12,360#

"Visit and Enjoy Oregon State Parks"
16 REPLIES 16

2edgesword
Explorer
Explorer
twodownzero wrote:
2edgesword wrote:
2012 F-250 regular cab 2WD with a GVWR of 10,000 lbs. My trailer max is 8,800 lbs, truck all loaded is about 6,500 lbs so Iโ€™m way clear of the GVWR. Rear axle rating is 6,200 lbs so I canโ€™t envision a scenario where Iโ€™d exceed either of those ratings.


That's a great payload for a 3/4 ton truck! I guess going without 4wd and the back seat really pays off.


Yes, the regular cab and 2WD has the truck at a 5,800 lbs curb weight. I would have liked an extended cab but that would have put the truck over 6,000 lbs. In NYS that means commercial plates and no use of parkways which would have been a major hassle given my regular commute. Ninety-nine percent of the time it's just me and my wife and in crunch time there is a third seat so it works for us.

laknox
Nomad
Nomad
rhagfo wrote:
I am just wondering as one who towed for years with a Ram 2500 towing over GVWR. How many of the others that do the same keep a close eye on their other weights?
While I was well over the GVWR of our 2001 Ram 2500, I was still under rear GAWR and far under the optional 265/75-16E tire rating of 3,415# capacity. My math was GVWR 8,800# GVW with 5er was 10,500# that is 1,700# over, but rear GARW was 6,084# last scale was 5,900#. I watched that later weights closely, tires being the crucial item.

Just wondering is it just an assumption by others that if a 350/3500 SRW can carry it so can I just slap some bags on it (I didn't have bags!), or do you weigh and watch.

This could also apply to those carrying a 5er with a 150/1500.


My old Komfort put me over CGWR a bit, but I was within my RAWR and tires, so I didn't worry too much about it. My KZ is 860 lbs lighter, so I worry even less. Haven't had a chance to scale it, but I doubt I've got much to worry about.

Lyle
2022 GMC Sierra 3500 HD Denali Crew Cab 4x4 Duramax
B&W OEM Companion & Gooseneck Kit
2017 KZ Durango 1500 D277RLT
1936 John Deere Model A
International Flying Farmers 64 Year Member

4x4ord
Explorer III
Explorer III
I've never worried much about any of a vehicle's weight ratings. When I towed 30,000 lbs behind my 3/4 ton I suspect most vehicle weight ratings were grossly overloaded yet I would have been close to legal as far as the road is concerned. When my Kenworth tridrive is loaded to its normal gross weight of 93,000 lbs I might be slightly over some of the vehicle weight ratings (I've never looked to see what the gvwr of the truck is but I believe the axles are rated for 89000 lbs). However, if I go on the road like that I'm over the legal axle weight ratings for our roads by about 26000 lbs.
2023 F350 SRW Platinum short box 4x4.
B&W Companion
2008 Citation Platinum XL 34.5

Me_Again
Explorer II
Explorer II
What Russ did not point out was the the later 2nd gen RAM 2500 with the Camper(Basically the one ton rear spring pack) option, Trailer option and LT265/75R16E optional tires , made them a SRW 3500 without RAM acknowledging it or change the RGAWR to a number higher that the LT245/75R16E tires that created the 6084 RGAWR. 2003 was the first year that RAM offered a 3500 SRW. The second gen as noted above had higher rated tires that the 2003+ 3rd gens that came with 17" wheels and tires.

The 2nd gens noted above were very capable turns. Our was license to 12K in the state of Washington and we tow with the truck over 10K all the time for 10 years. Chris
2021 F150 2.7 Ecoboost - Summer Home 2017 Bighorn 3575el. Can Am Spyder RT-L Chrome, Kawasaki KRX1000. Retired and enjoying it! RIP DW 07-05-2021

twodownzero
Explorer
Explorer
2edgesword wrote:
2012 F-250 regular cab 2WD with a GVWR of 10,000 lbs. My trailer max is 8,800 lbs, truck all loaded is about 6,500 lbs so Iโ€™m way clear of the GVWR. Rear axle rating is 6,200 lbs so I canโ€™t envision a scenario where Iโ€™d exceed either of those ratings.


That's a great payload for a 3/4 ton truck! I guess going without 4wd and the back seat really pays off.

2edgesword
Explorer
Explorer
2012 F-250 regular cab 2WD with a GVWR of 10,000 lbs. My trailer max is 8,800 lbs, truck all loaded is about 6,500 lbs so Iโ€™m way clear of the GVWR. Rear axle rating is 6,200 lbs so I canโ€™t envision a scenario where Iโ€™d exceed either of those ratings.

JIMNLIN
Explorer
Explorer
I am just wondering as one who towed for years with a Ram 2500 towing over GVWR. How many of the others that do the same keep a close eye on their other weights?

I keep a scale ticket of axle weights in all my cars and trucks. Just a habit from when I hauled for a living.
"good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" ............ Will Rogers

'03 2500 QC Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs Westach
'97 Park Avanue 28' 5er 11200 two slides

boogie_4wheel
Explorer
Explorer
Truck GVWR of 9k here. Weighs 7900 with fuel, me, toolbox, and tonneau. With the trailer ready to camp my truck weight is at 8900lbs (4300lb measured on rear axle, way below axle & tire rating), but that is before the family, generator, and anything else I may shove in the bed. So I'm over my truck's GVWR 95% of the time I head out with the camp trailer.

My truck has scaled over 10k a few times. Two 650cc dirt bikes (over 300lbs each), four guys over 200lb each, generator, extra fuel and water, another cooler...

I do not have any aftermarket suspension assist (just stock springs without factory upper overloads), just the Equalizer 4-way that is set for my 'normal' load for family trips. I do not adjust for the trips to Moab with the guys (when I know I'm running heavier on both the truck and trailer).

While there can be other differences between 250/2500 and 350/3500 besides springs (like when Ford ran 17" wheels on the 250 but 18" on the 350 in the mid-2000's), many times it is as simple as a different spring pack for the rear such as on my 'older' Dodge. I carry what I want without regard to the truck GVWR. I did get the rear axle to 5600lbs once with a bed full of gravel (2500lbs worth), and if I was to carry that amount of weight on a regular basis, I would get bags/timbrens/ect to help carry the weight.
2005 2500 Cummins/48RE/3.73, QCLB, 4wd, BigHorn, Edge Juice w/ CTS + Turbo Timer,Transgo Shift Kit ISSPro Oil and LP pressure gauges, GDP 20/2 filters, Custom Diesel Steering Box Brace
'10 Forest River Shockwave Toy Hauler 21'
Honda EU3000I Genny

CaLBaR
Explorer
Explorer
I am about 300 lbs over my GCWR of 7200 lbs but 150 lbs under my RAWR of 4040 lbs with P-rated tires. Have LRE tires for a bit of added safety. All of this is weighed at the CAT scales loaded on the way home.

I think it is more common than what people think.
2018 Grand Design Reflection 297RSTS
2019 RAM 3500 SRW Big Horn 4x4, 6.7 Cummins/Aisin
2007 Rockwood 8298 SS (Traded in 2018)
2009 Toyota Tundra 4x4 Crew Max 5.7L (Traded in 2019)
HP Dual Cam Sway Control
Prodigy Brake Controller

donn0128
Explorer
Explorer
Most every time we pulled east out of Portland area I would pull across the ODOT scales east of Sandy. I was always within a hundred pounds plus or minus. Thats why I know pulling overloaded is no fun. Way more relaxing towing within trucks ratings.

twodownzero
Explorer
Explorer
I try very hard to never overload my truck. With my pin weight, I have enough remaining payload with my 1 ton SRW to be full of fuel and passengers and be below the GVWR.

I would buy any trailer that would overload my truck's GVWR when empty. If you were to have a crash, the legal and other consequences are not worth the risk. There are a ton of nice 24-28' 5th wheels I could pull if I had a 3/4 ton truck.

My next truck will likely be a dually just to eliminate this issue from consideration at all for any trailer I'd ever consider buying. I don't drive my truck empty very much so it'd be fine. The new SRW trucks do offer higher GVWR in a 1 ton though, so it'd be a tough choice. In 2005, it wasn't a tough choice; the 3/4 ton trucks hardly have enough payload to fill the cab with passengers (1600 pounds?!). By the time you install the hitch, there isn't enough GVWR left for pin weight. The GVWRs of trucks should have increased as the empty weight of trucks increased, but they didn't.

What I've learned recently is a lot of this is just the legal categories these trucks have to meet. It's really a shame; we could have had SRW trucks with 12k GVWRs a long time ago and 1 ton duallies with 15k even with normal 16, 17, and 18" tires. It's not like the powertrains and frames aren't strong enough for that. There's an ever increasing push for more horsepower, more torque, and higher GCWR, but it does us no good if we bust the GVWR first.

Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Explorer III
DRW here but the same applies. Simply put i cannot load to my RAWR and NOT be over my GVWR. YES i am over by 130#, normally I am right on 9,750# RAWR. Pay for extra tonnage and you are good to go!

2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"

"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600

2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable

2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD

Old-Biscuit
Explorer
Explorer
romore wrote:
I think you are mistaking GVWR for the gross combination weight which is probably closer to 11,000#. A fiver weighing 10,500# is going to put approximately 2100# on the pin which is a bigger concern with a 2500.


OPs 2001 2500 has a 8800# GVWR

With 5vr hitched (pin weight)...he scaled at 10,500# GVW
BUT did NOT exceed RAWR

GCVWR is probably closer to 20K range

HE was NOT mixing numbers up....believe me he knows what's what with ratings

:B
Is it time for your medication or mine?


2007 DODGE 3500 QC SRW 5.9L CTD In-Bed 'quiet gen'
2007 HitchHiker II 32.5 UKTG 2000W Xantex Inverter
US NAVY------USS Decatur DDG31

rhagfo
Explorer
Explorer
romore wrote:
I think you are mistaking GVWR for the gross combination weight which is probably closer to 11,000#. A fiver weighing 10,500# is going to put approximately 2100# on the pin which is a bigger concern with a 2500.

No confusion.
With my 2500 I towed a 5er with a GVW of 12,700#, my TV weighed 7,800# ready to tow my GCVW was 20,500#.
Russ & Paula the Beagle Belle.
2016 Ram Laramie 3500 Aisin DRW 4X4 Long bed.
2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS, 32' GVWR 12,360#

"Visit and Enjoy Oregon State Parks"