Chevys tow ratings
- Thread starter roverboy
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
- Status
steveblonde
Well-known member
a pickup box is only a couple of grand included in the price of a truck - a decent deck will cost more than that
OP
OP
roverboy
Well-known member
You can get a really stripped down cab and chassis 1 ton dually with a Duramax for under 40 grand. I think a dually with a bed and the same drivetrain would be more than a couple grand more.
steveblonde
Well-known member
roverboy said:
i doubt it, a rat dually with a box is way cheaper than buying a chassis without a bed of some sort - as a bed/deck will cost at least 2k installed even a Bradford Bandit deck, and a pick/up box delete will cost more - ive sold decks for years - and most the time we remove the box as its cheaper and easier to sell a box than buy a truck without one.
OP
OP
roverboy
Well-known member
I'm shopping them now. I got a salesman who confirmed it. It's hard to find the price on a commercial truck site but if you shop around you could get what I described above for right around 40. The best I can strip down a pickup truck is in the 46 area.
I think the thing to understand about ratings... are that they are not made in a vacuum. They are one variable in a multi-variable system. Braking ability is more important than the engine's ability to get you up to speed in most cases. Also.. a shorter wheelbase can be a big issue with certain towing dynamics. The weight of the tow vehicle in relation to the trailer is important. Braking ability of the trailer and the system you have controlling it along with driver experience all would influence my comfort with pulling a given load.
All of our standard light duty trucks are safer when not towing. As you add more weight and size the system becomes less safe. Where you draw the line between safe and unsafe is somewhat of a personal choice, given you are within the published limits. If you are outside of those published limits you are at additional risk of having insurance or lawyers hammer you when/if you have an accident. You may feel the system is perfectly safe but that won't matter to the lawyer who seizes everything you own because you killed his client. It is called manslaughter and negligence at that point.
All of our standard light duty trucks are safer when not towing. As you add more weight and size the system becomes less safe. Where you draw the line between safe and unsafe is somewhat of a personal choice, given you are within the published limits. If you are outside of those published limits you are at additional risk of having insurance or lawyers hammer you when/if you have an accident. You may feel the system is perfectly safe but that won't matter to the lawyer who seizes everything you own because you killed his client. It is called manslaughter and negligence at that point.
Tina1975
Well-known member
2015 Chevy 2500/HD crew cab, 8 ft bed with 4.10 rear axle. We have the towing package too.
The book specks say 14,200 max trailer weight 14'500 gcwr is 20,500
We have took a hard look at at Heartland Gateway Fifth Wheel, 3500RE ,37.2ft dry weight 10,999 gvwr is 14,000 the hitch is 2,270.
We are so confused. How close would we be to maxing out? I know we could pull the fifth wheel but should we? As far as the truck not being a diesel or 3500, I know. We have to be realistic as to what we can pull. We had to take baby steps and couldn't spring for the duramax. Our trade was a 1500 and we did make an upgrade. So, I understand we can't pull some of the rigs. The salesman was very nice and told us to not look at heavier rigs because it wasn't safe. But his lips were moving...and we all know that means lying. I am concerned he over estimated what we SHOULD pull. You guys are so amazing with your knowledge. I trust you all are going to be honest and know what is safe and isn't. Thanks in advance and sorry for you answering a towing question 7,346 times. But like Roverboy, I am confused.
The book specks say 14,200 max trailer weight 14'500 gcwr is 20,500
We have took a hard look at at Heartland Gateway Fifth Wheel, 3500RE ,37.2ft dry weight 10,999 gvwr is 14,000 the hitch is 2,270.
We are so confused. How close would we be to maxing out? I know we could pull the fifth wheel but should we? As far as the truck not being a diesel or 3500, I know. We have to be realistic as to what we can pull. We had to take baby steps and couldn't spring for the duramax. Our trade was a 1500 and we did make an upgrade. So, I understand we can't pull some of the rigs. The salesman was very nice and told us to not look at heavier rigs because it wasn't safe. But his lips were moving...and we all know that means lying. I am concerned he over estimated what we SHOULD pull. You guys are so amazing with your knowledge. I trust you all are going to be honest and know what is safe and isn't. Thanks in advance and sorry for you answering a towing question 7,346 times. But like Roverboy, I am confused.
steveblonde
Well-known member
Tina1975 said:
according to the specs you would be over by quite a bit, the pin weight of 2270 is close to max payload of 2430 and thats without people and hitch and gear etc you only option would be to add springs and get the truck recertified, the only difference between a 2500 and 3500 is springs and that certification on the door. Or trade the truck and by a 3500 or get a smaller trailer.
the cost of a 3500 over a 2500 is only about $1000
cheers
Tina1975
Well-known member
This is supposed to be fun and it's not. I feel like we are just screwing up everything. We got the wrong truck, even though we want to stay in the 30ft range and its capable of pulling one. I know we are trying to get taken by the RV dealership. I know we probably got taken buying the truck. I am frustrated and overwhelmed this morning. My husband is a travel Nurse and we find our own housing. Rent is insane and it makes no sense to be paying someone else when we could be paying for something we own. :'( :'( 
Here are the specs from the door sticker.
Gvwr 9500
Gawr 4400
Gawr 6200
Here are the specs from the door sticker.
Gvwr 9500
Gawr 4400
Gawr 6200
steveblonde
Well-known member
Tina1975 said:This is supposed to be fun and it's not. I feel like we are just screwing up everything. We got the wrong truck, even though we want to stay in the 30ft range and its capable of pulling one. I know we are trying to get taken by the RV dealership. I know we probably got taken buying the truck. I am frustrated and overwhelmed this morning. My husband is a travel Nurse and we find our own housing. Rent is insane and it makes no sense to be paying someone else when we could be paying for something we own. :'( :'(
Here are the specs from the door sticker.
Gvwr 9500
Gawr 4400
Gawr 6200
if this is the trailer http://www.heartlandrvs.com/brands/fifthwheels/gateway/gw-3500-re
you are at the max load on the truck so you need more truck or less trailer sorry you have had to deal with lying salespeople - like i said before the only diff between a 3500 and a 2500 is the springs (hint hint) and the door sticker - hopefully you never get scaled i see people all the time pulling my trailer with 2500 trucks and they have no issues - but as some will point out here and i dont know if its true or not - there may be insurance liability issues but from a mechanical stand point a 2500 and a 3500 are the same truck minus that spring
good luck
Because you already have the truck, a CERTIFIED UPFITTER can LEGALLY rework the suspension
and change the "numbers".
GM list this:
http://www.gmfleet.com/specialty-vehicles/locate-manufacturer.html
There are others if you search.
Changing you springs, etc. may work as indicated about biut will not change the Legal ratings.
An Certified Upfitter cab do that.
Upfitter info:
http://www.ntea.com/content.aspx?id=9004
and change the "numbers".
GM list this:
http://www.gmfleet.com/specialty-vehicles/locate-manufacturer.html
There are others if you search.
Changing you springs, etc. may work as indicated about biut will not change the Legal ratings.
An Certified Upfitter cab do that.
Upfitter info:
http://www.ntea.com/content.aspx?id=9004
Tina1975
Well-known member
I got the hint, lol. Rather than modify our Truck, we need to modify the Fifth Wheel and be realistic about what we can and want to tow. Our eyes were bigger than our axels yesterday. :'( ;D
I was so frazzled this morning. I appreciate your help. My husband hates to internet otherwise I would make him ask these questions. I don't know how he charts on his patients at work if he is so adverse to computers....or maybe he knows that I will just end up asking him 5000 questions and he is cutting out the middle man.
http://primetimerv.com/product-details.aspx?LineID=251&Image=6824&ModelID=1671#Main
This is something we looked at yesterday also.
I was so frazzled this morning. I appreciate your help. My husband hates to internet otherwise I would make him ask these questions. I don't know how he charts on his patients at work if he is so adverse to computers....or maybe he knows that I will just end up asking him 5000 questions and he is cutting out the middle man.
http://primetimerv.com/product-details.aspx?LineID=251&Image=6824&ModelID=1671#Main
This is something we looked at yesterday also.
Tina1975
Well-known member
oldme said:
Thank you!! We have decided to stay in the 30 to 32ft range FW like in our original plan.
Edit: Fixed quote.
lone_star_dsl
Well-known member
Tina1975 said:This is supposed to be fun and it's not. I feel like we are just screwing up everything. We got the wrong truck, even though we want to stay in the 30ft range and its capable of pulling one. I know we are trying to get taken by the RV dealership. I know we probably got taken buying the truck. I am frustrated and overwhelmed this morning. My husband is a travel Nurse and we find our own housing. Rent is insane and it makes no sense to be paying someone else when we could be paying for something we own. :'( :'(
Here are the specs from the door sticker.
Gvwr 9500
Gawr 4400
Gawr 6200
It's a lot more simple than people are making it out to be.
First off, throw your GVWR for your truck out the window. 99% of the time, the manufacturers are rating those trucks for licensing reasons. There's a reason that semi trucks don't have a GVWR. That number is determined by axle and tire capacities. Like what was mentioned above, you can help the suspension out with a set of air bags and be just fine holding the weight that a 1-ton truck is rated for.
Secondly, you are never going to be scaled. The Department of Transportation (DOT) doesn't give a hoot about you. They oversee commercial vehicles, not private vehicles. If by chance you were scaled, they are going to look at your axle and tire capacities. If you stay under those, you won't have a problem. There are thousands of hot shot trucks out there (regular pickups) that are registered for 35,000-45,000 lbs. As long as they are legal on their tires and axles, they are good to go.
Your truck is up to the task but the first thing you need to do is weigh it. Find out how much weight is on each axle. If you buy that trailer you've been looking at, count on roughly 3,500 lbs of pin weight after you get the trailer loaded down. For your trucks rear axle, it will have to have less than 2,700 lbs on it empty (6,200-3,500= 2,700) to be able to hold the weight of the trailer.
In the end, you are going to be very near the capacities of your truck.
steveblonde
Well-known member
lone_star_dsl said:
This is dangerous advise to say the least. With everyone suing everyone and people driving overloaded trailers and trucks there has been a HUGE crackdown in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.what makes you think they wont do it south of the border in the US - this week no, next week probably not, but, in the near future the Rebublic of California will and so will Washington State you bet your sweet a.. they will and are you willing to risk it In BC they will impound you, and tow you to the tune of $5000 in some cases.... DOT wants the revenue dont kid yourself.
There was a case here in Alberta last year where they pulled a fleet of 20 or so flat decks off the road because they werent certified properly and fined the company in excess of $200,000 - extreme YEP but i also know snowmobilers that go to BC with overloaded 1/2 tons(with 2 sleds that exceeds GVWR and get impounded. Sorry not worth the risk if its over 100lbs maybe but 500 or more not a chance im willing to take thank you - that would ruin my day
Tina1975
Well-known member
We looked at a rig today that is 31.5ft dry is 9125, max 11995.
It's A Grand Design 303rls
I do have an advantage of having a home to leave most of our things at. I made the mistake of bringing too much stuff the first time. We have a few clothes, linens, dogs, their stuff, two folding chairs and cleaning and toiletry products. I won't be riding with him because we need two vehicles. Literally all of our stuff fits in my car.
It's A Grand Design 303rls
I do have an advantage of having a home to leave most of our things at. I made the mistake of bringing too much stuff the first time. We have a few clothes, linens, dogs, their stuff, two folding chairs and cleaning and toiletry products. I won't be riding with him because we need two vehicles. Literally all of our stuff fits in my car.
Your 2500 Dmax won't have any problems pulling that size trailer nor will it have any problems carrying its max pin weight.
Lone star dsl made some good points.
The door tag GVWR isnt used in trucking (private or commercial) in any state or Canada province.
However some folks use the GVWR to figure how much load their truck may carry. Mostly on rv based websites.
Some use the yellow payload sticker.
Some use a complicated GCWR formula.
Some think their trucks registered gross weight determines how much load their truck may legally carry.
Some RVers and 99.9% of trucking uses the trucks axle/tire load ratings.
And some like to scare other with the civil lawsuit for carrying weight above the door tag GVWR. Keep in mind the same size trucks out here hauling with a dot number are exceeding the trucks GVWR but are within their GAWR/tire load limits. And no we don't face civil lawsuits if were involved in a accident and were determined at fault. Now if were over a gross axle/tire or a registered gross combined weight then yes it can and it has happened. We can face civil suits/equipment impoundment/loss of CDL which can lead to loss of a job.
It would take a pretty dumb lawyers to even think he could use the door tag GVWR for that purpose.
Anyhow just stay under your trucks axle/tire load rating and the truck will last its expected service life.
lone_star_dsl
Well-known member
steveblonde said:
So do they use the tow vehicles GVWR, GCWR, tire ratings, or axle ratings to determine if the vehicle is overweight? If I'm pulling a trailer that weighs 50,000 lbs yet my tow vehicle is still under the factory GVWR, am I overweight in BC? Just wondering because I do come up to Kelowna occasionally.
steveblonde
Well-known member
lone_str - i have never been scaled but i know they use a road side set up snow mobile owners they will just pull over and look at the door jam - a typical 1500 with 2 sleds 625lbs and a deck 300lbs is over weight and they will may you drop a sled and call a tow truck
I don't know about other years or brands of truck, but the stupid thing about my 2003 chevy 3/4 ton SRW is that it's the exact same truck as a 2003 1 ton Chevy SRW. The only difference is the 1-ton has a different spring pack for the rear axle. I was shopping for a 1-ton SRW around the same age as my 3/4 ton because we bought a 10,600(loaded weight) pound 5th wheel.
After a lot of reading I learned the only difference is the spring pack. I put airbags on my 3/4 ton and it's essentially the same thing as a 1-ton SRW.
Mechanically you are not overloading your 3/4 ton truck by hauling something a bit over the GVW or GAWR. All you're doing is possibly opening yourself up for liability if you have an accident by being "overloaded" according to the GVW.
I'll still probably buy a 1-ton the next time I buy a truck.....but I'm not in a hurry now. I'm happy with my bagged 3/4 ton because I know I'm not wearing out anything mechanically by being "overloaded" according to the GAWR.
Again, this is my findings for my 03 chevy.....your year, or brand of truck may vary.
As for the gas/diesel debate. I resisted buying a diesel for years. I was part of the "I don't need a diesel, they just cost more money to buy, more money to maintain, more money to fix." crowd. After buying a Duramax and being a typical hotrodder that can't leave anything stock, I'll never buy another gas truck again.
After a lot of reading I learned the only difference is the spring pack. I put airbags on my 3/4 ton and it's essentially the same thing as a 1-ton SRW.
Mechanically you are not overloading your 3/4 ton truck by hauling something a bit over the GVW or GAWR. All you're doing is possibly opening yourself up for liability if you have an accident by being "overloaded" according to the GVW.
I'll still probably buy a 1-ton the next time I buy a truck.....but I'm not in a hurry now. I'm happy with my bagged 3/4 ton because I know I'm not wearing out anything mechanically by being "overloaded" according to the GAWR.
Again, this is my findings for my 03 chevy.....your year, or brand of truck may vary.
As for the gas/diesel debate. I resisted buying a diesel for years. I was part of the "I don't need a diesel, they just cost more money to buy, more money to maintain, more money to fix." crowd. After buying a Duramax and being a typical hotrodder that can't leave anything stock, I'll never buy another gas truck again.
- Status
