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What is my tow rig rated for?

Coreshot

Coreshot

Resident Thread Killer
Location
SL,UT
I have a 1997 F250 HD Powerstroke 7.3 Auto. Crew cab short bed. Just installed a HD transmission from the factory. Airbags are installed.

I am looking at toy haulers again, and am wondering exactly what I can tow LEGALLY. I don't need to pull Soldier Summit at 80, just need to get there some time today type of towing. I was told by someone to stay on the safe side I would be ok as long as I stuck with a tandem axle trailer and not go triples. So I found one I like, a Momentum, that has everything I want with tandems. Has an 11 foot garage, which is big enough to fit the Wildcat, but only by inches. They offer the exact trailer with a 14 foot garage, which would be worlds better, but of course it has triples. Only weighs 800 lbs more than the tandem. What say ye? Play it safe or go big? Can I legally tow either? Tandem weighs 13,500, triple weighs 14,300. Dry weights of course. Most places I will go, I can fill the water and such when I get there. Thanks.
 
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boogie_4wheel

Active Member
Location
North Salt Lake, Utah
If I remember correctly, that era truck had a 20k GCWR (I had a '95 1-ton PSD). I've run well over many of time (up to 26k combined), but have ALWAYS been on a dually.
Your weak spot is going to be the tire capacity. The thing with toy haulers is that they have a very heavy tongue/pin weight. As you add toys, the tongue/pin weight is reduced some (but can be added back by water, food, bedding, ect).
Legally, your limited to your tire capacity. GVWR and GCWR of the truck (that is posted by the manufacturer, in this case Ford) is not legal binding for what you can run down the road. Think about all the hot-shot rigs with 4 car haulers on dually trucks; they are approaching 30k,, many are tagged for 36k, and are doing it legal and have been for many years.

For example, lets say you've got tires rated at 3195lbs. So you've got 6390 worth of capacity on the rear axle. Figure your truck empty has a rear axle weight of 2900lbs (my Dodge weight was 2960 last time I checked it). So 6390 - 2900 = 3490lbs of available carrying capacity. Now running maximum axle weights will most likely cause you to exceed your designed GVWR. People have different views on this. Some swear by GVWR and listings in the book, some go to the legal bindings of axle/tire capacity, some don't follow anything. I fit the tire capacity group. My Dodge has a 9000lb GVWR and weighs 7400lbs empty, I don't remember the axle ratings at the moment; I've carried 2500lb of gravel in the bed before. With that 2500lbs, my total truck weight was 9960lbs, and my rear axle was at 5460lbs. So I exceeded my GVWR by 960lbs, and if something would have failed then Dodge would not honor my warranty 'that no longer exists' because I exceeded the manufacturers ratings, but was legal because I had not exceeded the tire capacity (I have 3195lb rated tires).

So with that said, I 'think' you will be border line with these trailers that you've posted. The pin weights will be 15-25% of the trailer weight, which will most likely cause you to exceed the GVWR, and possibly cause you to exceed the tire or RAWR. Personally, I would try to be under 30' on the 5th wheel for your truck. I know a lot of people running these big trailers on single wheel trucks, but I personally will not. F250 vs 350 arguments aside (the only difference was the rear springs/blocks), I personally feel that a majority of these big ass toyhaulers belong on nothing but a dually truck, some on a MDT. And dry weights don't mean squat. Look at the GVWR of the trailer and use it for picking the unit, trailers rarely weigh what their listed dry weight is, then you add the things you need, then the things you want, then the toys. The day I brought my '21 bumper toyhauler, it was over 700lbs heavier that what the listed dry weight was, and as it sits with just the necessities I bet I've got another few hundred lbs of crap (leveling blocks, dishes, bedding, ect).

A lot of the cabover camper guys upgrade from 16 or 17" wheels to 19.5", and gain a huge amount in tire capacity. Remember, these axles have a much higher weight rating from their specific manufacturer (Dana for example) than what the tires are.
 
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