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Old 09-30-2014, 05:01 PM   #15
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I hate to say it but when was the last time anyone saw a 1/2 ton truck in the ditch with a TT or 5'er behind it? I haven't. I've driven all over for the last 45 years and can count on one hand the number of RV/truck related accidents I've seen.

While the tow ratings and over zealous sales people are not helping the newbie trailer buyer, in reality wrecks just aren't that common. Everyone always jumps on the weight police bandwagon when someone with a 1/2 ton wants to tow a 5'er. Yes the guy will be over weight but so what? It just goes to show that these trucks have a built in cushion. I really don't see 1/2 ton guys coming on here trying to tow 12-14000 5'ers. They're all looking at 5'ers in their tow rating. Ya they may be over GVW by 2-500lbs. No one gets all bent out of shape when a 3/4 ton guy is 500lbs over GVW. In fact some will advocate that it's fine.

Too much whining over something we have no control over. And as far as the sales people pushing '1/2 ton towable' 5'er's. Well every one I've seen are actually under the tow ratings of most 1/2 tons. They may be dry weights but they're still under none the less. If someone can't figure out that after they load up the trailer that they will be overweight, then maybe they shouldn't get behind the wheel while pulling a trailer. Common sense goes a long way.
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Old 09-30-2014, 05:11 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Benny367 View Post
Now, Now Francesca don't be so hard on yourself!

You're not broke!

(just kidding! Just kidding!)

Caught me...

You're right. I'm not quite broke. but I will be just as soon as I send off the last payment on my hubby's baldness cure regimen. Which we expect to see beginning to work As Advertised any day now!
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Old 09-30-2014, 08:48 PM   #17
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I'm not sure how it works south of the border but consider this for just a second.....

LIABILITY.


Lets just stop to think about the worst day possible for that RV'er pulling a overweight trailer with a under equipped truck (of any size) and put them in a catastrophic accident - that according to some of you never happens......

I don't think it would take the DOT or better yet a keen lawyer to shift blame because of an ignorant driver!

Some people just love to push limits.

Maybe this is a good time to ask if all the motorhome operators have air brake endorsements or those pulling heavy trailers have the correct licence class for the vehicle they are operating? Let me guess - your state or provincial authority doesn't require it so why do it?......Is safety not high on the list of our priorities?

I guess I may fall into the weight police category but maybe - just maybe, sharing reasonable, factual information might safe a life??
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Old 09-30-2014, 09:10 PM   #18
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Not one manufacture loads your vehicle they tell you what the towing and cargo capacity is. And no you can't add them together cargo subtracts from towing and vise versa. Every vehicle has a GVW a GVAW and a GCVW you cannot exceed any of them. GVW Gross vehicle weight is the most it can weigh by itself GVAW Gross Vehicle Axle Weight is the most the axle can carry it differs front and rear. GCVW is Gross Combined Vehicle Weight that is the most your truck and trailer combined can weigh. It is also a number that is nearly impossible to achieve without overloading something else. In MI we can plate a Semi to 160k However I have never been able to load one past 152k and be legal because of Axle weight restrictions. The towing numbers they list are GCVW minus the empty weight of the truck. That is a legal number however it is not number you can ever use. because you will over load something else before you reach it. Any one remember the Chevy ad's showing them pulling a 10k trailer it took them a long time to balance the load on that trailer so that it was legal and I doubt anyone would ever use that setup for anything other than a towing ad.
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Old 09-30-2014, 09:29 PM   #19
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You can always tell when a salesman is lying...his mouth will be moving.
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Old 10-01-2014, 06:00 AM   #20
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I have dealt with the public for 30 yrs in my career saving them from themselves. The majority of rv'ers dont know and dont want to know the technicalities of their unit ; they just want to use it and the salesman said they could. Sitting around the campfire last night with a group of campers and one woman didnt know if she had two or three axels on her 5th wheel.
Most of the comments here are naive thinking about the american public. There is no driving test or schooling required to drive a monster down the road
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Old 10-01-2014, 06:09 AM   #21
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Everyone gets it by now, the best setup is a TV that has 10,000 lbs more capacity then you'll every pull/haul. Stop trying to convince everyone! Jeez! I even agree with the weight cops here to a certain point. Know your weights, buy a trailer that's well within the limits, and know if you're going to push the limits you COULD be liable for personal injury, property, and COULD void you're warranty. I'm really more worried about the ahole that's driving way to fast then someone who's a couple hundred pounds over weight driving 60mph.
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Old 10-01-2014, 09:23 AM   #22
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What's more dangerous, the guy with the lifted 3/4 ton towing his limit running 75mph or the 1/2 ton guy maxed out running 55-60mph cause he feels nervous?

Fact is most people towing drive more cautiously than those not towing.
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Old 10-01-2014, 10:08 AM   #23
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The guy running 75 with trailer tires rated for 65 max. I'm not driving my 1/2 ton "death trap" at 63-65 because I feel nervous. I do it for milage and for safety (due to tires). I've seen guys blow by me do 75+, only to see them with shredded tires a little further down the road.
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Old 10-01-2014, 10:25 AM   #24
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Now I'm wondering, if you lift a truck, a 1/2 ton (death trap) , 3/4ton or the one ton, would the towing and payload ratings change? I'm guessing maybe, then when you factor in larger oversized tires that probably not the correct load range for the trucks capacity,,, then what?
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Old 10-01-2014, 07:12 PM   #25
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Good grief.
We don't see any carnage and wrecks up and down our highways as some would have us believe caused by overloaded 1/2 ton trucks. And I've towed trailers since the late '50s..... most of them made me a living on the road.

Even NHTSA has commented RV folks have a excellent highway safety record so we must be doing something right.

IMO some folks have too much time on their hands and spend way too much time whinning about 1/2 ton trucks but never say a thing about the one ton DRW trucks towing 30000 lb trailers and carrying 7xxx lbs per the mfg.

Double standard ....IMO.
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Old 10-01-2014, 07:49 PM   #26
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I have a 1\2 ton truck and my trailer is well within the trucks capacity, I'm just tired of the attitude that it's unsafe and it will fall apart at a moments notice. I get 11ish mpg pulling at 65mph and I'm happy with that. I don't need to drive faster and wouldn't if I had a F450.
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Old 10-01-2014, 08:43 PM   #27
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The problem with the whole GVWR, GCWR, GAWR is some engineers looked at data and using some kind of black magic came up with a set of guidelines that had to become law because there was another group of people who sat around and said "they don't know what they are talking about. Look at me, I (or someone I know) have done exactly what they say cant be done and I have never had an accident."

While the engineers used lots of data to interpolate the answers to publish safety standards, there are a few who extrapolate their single data source (personal experience) to give a "watch this" answer.

Like Smokey says the manufacturers give qualified estimates. IMO that is false or misleading advertising. Some of the advertisements are just as misleading. If you watch many of them will say "Closed Track with professional driver". Dukes of Hazard had a bunch of cars to perform their stunts. Some are convinced that there was a single car.

If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Barnum had a saying "there's a sucker born every minute. Manufacturers and their marketers make suggestive promises that some people tend to misinterpret, to their own supposed benefit. Advertisers can stretch the limits because they will always have a disclaimer that makes us responsible for making good decisions with their flashy spiel.

There are those who condone stretching the limits of practicality and common sense. How much is your life worth? You purchase insurance for your house, life insurance for yourself and then run equipment past its published safe limits.
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Old 10-01-2014, 10:10 PM   #28
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"There are those who condone stretching the limits of practicality and common sense. How much is your life worth? You purchase insurance for your house, life insurance for yourself and then run equipment past its published safe limits."


I believe in Gordon's statement above. And please 1/2 ton owners out there don't think this is a personal attack....Most of us are discussing overloaded vehicles in general 1/2 ton and or whatever.


I drive airliners around the country when I'm not RVing - I wonder if my passengers would care if I overloaded the aircraft because I just chose to do it one day?? Because after all there aren't many aircraft accidents RIGHT?
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