So last weekend I hauled a 42" 5th wheel about 4hrs away to home. Really didn't seem like that bad of load. Not any worse than my normal load of my camper, trailer and Jeep.

Stopped at a weigh scale just for fun, 4500# on the front axle, 4750# on the rear and 8100# on the trailer axles. According to my door decal I was over on the front by about 500# and still had 1300# left to go on the rear. Yet my total GVWR is only 8510#. Which makes sense since I weighed the truck at the dump today and empty its 7100#, so that leaves about 1500# for payload which is about 3/4ton.

But if I add my axle weight ratings together the GVWR should be more like 10,100#. Which I know is crazy for a 3/4ton. So what gives? Why are the axles rated so much higher than the total truck combined?

Also acccording to my calculation that 5th wheel should weigh about 10,500#! Is there a maximum load that the truck is allowed to haul or is it solely dependent on the weight physically on the truck? Thanx!

 

I think your front axle is rated at 4500lbs so you were ok there. There dosn't seem to be any real rational thinking when it comes to gvw. If emmision laws stated you wouldn't need any smog system for trucks over 9000 gvw all the manufactures would change their 8600 lb ratings to 9100 lbs. The rules are a combination of warranty issues, liabilaty issues, and emission law compliance. Were stuck with it and take our chances when we go over. I think it was in 1976 ford half ton 4x4 pickups were rated for around 6200lbs and weighed 6100 lbs. If you weighed over a hundred lbs you were overloaded.

 

OK you have a 5th wheel. It seems yor 5th wheel plate is a bit too far forward. I would not worry about it.
They give you a total weight of 8510. They actually realise that no one can balance weight perfectly. Even with an 8510 total weight rating. they will allow a little more on the front or back individually knowing that we dont have scales in our front yard before we leave town.
The big rigs are rated at 80,000 LBs max and 20,000 per axle max, without special permits. but they will allow up to 80,500 total, and like 20,200 per axle just because you cant possibly balance everything perfectly.
This accounts for the weight of fuel in tank and passengers and who knows what else...
I hope this makes sense.
Dont worry all is well

 

The reason you're confused is that the product liability lawyers have had thier fingers in the mix.

The engineers provided thier numbers in the initial design, but the bean counters and lawyers have the last say.

The bottom line is that you aren't supposed to exceed the lower value of either gross vehicle weight, or gross combined vehicle weight. Don't stay up late using a calculator trying to figure out any simple logic in it - there isn't any.

My math also says that your trailer weighs a little over 10k. To know for sure is to go weigh your truck without the trailer, then add up the trailer axle weight and the pin weight (additional weight on the trucks axles) you had with the trailer hooked up.

 

Thanks guys I wasn't too worried about being over was just curious how they calculated things. Hauling this 5th wheel was a one time thing, well there might be one more trip to take it to its final destination but I won't be towing it aroubd on a regular basis. Its just too freaking huge!

So is GVWR the max weight my truck can weigh when fully loaded and GCVW the max my truck and any tailer I'm hauling combined? Where do I find the GCVW? I didn't see it on my door sticker with the other weight ratings.

I agree that my hitch is too far forward. Unfortunaly since the trip was last minute thing and I won't be keeping the trailer I bought the cheapest hitch I could find(was $400). It has no provisions for moving it forward and back, the holes are drilled and it is where it is. I think its close enough that I can live with it. The placement was a compromise between getting it centered over the goose neck ball and finding a good place to bolt to the frame. I have airbags that were in the way. I was actually surprised how well the whole thing towed! The truck has never ridden so nice!

 

clay i have to agree my 92 has airbags and rides the best with a bunch of weight in the back of it!

 

Clay you are correct on your weight ratings.
GVWR is total weight of the truck and everyting in it including passengers.
GCWR is toatl weight of the truck and trailer combined.
I found the GCWR for my truck in the owners manual. I have a 95 2500 and it is 16k pounds. When you register the truck in my state you can actually get that rate raised or lowered on the registration. I had mine lowered, otherwise the state treats it as a commercial vehicle and I would have to pay outrages property tax on the truck. Weight ratings are very confusing and every state is different. Just try to be safe when you tow and make sure the truck and trailer are in good working order, especially the brakes. Don't tow anything that you don't think is safe.

 

Thanks for the good info! I'll check my manual to see what the GCVW is. 16K isn't that much when you consider that the truck weighs 7K but I suppose it is only a 3/4ton. I know I was over my ratings pulling that 5th wheel but it didn't feel as though I was over taxing the truck. It actually hauled really nice.

Our registration here(Alberta, Canada) doesn't list the weight ratings on the registration for non-comercial vehicles and its only considered a comercial vehicle if its being used commercially. My truck actually comes up as a Ramcharger for some reason in the registries computer. I inquired about getting it changed but was told it would be a big hassle and not worth it unless I wanted to use it commercially. So I have the only Cummins powered Ramcharger in Alberta!

 

Actually , big rigs are limited to 12,000 on the steering axle and 34,000 per tandem . Tolerance differs state to state . IL has zero tolerance . If you cross a scale with an overweight axle they keep you until you get it legal . I see cranes at IL scales all the time shifting loads on flatbeds or dumps hauling scrap metal . I see quite a few grain haulers shoveling loads by hand too when they weighed a few hundred pounds too many on an axle .

 

This is not completely true. You are correct that tandems are limited to 34K per set. Also there may be 18 wheelers that have F axles that are ONLY RATED for 12K that I don't know for sure. According to Federal Bridge Law you are allowed up to 20K for ANY single axle. I do not know all state laws but here in AZ the Federal laws are followed exactly. Maybe some states they do have more strict rules. FYI

 

You need to do a search, this is a much overdone subject. Your question has to be determined weather you want the legal weight limit, or the factory stuff. As far as law is concerned, if you are pulling a trailer over 10,000 pounds, the GVCW is figured as follows. Add the GVWR of the truck to the GVWR of the trailer and that is the GCWR. Then the weight must not exceed the rating of the axles and tires. Forget about the GVWR while in combination. Also it is rare that anyone will even look at the axle rating, never had it checked on one of mine. So you are safe with the tire rating. I have had over 6500 on my front and over 7500 on the rear many times and weighed fine on the scales.

Might add that on a DOT check where I weighed 28k gross and the truck was rated for a GVWR of 8800 will raise the eyebrows of the inspector but is fully legal. I am not going to argue these statements, they are just fact.

Forgot one thing, your plates have to cover the weight also or you will be overweight.

 

One needs to check the laws for ones particular state, because they are not all the same. For instance, in California you don't register your truck for a particular weight if it says "pickup" on the registration.

 

Don't have to worry about plate weight ratings unless you are comercial.

 

That is why I stated it as I did. Some states you cannot register that heavy, then you cannot pull that weight. Many states have a weight restriction on non commercial plates also. So best stated, you have to have license plates to carry the weight. But I could legally drive my truck into the state with the heavy weight and my 33,000 pound plates.

I wish Kalifornia would get back into the US sometime in the future. The way it is now I would not drive mine into the state.

WAke up America, see what we can become.

 

Clay....seeing you are from alberta....dont worry about the weight ratings. According too alberta regs. as long as your truck and trailer are shorter than 67 feet with one trailer, or 82 feet with upto 3 tailers, which you are! and it is recreational towing, meaning your not making money off of it, then your are legal too your tire ratings, (and this only matters in case of an accident), and trailer can be upto 42,000 pounds. The gvwr, and gcwr do not matter when it is recreational towing!!