half ton chevy tow 9200lbs?

[GManBart]

Did you ever find the tow rating of your 1/2 ton Chev? I was checking out a F-150 yesterday and the tow rating was 11,300 pounds. I thought that Chev, Ford and Ram today would all be pretty equivalent on their ratings if a person equipped them properly. The Tundra of course tops the all with the 250,000 pound tow rating they advertise - I mean towing a Space Shuttle on trailer should mean should be considered within limits, correct? But remembering your particular case I did not see anything unsafe as you understood your challenge. There are no engineering limitations like a tire is rated for 1,880 pounds and you load it to 1900 it will shred immediately. If you haul something across a desert at 75 mph on a 120 degree day with the tire under inflated and the load near capacity then worry. You, short tow, low speed, moderate temp. You main worry would have been the rich guy in the a Escalade behind you driving 85 to your 50 while he is checking his stock portfolio and steering with his knees while holding his white chocolate vanilla latte in his other hand.

The truck didn't have brakes rated for that weight, and the trailer didn't have brakes rated for that weight. Getting it going, or keeping it going, aren't the same as stopping it. Stopping is the critical factor in towing…when the idiot not paying attention pulls in front of you.

 

[MHarryE]

The truck didn't have brakes rated for that weight, and the trailer didn't have brakes rated for that weight. Getting it going, or keeping it going, aren't the same as stopping it. Stopping is the critical factor in towing…when the idiot not paying attention pulls in front of you.

Answer - yes, I have. Always expect that when driving a large rig because people seeing you coming have to get out before you get there even if they are risking their own life. Do you understand physics and understand that the braking needed goes up greater than the square of the speed so if you keep your speed down you can stop quickly? I wasn't saying running overloaded is a good thing. What I am pointing out is that I have a 1/2 ton with maximum towing package and an off the lot 3/4 ton. The 1/2 ton does most of the towing because the loads I am talking about are within its rating (about 10,000#), it is more stable, can stop and start quicker than the 3/4 ton.

 

[tylertown]

Did you ever find the tow rating of your 1/2 ton Chev? I was checking out a F-150 yesterday and the tow rating was 11,300 pounds. I thought that Chev, Ford and Ram today would all be pretty equivalent on their ratings if a person equipped them properly. The Tundra of course tops the all with the 250,000 pound tow rating they advertise - I mean towing a Space Shuttle on trailer should mean should be considered within limits, correct? But remembering your particular case I did not see anything unsafe as you understood your challenge. There are no engineering limitations like a tire is rated for 1,880 pounds and you load it to 1900 it will shred immediately. If you haul something across a desert at 75 mph on a 120 degree day with the tire under inflated and the load near capacity then worry. You, short tow, low speed, moderate temp. You main worry would have been the rich guy in the a Escalade behind you driving 85 to your 50 while he is checking his stock portfolio and steering with his knees while holding his white chocolate vanilla latte in his other hand.

I have found that the half ton Chevrolet that I had was rated for 9,500lbs but like I say. everything now days are very conservative with their capacity ratings. bridges roads vehicles everything. just because your number is a little higher than the capacity doesn't mean it cant and will not do it. sure if you have a semi tractor and trailer and your permitted for 80k and your grossing out at 100k yes they will bust you but only commercial haulers. we in ms don't have a problem with dot and hwy patrol on country roads. not sure if its different in other places or not.

 

[RaydaKub]

I have found that the half ton Chevrolet that I had was rated for 9,500lbs but like I say. everything now days are very conservative with their capacity ratings. bridges roads vehicles everything. just because your number is a little higher than the capacity doesn't mean it cant and will not do it. sure if you have a semi tractor and trailer and your permitted for 80k and your grossing out at 100k yes they will bust you but only commercial haulers. we in ms don't have a problem with dot and hwy patrol on country roads. not sure if its different in other places or not.

I remember a long time ago a farmer had a couple huge gravity boxes loaded with corn. He was lazy at the stop sign and the cop was in site. His excuse was that the wagons pushed him through. So the cop weighed him and found he was over weight on all 4 wagon axles. That fine was bigger than the rolling stop by a healthy margin.

 

[GManBart]

Answer - yes, I have. Always expect that when driving a large rig because people seeing you coming have to get out before you get there even if they are risking their own life. Do you understand physics and understand that the braking needed goes up greater than the square of the speed so if you keep your speed down you can stop quickly? I wasn't saying running overloaded is a good thing. What I am pointing out is that I have a 1/2 ton with maximum towing package and an off the lot 3/4 ton. The 1/2 ton does most of the towing because the loads I am talking about are within its rating (about 10,000#), it is more stable, can stop and start quicker than the 3/4 ton.

That's not really true. Your last post you said "But remembering your particular case I did not see anything unsafe as you understood your challenge."

He can "understand the challenge" (which he really didn't because he had to ask the question here) all day long, and it was still dangerous, irresponsible, and yes, illegal.

He took a 7K GVW trailer, which has to weigh more like 1,800lbs, rather than the 1,200lbs he claimed, and put an 8K pound machine on it. Total weight was roughly 9,800lbs on a trailer rated for a maximum of 7,000lbs. He wasn't a bit over weight, he was 40% over weight. Even driving slowly, and trying to be "careful" doesn't mean it was safe. Sure, maybe if he rolled along at 25mph, and had a car ahead of him scouting for idiots, it would be okay, but that isn't what happened.

Even if his truck was capable of towing 10K pounds, the trailer, and it's brakes weren't. In other words, even going "slow", it's questionable that he would have the necessary braking available if some moron did something even dumber than somebody pulling a 40% overloaded trailer on public roads. Only an engineer, and some testing would be able to sort that out, but one guarantee is that if he'd been in an accident, even one not of his doing, and somebody got hurt, he would be the one in serious trouble….and justifiably so.

I've helped pull enough mangled people and bodies out of cars that I'm not going to give somebody a pass when they do something dangerous after they're told it's dangerous, and the alternative would be pretty inexpensive.

 

[RaydaKub]

Sure, maybe if he rolled along at 25mph

which creates a whole 'nother set of problems...

 

[farm88]

I moved a 450 John deer with my F150 4x4 300 6cylindar on a 9 ton trailer. You could barely tell it was behind the truck. I tried to be saf e about it. I took back roads and did not go over 60.

 

[zzvyb6]

The only funny thing about this story is that the excavator really only weights 3400 lbs. MAX. Just lookup the weights of all models of that machine and it's lighter than most CUTS. I did and this is the highest number.

I also find it funny that so many posters will comment on a situation where the 'facts' don't add up.
Now about this bridge I have for sale in NY ...

 

[GManBart]

The only funny thing about this story is that the excavator really only weights 3400 lbs. MAX. Just lookup the weights of all models of that machine and it's lighter than most CUTS. I did and this is the highest number.

Guess you looked in the wrong place. The operating weight is over 8,200lbs.

New Holland E35SR Mini Excavator

 

[casvs]

If it will untrack it & stop it it'll probably do it.That old Z71 is probably one of the most abused trucks on planet earth.Had a 96 model.Went through 2 teen age drivers and she's still going.Hauled 14K lbs of scrap metal to the junk yard with it once.It was a hard 12 miles but we got there.