Can I legally tow a 20,000 lb. trailer with my F-450?

[MrJimi]

I have read every post in this thread and I still don't understand it?
To give you an example, I have a
F-550 weight 7,000 pounds
25 foot trailer weight 3,000 pounds with a 14,000 capacity
The way I read this, I can't pull my trailer empty??
with a 26,000 pound drivers license and NOT commercial
Sandman2234/David, you know our Florida laws
Jim

 

[john_bud]

MrJimi,

It's not the emptyweight of the F550, it's the rated capacity or plate capacity. Unless you overload it, then it's the weight (which ever is larger and provides more revenue for the state).

The F550 is what 20,000 to 24,000# capacity? Let's call it 20,000. That means that you can only tow a 6000# trailer and not need a CDL. The trailer "weight" is the larger of the plate capacity, the rated capacity or the actual weight.

Yeah is sort of takes the fun out of owning an F550 it you need a CDL just to tow a bass boat! As Builder stated, some states require a CDL at lower weights. Some make you get USDOT numbers too. (Yuck!)

Merry Chirstmas and good luck with the cab lift.

jb

 

[MrJimi]

JB, my door sticker is GVWR is 17,500 and in Florida we can register these for less, lets say 10,000 pounds That should work here

 

[Builder]

I have read every post in this thread and I still don't understand it?
To give you an example, I have a
F-550 weight 7,000 pounds
25 foot trailer weight 3,000 pounds with a 14,000 capacity
The way I read this, I can't pull my trailer empty??
with a 26,000 pound drivers license and NOT commercial
Sandman2234/David, you know our Florida laws
Jim

With an F-550, you can tow up to a 10,000lb trailer with NO CDL.

Once the trailer goes up to or over 10,001 lbs you need a class A CDL since the combination weighs 27,501lbs. (17,500lbs + 10,001lbs = 27501 lbs). 27,501 lbs in excess of 26,001 lbs and your trailer is in excess of 10,001 lbs.

remember, you must meet BOTH requirements.

Since your trailer is tagged for 14,000lbs, your combination is well over the minimum to meet the requirements of needing a class A CDL because of your trailer weight.

Maybe I can explain it easier with an F-450 with a GVWR of 15,000lbs. If you had a 450 with a 15K GVWR, you could pull a heavier trailer than with your F-550 with no CDL. You could pull an 11K trailer with no CDL

Why? Because the the 15K F-450 and the 11K trailer add up to only 26,000lbs, which is UNDER one of the 2 requirements for needing a CDL (combination over 26,001 lbs AND a trailer weight over 10,001 lbs). Now if the trailer behind the F-450 was a 12K trailer, then you WOULD need a CDL because the combination would weigh 27,000lbs, which is in excess of the maximum of 26K AND the trailer weighs over 10,001 lbs.


Clear as mud?

 

[Builder]

JB, my door sticker is GVWR is 17,500 and in Florida we can register these for less, lets say 10,000 pounds That should work here

Probably not, but even if it did, then you'd have a tough time carrying more than a 1 ton on the back without being overweight.

Once you hook up a 14K trailer and you had a 20% pin weight, you'd have an effective weight of 2,800lbs over your rear axle (14,000lbs x 20% = 2,800lbs). If your F-550 weighs 7,200lbs or less, you'd be just barely legal, but my F-450 weighed that much with no bed on it.

If you got pulled over with a 14K trailer & 20% pin weight and the cop pulled the scales out, once he determines your towing unit (truck) is over 10K, you're dead in the water.

You just have to make sure your truck registered at 10K is less than 10K with your trailer's pin weight added to the rear.

 

[MrJimi]

LOL, mud, yes, clear no
Take a look at this chart about halfway down to the charts
http://www3.hsmv.state.fl.us/Intranet/dmv/Forms/BTR/Milpak/83140.pdf
That will make it even muddier

 

[Builder]

LOL, mud, yes, clear no
Take a look at this chart about halfway down to the charts
http://www3.hsmv.state.fl.us/Intranet/dmv/Forms/BTR/Milpak/83140.pdf
That will make it even muddier

There's a lot of charts. Which part concerns you?

 

[MrJimi]

This part


II. TRUCKS AND TRAILERS - WEIGHTS
For trucks weighing 5,000 lbs. or less, if the shipping weight is not available on the manufacturer's certificate of origin a certified
weight affidavit from a weighing station is required. The gross vehicle weight (GVW) as declared by the owner, is required on
all truck-tractors and trucks weighing over 5000 pounds.
For heavy trucks with net weight of 5001-7999 lbs., GVW is calculated by adding the net weight of the truck and the truck's load.
For heavy trucks with net weight of 8000 lbs. up and truck-tractors, the GVW is calculated by adding the net weight of the truck
or truck-tractor and it's load to the net weight of the trailer and it's load

 

[Builder]

This part


II. TRUCKS AND TRAILERS - WEIGHTS
For trucks weighing 5,000 lbs. or less, if the shipping weight is not available on the manufacturer's certificate of origin a certified
weight affidavit from a weighing station is required. The gross vehicle weight (GVW) as declared by the owner, is required on
all truck-tractors and trucks weighing over 5000 pounds.
For heavy trucks with net weight of 5001-7999 lbs., GVW is calculated by adding the net weight of the truck and the truck's load.
For heavy trucks with net weight of 8000 lbs. up and truck-tractors, the GVW is calculated by adding the net weight of the truck
or truck-tractor and it's load to the net weight of the trailer and it's load

I'm not really sure what this has to do with needing a CDL.

What it seems like they're saying is to register your truck & trailer together.
We do that in my state, too.

 

[MrJimi]

I agree, I am an individual and all my weights are below 26,000. I will not use this commercial just personal use. Thats the part thats not sinking in here
Clear as mud