Pickups and Legal Trailer Weight Limits

[Rock knocker]

Um, yea

 

[Diamondpilot]

Couple years ago I had to retrieve my dads retirement rig from Arizona back into Canada. He was incapable of doing it himself because of impending brain surgery. I had to upgrade my license to a class 3 commercial drivers license before leaving. I was not hired. Truck was 2011 2500 duramax, the issue though was the trailer weight (12000-13000 lbs). I understand different countries, different rules but i don't believe its whether a driver is hired or not, its the weight rating of the equipment. The system isn't perfect either, the province here keeps on giving my dad a hard time over his class 3 license. He has no long term effects of his surgery. If he loses him class 3, he'd still keep his class 5 (which is a normal driver's license around here). He'd be forced to sell his fifth wheel trailer, and buy a 40000# bus type motorhome which he could put a car hauler behind it to car their car with no problems.

In Indiana as in most states all RV plated trailers are exempt.

Chris

 

[jimmysisson]

Jim Wilson, I hope you give a thought to your brakes when/if you convert your Suburban.
Jim

 

[jim_wilson]

Jim Wilson, I hope you give a thought to your brakes when/if you convert your Suburban.
Jim

In the plan - if I do it - is a brake upgrade. Although as I understand it - the brakes on the 2500 and 3500 series Chevy trucks are pretty much all the same. What I was planning on doing was installing a set of Wilwood brakes on all four corners - which substantially upgrades the rotor diameter and stopping power.

Currently the truck has no brake controller so I have been doing some research on them. The one I see getting recommended in a number of places is the DirecLink brake controller: DirecLink Brake Controller, so I had added that to the list of upgrades.

The reason why I posted in the thread - is that I was looking at what the tow capabilities of the upgraded truck would be - and thinking about what type of trailer and the weight I'd potentially be wanting to carry. The Suburban itself currently weighs in at about 6500 pounds - the added weight of the diesel and other assorted upgrades (transmission, brakes, bigger rear axle, better hitch, etc) might push that up to 7000. The door tag currently says the GVWR is 8600. I think the limit on what I'd probably be towing with this would either be an equipment trailer with a small excavator - or a dump trailer, - either one in the 14,000 pound range.

At the current time - I've got no plans to anything "commercial" with this.

From reading thru all of this - it looks like I'd be good with no CDL and this combination.