Towing 10,000lbs with 1/2 ton, or upgrade?

[Duffster]

Diamondpilot, let me ask this: If a memeber of your family was involved in an accident {serious injury or death}with a setup like this what would you do?

I did own a dodge 1500 with a heavy duty tow package and trailer break. I used it to pull my compact tractor around {around 3600lbs +weight of trailer} it worked fairly well for that. Then I got a compact dozer weighs around 7000lbs + trailer in NO way was this a good setup. I would bet, if I had been in an accident there would have been lawyers knocking down the door. I drove tractor trailer for many years, so I do have a small understanding of loaded vehicles. Just because the power is there to move something does not mean the weight/size is there to stop it.

So this isn't safe either.

IMO the trailer should stop itself.

I just bought a w3500 and it has a sticker rating it at 14000 GVW on the driver side door opening

Yes the GVWR but not the GCWR.

 

[20 20]

Dmace; what happens if there is an accident with a setup like this? Are the truck dealers going to stand next to ya when your facing jail time? Are they going to step up and say this is a perfect setup when the courts come callin? Would a jury look at this setup and side with someone for hauling this much weight on a small vehicle?
I would bet the dealers would throw a bunch of red tape in and push there rates under the carpet. I'd bet they'd say sure the truck can handle that but so and so just didn't have the right blah blah blah. A jury would see a poor innocent victim and an over loaded vehicle.

It's your choice and like I said earlier can work, but just think about the road and safety/other people. This is not a safe setup unless maybe your only going to drive 15-20mph on the side of the road with hazards on.

 

[20 20]

Duffster; that setup is WAAAAY safer then what is being discussed. With that note I will say this, I had to pull doubles{2 48' trailers}. I never believed in doubles and tripples seen to many things go wrong. Companies are there to make money and if they can pay 1 guy to do the job of 2 or 3 then money does talk. So mabe because I'm getting older, or because I've seen to many stupid accidents{involving death and/or serious injury}, I worry to much.

 

[Dmace]

I stand 100% corrected. I know for a fact the 09 and earlier models were under 9,000#.

There you go again with your facts, the 2009 Ram 1500 had a max tow capacity of 9,100lbs.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Diamondpilot, let me ask this: If a memeber of your family was involved in an accident {serious injury or death}with a setup like this what would you do?

I did own a dodge 1500 with a heavy duty tow package and trailer break. I used it to pull my compact tractor around {around 3600lbs +weight of trailer} it worked fairly well for that. Then I got a compact dozer weighs around 7000lbs + trailer in NO way was this a good setup. I would bet, if I had been in an accident there would have been lawyers knocking down the door. I drove tractor trailer for many years, so I do have a small understanding of loaded vehicles. Just because the power is there to move something does not mean the weight/size is there to stop it.

Plain and simple if its at or below the max rating, no problems.

Chris

 

[Diamondpilot]

There you go again with your facts, the 2009 Ram 1500 had a max tow capacity of 9,100lbs.

My book shows a 2 WD long Bed at 8900# with the auto tranny and 3.92 gears.

Chris

 

[Dmace]

Dmace; what happens if there is an accident with a setup like this?...
...This is not a safe setup unless maybe your only going to drive 15-20mph on the side of the road with hazards on.

If there is an accident and you are overloaded, then yes you will be held liable for it. I did not say the manufacturers would stand behind you. I simply stated that the rated tow capacities are certainly not the absolute limit that the vehicle can handle. They can easily and safely handle 10-15% over the rated amounts in my opinion. To say that going 10% or less over the trucks rated capacity is "not a safe setup" is just wrong, again in my opinion. There is nothing "not safe" about it, if that 10% were enough to unsafely overload the vehicle then it is not properly rated.

Do you really think 8-900lbs is going to make that much difference?

My book shows a 2 WD long Bed at 8900# with the auto tranny and 3.92 gears. Chris

2009 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT 4x2 short bed 5.7l HEMI with 3.92 gears and 5-speed Auto is 9,100lbs. Long bed version is 9,000lbs.
Amazing how your "book" has all the elevated numbers for Ford trucks but severely underrates all the other manufacturers, I wonder who produces it...

 

[Raw Dodge]

As far as towings,I know as far as DOT law goes,they are just suggested,and never followed.One of my Dads friends towed a 53 ft 3 car hauler with 3 different 3500 Dodge Cummins duallys,the first one was a 1994,both it and the 99 he had had factory GCWR of only 16000 lbs,with 10500 GVWRs.He stopped at the scales,had DOT numbers,and hauled cars all along the east coast.His rig grossed out at 22000-30000 GCWR daily.All 3 of his trucks went 300000 miles easily on the original powertrains,the auto transmissions lasted 300K in the first 2.
So how can anyone hold them to the factory tow rating when its just there guideline.

 

[Diamondpilot]

If there is an accident and you are overloaded, then yes you will be held liable for it. I did not say the manufacturers would stand behind you. I simply stated that the rated tow capacities are certainly not the absolute limit that the vehicle can handle. They can easily and safely handle 10-15% over the rated amounts in my opinion. To say that going 10% or less over the trucks rated capacity is "not a safe setup" is just wrong, again in my opinion. There is nothing "not safe" about it, if that 10% were enough to unsafely overload the vehicle then it is not properly rated.

Do you really think 8-900lbs is going to make that much difference?


2009 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT 4x2 short bed 5.7l HEMI with 3.92 gears and 5-speed Auto is 9,100lbs. Long bed version is 9,000lbs.
Amazing how your "book" has all the elevated numbers for Ford trucks but severely underrates all the other manufacturers, I wonder who produces it...

Produced by a third party for the trailer dealer industry. What are we talking here a few hundred pounds? No further Comment.

Chris

 

[wkpoor]

I take little stock in the published #'s even from the mfg themselves. At least part of the ratings are market sales drivin. I seen the #'s change one yr to another without a single change to a vehicle just to stay up with the competition's claims.
Guy here at work had a 2yr old Nissan. He bought a new boat that weighed in at about 8K on the trailer. Well within the published towing #'s. He is now driving a new Ford 150 2 months after getting the boat. Apparently those #'s weren't quite up to shuf on the Nissan. He should have just gone for the 250 and been done with it.