Using my truck and trailer to move other people's equipment

NuBota · Mar 22, 2009

I know you guys have been talking mainly GM and Ford, but I found this sheet for my '03 Cummins Ram. It is a matrix of the different truck configs and their corresponding towing and payload capacities. Might help illustrate some of the differences.

Of course the second sheet, directly from Dodge, shows two different numbers for the same config - and of course both are different from the first attachment (though not by much)

Sticker on the door of course is final I guess.....

JoelD · Mar 22, 2009

Thanks, these are all well in excess of my 1986 F 250 (seems from reading the forums the Dodges typically are rated at some of the highest tow capacities).

The part I can't get over is the super low GCWR of 11,500 for my truck, it's 8600 GVWR.

I know the manufacturer published the numbers in the manual for a reason, but they just don't seem possible. So low.

Joel

Diamondpilot · Mar 22, 2009

Those are really low. My 07 F-150 has a 15,000# GCWR and a 7,200# GVWR. It has to be a limit of the brakes, tranny, axles, or gear ratio. The motor has plenty of guts to tow the loads you are talking.

If I remember right back then they had a F-250 then they had a F-250 HD. Builder probably remembers since he had those trucks. I was still driving S-10 Blazers, Rangers, and F-150's back in those days.

I checked my towing data but it only goes back to 1991. A F-250 with a 351 had a max tow rating of 8,200# with 4.10 gears. Does not list 3.55, just max of 8,200# with the 4.10's. That would only put the GCWR at about 15,000# guessing that those trucks weighed 6,800# empty which seems about right.

Interesting thing is they show on the 1991 F-250 with the 7.3 diesel as 11,400# and the 460 could tow more, 12,500#.

Chris

Diamondpilot · Mar 22, 2009

JoelD said:
Thanks, these are all well in excess of my 1986 F 250 (seems from reading the forums the Dodges typically are rated at some of the highest tow capacities).

The part I can't get over is the super low GCWR of 11,500 for my truck, it's 8600 GVWR.

I know the manufacturer published the numbers in the manual for a reason, but they just don't seem possible. So low.

Joel

I guess your truck is kind of like the current F-250 with the 5.4L. Good truck for a school corp, street crew, mowing crew, tree trimer, ect. Can haul a good load in the bed, handle a snow plow, and cheap to produce and sell but not much in the towing dept. The just fit a niche market who does not need to tow much but does need a heavy suspension and the ability to handle a plow hanging off the front end.

Chris