Whats Up with Towing Capacities

[vggibrb]

The other day a few i was talking to a few of my friends, one's got a 98 6.5 3/4 ton, the other has a PDS 1 ton we got to talking about towing capacities, (the PDS owner tows a 10,000 pound mini ex.) My friend with the pickup pulls out his owners manual, his truck is only rated for 8000 and my suburban is only rated for 7500, even the 1 ton chevs are only rated for 8500#'s whats up with this?

anybody know what the reason our trucks can't tow anything. I just bought a 10,000 tractor.

-Ben

[deerefanatic]

I think it's not so much that they "can't" pull 10k lbs, but if they were "rated" at that much, I think they would be consider a heavy truck and require a chaffuer's (I know I spelled that wrong! :D ) license, AKA, a class C CDL........

I know that if you have a CDL, you're automatically cleared to haul upto 10,000lbs, even with a pickup (as long as you have proper trailer brakes...)

[1999GMC]

I know. I've wondered the same thing. I tow 9000 lbs. and my truck does fine. 50-55 MPH up 6-7% grades. What really pisses me off is the stupid Titan with the puny a$$ rear end is rated for 9500. Granted the rear ends are big problem in those trucks. But with a Little rear end and they are saying 9500 and our 10.5 inch ring gear rear ends are only 8000. Maybe it is the small front brakes. I don't know. It's a bunch of crap.

[vggibrb]

So will I be okay if I haul my tractor 10,000 plus trailer +/- 3000# 20 miles?

[deerefanatic]

Yah, take it easy, give yourself plenty of room.... Really though, your trailer needs to have brakes for safety's sake.......

[vggibrb]

I've Hauled smaller loads, say about 5 or so. I've got the controller. I just need to get a 6pin to 7blade adapter :)

thanks

[muag91]

I think the only thing the tow ratings are is a rating of brakes. The main difference I can see between a 3/4 hd ton truck and a 1 ton truck is the brakes. Not sure of anything else, but I've hauled loads that gave me a gross wt of 30,000 lbs before. I wonder if that is a rating pulling a load with no additional brake assist.

[daustin]

I looked in the factory FSM for the 1/2, 3/4 and 1 ton trucks and they list 10,000# rear axle and 10,000# HD brakes as options. The rear is the full floater - dually and the 10K brakes are the duo-servo rears. I thought that was interesting reading.
Don

[scoobert]

i have towed 14K with my suburban, the only problem i saw was cooling....

[vggibrb]

I'm looking for a dump truck, I've been shying away from the GM's because of there low posted towing capacities, does anybody know what the posted capacity of the 3500HD is.

-ben

[santafe]

My 93 C-3500 Extended Cab has a GCWR of 13,500. I have pulled 16,000 LBS. I highly reccomend trailer brakes for anything over 2000 LBS. The above mention concerning commercial drivers license is completely false. Your lisence has nothing to do with the truck and trailer weight ratings. The truck GCWR is based on the entire componentry of the truck. An example of this is the difference a 5 speed manuel transmission makes as compared to the automatics on some of the older trucks. The 5 speed cuts the GCWR drastically as it doesn't have the strength to handle higher weight ratings of pulling a trailer but it doesn't hurt the GVWR as this is not as high. Hope this helps.

Santafe

[vggibrb]

Was the 3500HD ever made in the K series, or just the C?

In Vermont you need a class A CDL if your trailer is rated above 10,000#s or class B if your truck is rated above 26001#s.

-Ben

[deerefanatic]

Was the 3500HD ever made in the K series, or just the C?

In Vermont you need a class A CDL if your trailer is rated above 10,000#s or class B if your truck is rated above 26001#s.

-Ben

Thank you! :)

My grandpa was a trucker.... :)

[Husker 6.5]

My 93 C-3500 Extended Cab has a GCWR of 13,500. I have pulled 16,000 LBS. I highly reccomend trailer brakes for anything over 2000 LBS. The above mention concerning commercial drivers license is completely false. Your lisence has nothing to do with the truck and trailer weight ratings. The truck GCWR is based on the entire componentry of the truck. An example of this is the difference a 5 speed manuel transmission makes as compared to the automatics on some of the older trucks. The 5 speed cuts the GCWR drastically as it doesn't have the strength to handle higher weight ratings of pulling a trailer but it doesn't hurt the GVWR as this is not as high. Hope this helps.

Santafe

The MFR's Towing capacity is calculated based on the COMBINED gross weight of the vehicle and load. Diesel Power's April issue had a reprint of an article from 1995 where there was a comparrison between a 454 and 6.5TD equipped Suburban. Guess what? The 454 had a higher towing capacity!!

Across the line, for the same series (1500, 2500, 3500) the 350/454 had higher towing capacities than the 6.5 in the MFR charts they published (but not better fuel milage). Why, you ask? Because the 6.5 is a heavier engine, requiring beefier (heavier) suspension components to accomodate it, thus adding to the VEHICLE'S gross weight and subtracting from the towing capacity. The MFR bases this on stress to the suspension, brakes, and tire ratings, so if you add weight to one, you lose capacity to tow from the other.

We all know how brutish the 6.5 is, just look at previous threads I've posted on this subject for what my rig weighs, and what I've towed, and that I've scaled at 15,500 lbs, combined, before. Also note that I've upgraded my brakes from factory with Power Stop drilled rotors, SSBC three piston calipers, and titanium pads up front, and Kevlar brake shoes at the rear.

Go on line to Diesel Power and read the article from April entitled Big Block vs. Diesel Shootout. It is very enlightening, and I wonder how their opinions on the 6.5 would have changed if Walt's "goodies" had been available back then.

Husker 6.5

[Big Red]

I have a 92 chevy k3500 single cab long bed 4x4 with the 6.5 liter and the other day I pulled a 35ft 3 axle gooseneck trailer with 270 square bales on it that wieghed between 75 to 100 lbs. and it pulled great. The gross wieght was around 26000 lbs.

[sshewins]

the GVWR is 15,000 # for the HD. It has a solid front axle with leaf springs and a HUGE rear end. Whats funny is the front axle is rated at 7000 # and the rear at 11000 # and those two numbers add up to 18000 - go figure

Scott

[crazy]

Well my 97 3500 pull 5ther 38ft 3 slides and has everything we owen we in it that gross out at 15,250 last time we scale it. that was trailer only and my 97 6.5 with 249,000 on it pulls good. but top speeds is only about 65 mph and temps run around 200 - 205 degees that does have me worry some time but havent had any problems and the truck is all stock been thinking doing some upgrades