Max Weight Ratings as Far As %

[rockwood06]

This may have been brought up before, but I would like to ask again. If you are rated at 10,500 lbs with all the equipment needed to do so at what persentage can you go with before you enter the RED ZONE? I am sure no one should tow at 100% capacity.

[MtnGuy]

Rockwood06, I think you would enter the red zone @ 10,500 lbs. The yellow zone would be 80-99% of max, getting redder and redder as the percentage increases. I have read several places to try and keep the weight under 80% of max. as a good safety margin. But there again, is 79% that much safer than 81% ?? I think everyone has to come up with there own comfort zone, but never over the max. towing capacity or their TV.

[Bama Rambler]

Originally Posted by rockwood06

If you are rated at 10,500 lbs with all the equipment needed to do so at what persentage can you go with before you enter the RED ZONE?

Technically, as Mtnguy said, you'd e at in the red at 10,501 lbs. Realistically you could go 10% over before you'd be pushing it.

Originally Posted by rockwood06

I am sure no one should tow at 100% capacity.

Sure they wouldn't! I saw a 2500 the other day towing a 40' triple axle toy Hauler. He was WAAAAAYYYY over the rating. he was probably at 150% of the rating.

[rockwood06]

Thanks for the info, I had remember something about 80% but I wasn't sure what it was.

[acadianbob]

There is also the SATISFACTION part of towing. IMO you shouldn't go much over 60% if you want to be satisfied; especially if you tow any significant distances. You can put up with poor performance for a few hundered miles. A few thousand miles and some mountains are another thing altogether. We are pulling 5,500 out of 9,200 on our F150 and I wouldn't really want to pull any more than that. But we take 3,000 mile trips and are often in the mountains.

[powerboatr]

i have to throw a flag on the play
i am rated at 15500 for the rv
i am always very near max axle rating of 12k lbs and total trailer weight 14-15k
and usually 2200-3000 lb pin wt
i am sure i nearer the 95% range
i think the idea of having a certain percentage left over, is optimistic
i completely agree towing around at max weight and the truck is laboring is not fun and sort of takes the fun out it, REALLY
but that's why i have a bigger truck , i tow with cruise on most of the time and just drive.
the key to me is to have the right set up
if you have a half ton truck then don't plan to pull a monster,

if i go up in size for the rv, then the next truck will be a OTR truck converted to pull rv,s
this is just my opinion

[rockwood06]

Originally Posted by powerboatr

i have to throw a flag on the play
i am rated at 15500 for the rv
i am always very near max axle rating of 12k lbs and total trailer weight 14-15k
and usually 2200-3000 lb pin wt
i am sure i nearer the 95% range
i think the idea of having a certain percentage left over, is optimistic
i completely agree towing around at max weight and the truck is laboring is not fun and sort of takes the fun out it, REALLY
but that's why i have a bigger truck , i tow with cruise on most of the time and just drive.
the key to me is to have the right set up
if you have a half ton truck then don't plan to pull a monster,

if i go up in size for the rv, then the next truck will be a OTR truck converted to pull rv,s
this is just my opinion

I agree with you, If you are going to tow a monster rig you need a monster truck, but in a lot of cases you see just the opposit on the road. It dosen't matter what size rig that is being pulled, it's the size of the tow vehicle. I just wanted to see what the percentages were as a rule of thumb because the auto manufacture gives a rating. There has been question on the forum about "what can I tow or can I tow with this" and I thought that would be an added tool for some to follow. As far as a 1/2 ton truck, the standard 1/2ton short bed extended cab has a max tow rating of 7,500 lbs and with a wheel base of 133.9", my 1/2 ton is the heavy duty 1/2 ton extended cab with a tow rating of 10,500 lbs and with a wheel base of 143.0", it is 1" short of an extended cab standard bed. The heavy 1/2 ton has it own frame design.