keeping weight ratings honest ??

[grayfox]

FYI,,,,

GM Won't Delete Parts To Increase Payload | GM Authority

[Cajun Po-Boy]

Ridiculous what all these manufacturers go through to boost up a few lbs in tow capacity...Maybe they should adopt a testing procedure that takes the truck to the breaking point, show proof to the consumers and then base those breakpoint numbers minus 10% as the trucks limitations...I dunno, but actually may be less complicated for us to understand! LOL


Sent via Cajun Po-Boy's Tech Gear

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by Cajun Po-Boy

Ridiculous what all these manufacturers go through to boost up a few lbs in tow capacity...Maybe they should adopt a testing procedure that takes the truck to the breaking point, show proof to the consumers and then base those breakpoint numbers minus 10% as the trucks limitations...I dunno, but actually may be less complicated for us to understand! LOL Sent via Cajun Po-Boy's Tech Gear

I'd hate to think a truck is fine right up to the advertised payload but 10%
more one time and you're doomed!

The article linked in post 1 ends by saying-
"GM is currently recalculating the maximum payloads for its trucks using the normal formula. The move towards the SAE standard for measuring towing ratings not only benefits the consumer, but it also is a way to keep the field more honest."
Sounds good to me.

Personally I like the old guy standard for RVs which says "You'll be happy
with 50% of your Max towing and OK at 75% but stay below 75% for
the long haul.

My truck is rated 8800 or something like that.
My trailer weighs about 4400 fully loaded on the way to the campground.
I occasionally haul a 450 LB motorcycle and of course me and
DW are in there somewhere.
Let's say I'm at 5000 or a smidge over.
Pulling the mountains I'm in 3 and occasionally 2nd gear. Most eastern
interstate I can stay in 3rd but not all.
That's all I want.
Driving in the hills at 45 in 2nd gear is not something I want to do very often so I'll stick with the 50-75% personal rule!

A real life max cargo rating is a good thing and after all the crap GM has
been recalling lately- I hope they are being honest with these new cargo
numbers.

[camper1999]

I find that article interesting. All manufactures, rv and trucks, play this game. They make it so complicated. For rv's they post a base weight that does not usually include options that are mandatory or items they could easily estimated that every rv is going to need, battery, propane....... If the truck manufactures are now excluding mandatory items such as bumpers and ???? to increase gross payload that is crazy.

[Cajun Po-Boy]

Originally Posted by KyDan

I'd hate to think a truck is fine right up to the advertised payload but 10%
more one time and you're doomed!

The article linked in post 1 ends by saying-
"GM is currently recalculating the maximum payloads for its trucks using the normal formula. The move towards the SAE standard for measuring towing ratings not only benefits the consumer, but it also is a way to keep the field more honest."
Sounds good to me.

Personally I like the old guy standard for RVs which says "You'll be happy
with 50% of your Max towing and OK at 75% but stay below 75% for
the long haul.

My truck is rated 8800 or something like that.
My trailer weighs about 4400 fully loaded on the way to the campground.
I occasionally haul a 450 LB motorcycle and of course me and
DW are in there somewhere.
Let's say I'm at 5000 or a smidge over.
Pulling the mountains I'm in 3 and occasionally 2nd gear. Most eastern
interstate I can stay in 3rd but not all.
That's all I want.
Driving in the hills at 45 in 2nd gear is not something I want to do very often so I'll stick with the 50-75% personal rule!

A real life max cargo rating is a good thing and after all the crap GM has
been recalling lately- I hope they are being honest with these new cargo
numbers.

If most of us truck folks used the "old guy" method of truck tow ability...we'd all be driving mini vans! No Thank Ya


Sent via Cajun Po-Boy's Tech Gear

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by Cajun Po-Boy

If most of us truck folks used the "old guy" method of truck tow ability...we'd all be driving mini vans! No Thank Ya Sent via Cajun Po-Boy's Tech Gear

I'm giving my real world 10 years experience with my truck.
I know what it will pull and how hard it's working to get over the hills.
I know that MY truck doesn't want much more than I've got now.
That's my point.

The problem is you don't know how a new truck is gonna pull your
rig until you have it in the real world loaded on the road in the hills.
All we have are the numbers the makers give us and chat groups like
this one!
Any move to make the advertized numbers closer to reality is a good move.

[RhoZeta]

Originally Posted by Cajun Po-Boy

Ridiculous what all these manufacturers go through to boost up a few lbs in tow capacity...Maybe they should adopt a testing procedure that takes the truck to the breaking point, show proof to the consumers and then base those breakpoint numbers minus 10% as the trucks limitations...I dunno, but actually may be less complicated for us to understand! LOL


Sent via Cajun Po-Boy's Tech Gear

I do not think there is a reasonable "breaking point".
A quick anecdote for you, 3 years ago my buddy, who works for his fathers trucking company, had his Kenworth tractor break down as he was hauling heavy equipment. The tractor was set up to haul 5th wheel or gooseneck trailers. He had one 40' 3 axle gooseneck trailer with a front end loader on it left to move, he used his personal, factory stock 2004 F250 with the 6.0 diesel to move that load over 30 miles, on both highway and surface streets all without incident.
The trailer by itself is 5K Lbs and the loader was approx 18K Lbs.
He did move the loader aft on the trailer to lighten up the pin weight but even then I am sure it far outweighed whatever the payload is in that truck and damn sure it FAR outweighed whatever the GCW is for that truck. He still drives that truck daily and has had no detrimental effects from that experience.

So, if pulling 23K with an 04 F250 does not destroy it, surely a measly 12K on an even newer, higher payload truck will not be a problem, IMHO.

[KyDan]

I'm not real worried about breaking the truck most times.
I want to know that a truck I am considering will pull my rig over
the next big hill at a reasonable speed, in a reasonable gear and even
on the hottest day the temp gauge and oil pressure will stay right in
the sweet spot!

When you're shopping all you have are the numbers on the "specs" and
other RVers experiences to go by.
IF they write the specs with bumpers and spare tires removed so they
can tack on a couple hundred more pounds of cargo capacity they are
trying to win the bragging rights to "my truck is better than yours" but
not doing us folks any favors.
It's borderline dishonest and what we've come to expect from just about
all of them.

[RhoZeta]

I agree with you 100%! The big 3 have been in this escalating arms race for years and if you think about it is quite amazing when you consider how solidly trucks were built back in the 70s, 80s and even the 90's yet their tow ratings were very limiting. If you wanted to haul a 10K 5th back in the 80's you had to have a DRW F350 because nothing else would be rated near that. And even then it was a struggle.. LOL