zx12-iowa

You really think a couple hundred pounds is material?

jeffinthebag

Yes, it sure did with the Ford Explorers Firestone tire problem! Few extra hundred and there was tire failure causing roll overs.

zx12-iowa

Uh not....

acadianbob

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acadianbob

This is why people die on our roads. Best of luck to you. But more importantly, to those around you.

zx12-iowa

It's done all the time in the country. Like I said, this site is most city folk who don't actually work a truck but generally plug in a tuner and pretend they have a fast vehicle pulling into their three car attached garage. More worried about how wheels and tires look rather than function.

If you get nervous, that's fine. I do appreciate that. You shouldn't drive if you aren't comfortable, but the truck can handle it fine, it does fine, and the op will be fine.

smurfs_of_war

I appreciate what you are saying, and this isn't a dig at you, but that kind of blanket statement is NOT factual. Compare the incidents where someone was killed because of an overloaded RVr compared to, say, wildlife. Moose for example. This info is readily available. I have a wife that has been in the insurance industry for a lot of years. I can get her to look it up if y'all like. Accidents are caused by either driver error or people just plain being a**holes. People are careless or a**holes in unloaded vehicles too- and given the ratio of unloaded vehicles on the transcanada compared to those towing trailers- the law of averages favors the trailer pullers. It's unfortunate that often innocent motorists are caught in it, but that's why it's called an accident. Having extra weight on board puts you in the same risk category as someone eating a sandwich while driving.

I am from an area where there are likely more overloaded trucks on the road than not. Where I grew up, you knew you were overloaded when you hit the bumpstops since the payload plackard was usually worn off or was never there. Never crossed our minds with trailers. If it had the power to pull it- it pulled it. Guess what? The moon didn't fall out of orbit. The axles didn't spontaneously self destruct, and a localized vortex didn't immediately rip through and leave nothing but charred, twisted heaps of trailers and trucks in the ditch.

This is the one reason I will never post on RV.net for example. The weight gestapo would have anyone who ISN'T towing with a 3500 DRW believe that if they hauled anything larger than a lawnmower a puppy would instantly die. It's bench racing at its finest.

So, instead of ragging on these guys and basically calling them out as stupid, why not try to help them with what they have? I have towed tons, but I am still considered a beginner with travel trailers for example, and once I learned to filter out all the BS like this and just be smart about things, I found my enjoyment tripled. Don't google the fun out of everything.

I read it best on forestriverforums. What is the sense in worrying about a few hundred pounds on a 15k lbs rig?

Sorry gents. Rant over. Carry on

Evice

Thanks for the good read. And that's exactly where I am coming from.

1 - I am well below Payload and Tow Rating and Hitch Max ratings with WD.
2 - I tow...say 7 times a year with 2 of that 7 is only 40miles.
3 - Yes, as a road racer myself, I always look FAAAAAr down the road to allow myself safety room on braking.
4 - I towed almost the same amount of equipment with open trailer, with no trailer brakes (!) and this was with a 6K tow rated farm truck (f150 with smallest v8) for almost 2 years. Neither died (!), nor had issues stopping. (I was a newbie tower, and I didn't realize my open trailer's electric brakes had electrical issue and wasn't working)

Now being a little bit more experienced, I am still gonna hit the CAT scales, still going to adjust my weight properly and do the due diligence. But man. All my racer friends was the same gestapo attitude F250/F350 Dually or BUST...

Truck owner

Its because it is better to have the beef and not need it then wish you did. The larger trucks may be overkill for some, but I would rather have the truck be heavier than the load I am hauling, the tow feel is night/day between the 3/4 ton and 1/2 ton trucks. Now if your upgrading suspension/using brake controller on F150 then you can tow with confidence.

Evice

For 71000lbs a 3/4 ton truck....C'mon.. It is almost HALF of the rated capacities of F150.