Steve83

Are you saying that you've heard of people driving faster than their vehicles are built to go, and their insurance companies paying for their deaths & damages? Or of insurance covering vehicles driven above the speed their tires are rated for? Or of an insurance company paying for a speeding ticket?

I don't follow your logic in bringing up speed in this discussion. The issue is intentionally exceeding a vehicle's design capabilities on public roads. The posted speed limit has nothing to do with what your vehicle was built for. Yes, some states have laws against overloading vehicles on their roads, and they enforce those laws.

WVMoose

iTrader: (2)

Think he was pointing out that one is intentionally overloading a vehicle which a company has deemed unsafe and one is intentionally exceeding a speed limit which is deemed by the govt as unsafe.

what difference does any of this make anyways? Insurance covers DUI’s, they coverninsafe driving, they cover all sorts of stuff.

yoj guys are arguing over hypotheticals, depends on the circumstances, the agent, the company, literally a thousand other factors.

go drink a beer, it’s Independence Day and we are discussing rules.

Sweetlou

Personally, I’d drive it. I’d rather have the load inside the truck than have to worry about my trailer for 2000 miles.

You could also shave a few Lb. maybe go food shopping when you arrive at your destination? Water / ice / etc.

Take a big dump before you leave.

Just saying. By looking at your truck it appears to hold the weight well. 6600lb has to be the lowest GVWR ford offers on the 150

Lou

kabin

Ok, I searched for an example of insurance issues when towing above GVWR and could not find one. I withdraw my comment. @mikeinatlanta thanks for pointing this out.

lutter5-0

Smh, you'll be fine. Pack it up as you intended. Keep weight balanced side to side the best ya can.



Technically you can place your payload capacity at the rear left corner of the bed, hauling lead, and it would be legal. I would never recommend it, destroy your springs in a heartbeat. But it would be by the book!

chimmike

you're not going to find any via google search because no insurance carrier deals in absolutes, especially when case law can vary wildly even from county to county let alone from state to state. Unless you're a lawyer with access to lexis nexis, it's information that those within the industry are going to know/have experience with.

Blackbuzzard

The scope of the accident will determine if you are charged with reckless operation of motor vehicle, as determined by accident investigator.

Meaning things like fatalities, shutting down roadway for extended period, etc.

In one case an accident caused a diesel tanker fire that took out a major interstate overhead bridge, resulting in massively delayed traffic detours for nearly 12 months during rebuild.

Otherwise your free to go.

blkZ28spt

"by the book", what book?

I'll bet a peek at the owner's manual would suggest against it.

Flamingtaco

Just because there are no specific stated laws does not mean one will not be held accountable failing to remain within a mfg's stated limits, or even failing to apply common sense. New laws relating to the use of personal vehicles under 10,001 Lbs are rare, and occur when there is a perceived major safety issue.

For there to be a perceived safety issue, there needs to be a significant record of incidents reported to the DOT/NHTSA. Reporting of incidents involving only personal vehicles is inconsistent as 1) reporting guidelines that exist are for commercial vehicles or incidents that cause delays of at least an hour, or deaths, 2) outside of those guidelines it's largely left at the discretion of the reporting officer, and 3) local police are very rarely trained in vehicle weight regulations, as it's considered the jurisdiction of State Police. The vast majority of police are local, and their training largely comes down to 'does it look unsafe?'.

Of the thousands of incidents that occur hauling/towing with personal vehicles each year, there are probably less than a few dozen that get reported as overcapacity being a factor, and that's not remotely enough to trigger a closer look into whether new regulations are in order.

There is one area where there are clear cut regulations. If your truck and trailer combined are heavier than 10,000Lb, you are subject to commercial regs and can be held accountable to them, including the requirement of proper licensing of the tow vehicle. Whether or not you get pulled over varies by state, but all you need to do to find out if this is a real thing is to join an RV forum. Mostly the 5th wheelers get pulled over for weight checks and inspections, but they pull over bumper pulls as well, and in some places they'll inspect you for having any trailer at all. No pin in the tongue lock, or missing a chain? You'll be leaving the trailer on the side of the highway while you search for a Walmart or Autozone, and you'll have a fine to pay.

Just because everyone is doing it, and it seems no one cares, does not mean a lawyer won't latch on to your mistakes in the courtroom. I can guarantee your weight will be checked if there was a death or serious injury. "Everyone does it" won't sway a jury to your side of the story. Speed will also be scrutinized. In some states, the "Trucks 55mph" signs apply to us. In those that don't, a case can be made that you should have still complied with that speed requirement, even when under 10,001lb.

Doesn't matter if the mfg's GVWR is only for vehicle longevity. A lawyer only need to convince a jury that exceeding the limit resulted in a change to the handling of the vehicle that resulted in loss of control, excess stopping distance, etc. If courtrooms were just about written laws, we wouldn't need trials.

Apples

As someone else posted, this is a public forum, so you're going to see (most) replies err on the side of safety.

That said, just be damn sure you have your tires' Cold Inflation Pressures set to support 7000 lbs or whatever it is you'll be carrying on them. It is summertime, remember, and tire failures not due to road hazards occur from excess heat buildup in the sidewall. Inflate those tires!



Just saw someone post a 6250# Payload Package for an STX, but we don't know the cab/wheelbase configuration because the person has only posted once and they did not include the rest of the pertinents.