Posted 2016-05-01 6:01 PM (#166961) Subject: Help Me Understand These Trailer Weight Number Please
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
Currently have an 06 F-350 Dually that Shows the following:GVWR - 13,000Front - 5,600Rear - 9,000Current Trailer is a 3 horse with a 8ft sw and a midtack which I pull fully loaded with no issues GAWR - 6084GVWR - 14,000Looking at a trailer with the following:Weight - 11,445GVWR - 19,160Have a friend who has a pickup with numbers within 20 pounds of my pickup who pulls the following trailer with no problems:GVWR - 10886GAWR - 3629 per axle (3 axles)Can I legally pull the trailer I'm looking at?
Posted 2016-05-01 7:03 PM (#166963 - in reply to #166961) Subject: RE: Help Me Understand These Trailer Weight Number Please
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 448 Location: Los Angeles, Ca.
Check this site for fifth wheel towing capacities....depends on drive train, etc.:https://www.fleet.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/towingguides/2006RVguideApr08.pdf. Quick look says you might be a little over
Posted 2016-05-01 8:52 PM (#166965 - in reply to #166964) Subject: RE: Help Me Understand These Trailer Weight Number Please
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Posts: 489
Thanks Paul. I've pulled on many farm scales in my day but never a truck stop scale. Is it idiot proof? Do I need to pull on a certain way to get the pin weight?
Posted 2016-05-01 10:05 PM (#166969 - in reply to #166961) Subject: RE: Help Me Understand These Trailer Weight Number Please
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 448 Location: Los Angeles, Ca.
For about ten bucks you get four numbers:1.total weight 2.steer axle weight 3. drive axle weight 4. trailer axle weight You can calc your pin weight if you know your vehicle weight ( add passengers, cargo etc to unladen weight in your owners manual) Same for trailer weight.
Posted 2016-05-02 6:28 AM (#166970 - in reply to #166961) Subject: RE: Help Me Understand These Trailer Weight Number Please
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
While I would love to agree with the, weight your trailer advise the sad part is that law enforcement will be looking at your GCVWR and GVWR only when they pull you over. Based on your truck manufacturer tow rating and the GVWR of the trailer it looks like you are over. You need to ask your local state troopers or highway patrol AND your insurance agent about your rig. Lastly, just because one LE officer thinks you are legal does not mean the one that pulls you over will! If you push right up to any of the limits there is a real possibility that you could be in for some massive fines.
Posted 2016-05-02 6:30 PM (#166972 - in reply to #166970) Subject: RE: Help Me Understand These Trailer Weight Number Please
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
Originally written by huntseat on 2016-05-02 9:28 AM
While I would love to agree with the, weight your trailer advise the sad part is that law enforcement will be looking at your GCVWR and GVWR only when they pull you over. Based on your truck manufacturer tow rating and the GVWR of the trailer it looks like you are over. You need to ask your local state troopers or highway patrol AND your insurance agent about your rig. Lastly, just because one LE officer thinks you are legal does not mean the one that pulls you over will! If you push right up to any of the limits there is a real possibility that you could be in for some massive fines.
Weighing your rig is the first step...there are many out there operating overweight equipment that do NOT know it until the DOT enforcement unit get out their portable scales and then the fines start...
Posted 2016-05-02 7:54 PM (#166973 - in reply to #166961) Subject: RE: Help Me Understand These Trailer Weight Number Please
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
Agreed 100% w/ Paul. What I was saying with my statement was that even if you squeeze under the weight rating for the truck if the trailer says it could exceed the rating then you'll get busted.
Posted 2016-05-03 8:34 AM (#166978 - in reply to #166973) Subject: RE: Help Me Understand These Trailer Weight Number Please
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Posts: 720
Originally written by huntseat on 2016-05-02 7:54 PM
Agreed 100% w/ Paul. What I was saying with my statement was that even if you squeeze under the weight rating for the truck if the trailer says it could exceed the rating then you'll get busted.
I respectfully disagree. Most trailers have ratings much higher than they'll ever be in order to protect you from being flagged as overloaded. AZ had a reputation at one time of weighing trailers to check that, and one mfg in particular that rated low (trying to keep under the 26K CDL number) had issues being flagged as overloaded.
So having higher ratings may put you in the CDL range (see other threads), but it will not get you in trouble for being over the ratings of your truck if it actually does not weigh that much at the moment the officer weighs it. Little road tractors pull empty large trailers often, as an example.
Posted 2016-05-03 10:26 PM (#166983 - in reply to #166978) Subject: RE: Help Me Understand These Trailer Weight Number Please
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
Originally written by horsey1 on 2016-05-03 8:34 AM
Originally written by huntseat on 2016-05-02 7:54 PM
Agreed 100% w/ Paul. What I was saying with my statement was that even if you squeeze under the weight rating for the truck if the trailer says it could exceed the rating then you'll get busted.
I respectfully disagree. Most trailers have ratings much higher than they'll ever be in order to protect you from being flagged as overloaded. AZ had a reputation at one time of weighing trailers to check that, and one mfg in particular that rated low (trying to keep under the 26K CDL number) had issues being flagged as overloaded.
So having higher ratings may put you in the CDL range (see other threads), but it will not get you in trouble for being over the ratings of your truck if it actually does not weigh that much at the moment the officer weighs it. Little road tractors pull empty large trailers often, as an example.
Could you be so kind as to providing some citations of these manufacturers setting GVWR so high so as to not show an overload...
Help Me Understand These Trailer Weight Number Please
