numbers dont add up....

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Mar 11, 2004 | 08:21 AM

ibf250

Thread Starter

Senior User

Joined: Oct 2003

Posts: 278

Likes: 0

numbers dont add up....

im looking at tow capacity numbers for my truck, and they arent adding up right. the gcwr for my truck is 15K. the truck weighs 5800#. 15K-5800=9200. then subtract some for gas and passengers, etc. my owners manual says i can tow 10K with conventional towing and 8900 with a gooseneck, but the FAQ section in the superduty forum lists both numbers as 8900. we are getting ready to move and dont want to have to make several trips, and that extra 1100 pounds would let us haul a lot more stuff in one trip.

Mar 11, 2004 | 10:27 AM

NoMo

Postmaster

Joined: Nov 2001

Posts: 4,742

Likes: 8

From: OK

You're on the right track by weighing your loaded truck and deducting that value from the GCWR to see how much weight you can tow.

The manual probably has a disclaimer about the 10,000 lb rating being for a regular cab 4x2 with a 150 lb driver.

Mar 12, 2004 | 11:43 PM

FordRancher

Senior User

Joined: Sep 2001

Posts: 353

Likes: 0

From: South Dakota

I don't remember where my book is, but I was pretty sure the GCWR for all Super Duties was 20,000 pounds except for the 450/550. I know my F250 with the V10 and 4.30 rear is rated for over 13,000 gooseneck and 10,000 reciever hitch. Not saying your wrong but you might look through the numbers again. It's late but I'll try to do some more searching for you.

Mar 14, 2004 | 08:32 AM

ibf250

Thread Starter

Senior User

Joined: Oct 2003

Posts: 278

Likes: 0

the v-10 with 4.30 and all diesels have a 20K gcwr, but the v-10 with 3.73 is 16,500, the 5.4 with 4.10 is 15K and the 5.4 with 3.73 is 13,500.

Mar 17, 2004 | 08:22 PM

redneckmechnic

Senior User

Joined: Oct 2003

Posts: 409

Likes: 0

From: New York

how do ya figure this I have a 1985 ford F250 stamped on the door gvw is 8700 truck weighs somthen like 6,000 empty so how do i no how much i can tow legally

Mar 17, 2004 | 09:54 PM

johnsdiesel

Post Fiend

Joined: Aug 2002

Posts: 5,324

Likes: 1

From: Denton,TX

Ford assigns a blanket GVWR and GCWR to certain groups of vehicles. A regular cab F250 and crew cab F250 have the same GCWR and GVWR, but obviouly the regular cab weighs a lot less and will be able to handle a higher payload and tow more. Stick with your calculation, not the blanket number in the owners manual.

Mar 18, 2004 | 08:32 AM

ibf250

Thread Starter

Senior User

Joined: Oct 2003

Posts: 278

Likes: 0

**how do ya figure this I have a 1985 ford F250 stamped on the door gvw is 8700 truck weighs somthen like 6,000 empty so how do i no how much i can tow legally

youre gvwr is 8700 and your truck weighs 6000. that means you are able to put another 2700 pounds in your truck. that includes passengers, gas, cargo, weight from trailer tongue, etc. but it doesnt determine how much you can tow. that is your gcwr, which is the amount that your truck and loaded trailer is allowed to weigh together. to find out how much you can tow, find out your gcwr and subtract the weight of your fully loaded truck and that is how much your max trailer weight can be.

to compare the two in towing, a receiver hitch puts about 10-15% of the trailer weight on your tongue and a gooseneck can put up to 25-30% of the trailer weight on your bed. if you are pulling 10K with a receiver hitch then you are adding 1500 pounds to your gvw(6000+1500=7500) but if you pull that same weight with a gooseneck you could add 3000 pounds (6000+3000=9000) which would put you over your gvwr.