towing = I need help
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From: northern Maine
towing = I need help
I am wondering that when towing my travel trailer 35 feet 10,000 lbs.= total weight with truck about 21k lbs. when i am on freeway and at 55 0r 60 mph the tach is about 2200 2300 rpm in 4 gear, if i shift to 5 gear it drops to around 17 18 hundred rpm. will it hurt my engine at 17 or 18 hundred rpm or should i stay in 4 gear. also have BD4 pos switch. leave it in 2 position when towing, temp is ok, unless big hill then i downshift. realy don't want to go 70 mph with camper. 1st year with camper that big, kind of scared. I had a slide in camper before, 70 75 80 mph no problem then in 5 gear.
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From: IOWA
Just hope you don't get pulled over, your GCWR is 20,000lbs. It won't hurt your engine at all to run 17-1800rpm. As long as you aren't lugging it excessively, it'll be fine. It'll also help with fuel mileage.
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From: northern Maine
so what is my max weight, In Maine pickup truck have comercial plates. truck is registered for 12k lbs truck is 10,000 all loaded with stuff, trailer weighs 11,k lbs loaded. =21,k total so am i leagel or not, some 5th wheels are 14,000 lbs empty . they get puled by f350 so are you saying they are all overweight? somone out their must have the answer.
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From: IOWA
According to the PSD owner's guide supplement, the GCWR for an F-250 and F-350 is 20,000lbs. For a F-450 and F-550 it is 26,000lbs.
I actually wouldn't worry too much about being 1,000 lbs overweight, unless you know that you stand a good chance of getting pulled over and weighed. The commercial vehicle enforcement officers couldn't care less about what a pickup truck and trailer weigh, they are more concerned about the 18 wheelers. If you feel your truck can handle the trailer fine, and I'm sure it can, I would keep on keeping on.
I actually wouldn't worry too much about being 1,000 lbs overweight, unless you know that you stand a good chance of getting pulled over and weighed. The commercial vehicle enforcement officers couldn't care less about what a pickup truck and trailer weigh, they are more concerned about the 18 wheelers. If you feel your truck can handle the trailer fine, and I'm sure it can, I would keep on keeping on.
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From: Amarillo, TEXAS!
Originally Posted by Craze
Doesn't Federal law say 20K per axel? And GCWR is determined by the manufacturer, right?
With a non-CDL license, your state determines the weight limits/vehicle restrictions for your license class. Florida is a perfect example of this. People with a class D license were being ticketed while driving SD's and Excursions because the vehicle was wider than their license class allowed. Granted, this practice was halted when the State's Attorney General's office determined the enforcement was outside the intent of the law. Irrespective of your license, you cannot legally exceed the manufacturer's weight ratings of the vehicle.
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