Well I did a search and that is how I came to this thread. I also read that what I'm looking for can be found in the SPECs section, but I could not find it. I am about to buy a 2005 F250SD 4X4 Supercab short bed with the 6.0 Diesel. The dealer is saying that it requires a Illinois D plate. A D plate is for vehicles weighting over 8,000 lbs. I think they are wrong, but before I contact the Secretary of State's licensing department I figured I would ask here. What is the Gross Vehicle Curb Weight of this vehicle? Even with passengers and fuel I don't think it should weigh that much.

 

Moved to correct forum

 

There is no such term as Gross Vehicle Curb Weight. There is Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and that is 8800 pounds for an F250. That is probably what the plates are based on. GVWR is the maximum the loaded truck is allowed to weigh without overloading.

The truck itself will weigh about 7000 pounds, plus or minus a couple hundred.

 

Like Casey said, you're looking at around 7000lbs curb weight, which is the actual wight of the truck. If it helps, I weighed my 03 V10 Superduty V10 ext cab, short bed and it came in as 6900lbs one time and 6800lbs the other.

Since the diesel wieghs about 500lbs than the V10 engine yours is probably around 7300lbs with a 1/2 tank of fuel.

Also agree with Casey: Your state is not licensing based on actual curb weight, but the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). The GVWR for 99 to 2004 F250s like yours was 8800lbs. According to the new Ford data, the 2005 GVWR for your truck is different.

Ford now lists GVWR for 4x4 F250s at 9000 to 10000lbs depending on the transmission and gears I guess. In any case, it's now over 9000lbs for the 2005 models so I'd say your dealer is right any you'll need the "D" plates.

 

Thanks for the replies.
This is what the Illinois Secretary of State website has to say about a D Class plate:
"Flat Weight Trucks (over 8000 pounds)
Commercial & Farm Truck
A truck is defined as "Every motor vehicle designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property "(625 ILCS 5/1-211).

A truck tractor is defined as "Every motor vehicle designed and used primarily for drawing other vehicles and not so constructed as to carry a load other than a part of the weight of the vehicle and load so drawn" (625 ILCS 5/1-212).

Every truck tractor is issued one plate, which is displayed on the front of the vehicle. Trucks and truck tractors in weight classifications exceeding 8,000 pounds are issued plates with a one-letter suffix designating the vehicle’s specific weight classification. "T" denotes truck tractor plate."

I have several friends who have 3/4 ton trucks that do not have "D" plates. None of them have diesels. I did not believe the diesel would add that much. I am not buying a truck that pulls a tractor, but a pick up truck. I'm not sure if I am just reading this wrong or if the dealer is just using the wrong classification. I do know that it cost about $100 more a year to issue these plates. My biggest concern is that I have amateur "ham" radio plates now and would like to keep them, but their are restrictions for those, and they are:

"Amateur Radio-Ham Radio license plates are available for amateur radio operators. The license plate number assigned is the call number assigned by the Federal Communications Commission. For law enforcement purposes, the number zero (0) is the designate. Amateur Radio license plates are multi-year and may be displayed on passenger vehicles, trucks and vans weighing 8,000 pounds or less, Sport Utility Vehicles and Motorcycles (passenger sized plate only)."

This will not be a deciding factor in my buying the truck, but I try to research everything before I buy a vehicle. This would be added cost, as would insurance and cost of gas.

 

Most people I know only run B plates. The people with Ds up around here use their trucks for contruction or landscaping.....only a few personal trucks up here with D plates.

I have a '01 CC SWB 7.3PSD with a 8.5" lift and 38" tires, with me in the truck, a half tank of fuel, no stock spare tire, and a pretty empty toolbox mine weighed in at 8060lbs. Of course, my lift and tires add a little bit of weight....but it would still be easy for a stock truck full of fuel and passengers to go over 8000lbs, especially if their was some weight in the bed or if it was hooked up to a trailer. I do run B plates however.

The other thing to remember with D plates is that you'll need to get the truck safety inspected every 6 months.....if you don't have a current safety inspection sticker you can be ticketed and fined. Inspection cost varies by station....I pay $17 per truck or trailer that I take through the inspection station.

If there is a place close by that has a scale you could always see if you could take the truck to the scale to get an accurate weight.

 

That's what I thought. I have owned fullsixe trucks before and I have a lot of friends who own them too. I am not buying a business truck but a personal vehicle. I have always had B truck plates when I own a truck. I think this dealer is wrong. It did come up though. He told me I needed D plates. Like I said, I will contact the SOS and verify with them. I told the dealer I just wanted to transfer my plates and he said he didn't care but the manager probably would stop him.

 

It sounds like the class 'D' is for commercial and/or farm equipment trucks; not personal use/light duty applications. I've seen some similar threads for vehicles in other states and it seems like the issue comes down to if the truck is being used for commercial or other special purposes. Threads for other states I saw seem to show the states trigger their special registration requirements around the DOT's 10,001+ GVWR specification and a commercial/special purposes usage.

Since the dealer registers the vehicles all the time, they really should know the state law, unless it's a new law that they are missunderstanding. Have you tried calling any other dealers to see how they handle registrations?

 

Here in PA you cannot register a truck for less than its "unladen weight", which is specified by the manufacturer. You don't have to spring for the full GVW registration, but you must at least license it for the amount it will weigh when driven off the lot. This would include upfitter items like caps, plows, etc.

I would assume other states have similar requirements?

 

Denz Truck, If you put on D plates in Illinois you can save the tax dollars on the purchase price. Did your dealer tell you this? I put D plates on my 05 SD and save $1789.00 worth of taxes. Safety testing a truck with D plates in Illinois is $17.50 twice a year. This $1789.00 can go towards Mods.

 

Yes, I was told about the savings of the tax. They also told me that it was ending this year due to the loss in revenue. I will probably be making my purchase close to early June - mid July. This savings will no longer be an issue, Thanks Rod! It cost more to plate a D plate and like I said the main issue is the loss of my amateur radio plate. Although I do know a guy from another board that can make a domed decal with my call sign. I could have that made and put it on the tail gate where they use to put the large "FORD" decal.

 

What does this inspection include and how many places are there to get this done. Is it at the same locations as the emmissions test?

 

Here in central Illinois only a few places safety test trucks. Any place that test school buses, ambulances, large trucks can do it. We don't have emmissions test but they check for light, turn signals, wipers, horn, and brakes. No big deal because the truck is new. Shouldn't have to worry for six or eight years because everything works. Fifteen years ago the state tested every truck including 1/2 tons. Save your money if you can. I know how you feel about your plate number. I had the same number since 1972 and didn't want to loose it. I also had the same number on an F350 so I transfer it to my new 05 and put any number the state sent me on the F350, so I still have the same number as always. Take care

 

Right, they check your low beam, high beams, signals, brake lights, reverse lights, horn, wipers, play in the steering components, tire wear, and you have to carry a set of safety triangles.

I had forgot all about the sales tax exemption.....that sure was nice when we bought our '04 F-450 last summer.

 

Well, I will contact the SOS because I can't see the state requiring a D plate on a personal owned and personal use truck. I can't drop $40000 - $45000 right now anyways.It will have to wait until almost July. I original was looking at the F150, but due to the amount of miles I drive (just over 20,500 to work only) a year, I figured I need to get a diesel. It's easier to sell a diesel with 400,000 or 500,000 miles on it than a gas with that kind of milage. As I started looking at the diesels I was really surprised that FORD was the only one to offer a cast iron block with the cast iron heads. I'm still in the gathering info stage. I have never owned a diesel, are there any other major concerns I should know about. I know that maintenance is different. I also am pretty sure that my auto start alarm cannot be put on due to the fact you have to wait for the glow plugs to warm up.