OK, I was flipping through my latest issue of trailer boats magazine and i noticed many of their test vehicles have a gross combined weight rating in addition to the gross vehicle weight rating. My understanding is that the combined weight takes in account for trailers and the vehicle weight is the maximum weight you can load ON the axles am I correct? The owner's manual gives no indication of my GCWR...is only states that I have a GVWR of 6100 pounds and that this minus the actual vehicle weight gives me the towing capacity. A quick analysis shows that according to the manual, my truck is rated to tow less than 3000 pounds!?? That can't be right. I mean the Acura MDX they were testing in the magazine had a 4500 pound tow rating and that's not much more than an elevated mini-van not to mention is's a unibody rather than a full frame. I have done a signifigant ammount of towing of boats for work and pleasure with my truck...many trailers exceeding 3000 pounds without much trouble so there has to be something i am missing. Can someone set me straight? Thanks for reading all the way through!

Captain Tim Bland
1986 F150 SWB 4WD
300 I6 1bbl
3.08's
NP205
4speed

 

In today's world of disclaimers, you are probably correct in your interpretation of the size trailer you can pull. I'm also sure that you run "overloaded" when pulling a trailer, as am I, and probably most people. I do what I gotta do and don't worry about what the truck is "rated" at. Right now I've got an oddball F250. 300 with a Mazda 5 speed without extended hubs on the rear. Although it's a 3/4 ton I doubt very seriously if it could move 1500 lbs the way the trans is geared.
I had an F100 one time with a 390 and a 4 speed that according to the door tag had a GVW of 5000 lbs. Empty it weighed 5200 - Go Figure!

Trail Rider

 

Thanks for your response...I hear ya, the ratings on these trucks seem a little silly. I have always thought to take it easy, make sure you've got the propper braking on the trailer and that the vehicle is well maintained. That and a little common sence will give you many trouble free trailering years. A mechanic at work shares our views on these ratings. He had has an '87 1 ton Dodge (I know, what was he thinking!) with a cummins turbo diesel and a GVWR of 10500 pounds. OK, so it's a dodge, but it's still a one ton and despite this low rating we have towed excavators, 30' powerboats, a very large dump truck and numerous trips to the scrap yard with his tri axle beaver tail loaded to the max. Just my two cents

Captain Tim Bland
1986 F150 SWB 4WD
300 I6 1bbl
3.08's
NP 205
4speed

 

Tim,

I hear you on the 300 with the GCWR. I figured if I was lucky I could pull 3100 lb and be "legal" after my calculations. This almost stopped me from bying my new boat, fully loaded around 5500 lb. I also noticed that in the owners manual if you have the 300 with a 3.08 rear and manual tranny it is rated at 2000 lb for towing. I have an 89 with the 3.08 and a T-18 so about the same as you. My theory is that Ford lumped all manual trannies into one category for simplicity.

However, you and I both know that granny gear on the 4 speed trannies will get just about any load moving with little clutch slipping. I would not try pulling that much with the Mazada 5 speed with the tall first gear. I have debated about a new truck, but the only time I have trouble pulling my boat with the truck is at Interstate speeds going up hills, and Interstate on ramps trying to get up to speed. The wide ratio's between gears make acceleration a bit difficult. If my trailer did not have brakes I would not think about towing that much, but stopping is never a problem.

Joey

 

Silly question, your GVWR would only include the tongue weight, isn't that all of the trailer weight that is actually on the tow vehical?

 

Joey- I agree about the T-18 tranny...the granny is unstoppable. with my truck, if the launch ramp get a little slick below the high tide line, I simply lock in the hubs, drop her in 4 low and she'll idle a 5000 pound load up the ramp without hesitation. My highway performance has not been too bad, I am considering hedman headders and dual exhaust to keep her running cooler (not to mention the side effect of a few extra ponies!) Chuck P. - it is my understanding that, like you said, the GVWR is technically the weight ON the axles (like the tongue weight). For example the half ton trucks have a rating 1000 pounds higher than the vehicle's weight to accomidate the half ton load in the bed. It seems that the rating system has changed somewhat over the last ten years where the GVWR used to be the weight ON the axles, now it accomidates trailer weights. For example the late model super-duties have a towing capacity of over 7 tons which is based on the GVWR of somethng like 14500pounds, now perhaps i am wrong, but it is unlikely you will see anywhere near 7 tons in the bed of one of those trucks...yet another testament to the ever increasing confusion in the tow rating subject. If anyone has conflicting information or opinions i would like to hear it as my understanding certainly may not be the absolute truth on the matter.

Captain Tim Bland
1986 F150 SWB 4WD
300 I6 1bbl
3.08's
4speed

 

GVWR:Gross Vehicle Weight Rating,maximum amount of weight the truck can handle on the axles "by the book".Includes; Vehicle,Cargo,Passengers,Fuel,and Tongue Weight.My 1997 F-250HD w/Power Stroke and 5 speed has a GVWR of 8600 pounds.Remember,this includes the truck,a GVWR of 14,000 pounds DOES NOT mean you can safely put 14,000 pounds in the bed.

GCWR:Gross Combination Weight Rating,maximum weight of everything,vehicle,trailer,cargo,passengers,fuel,e tc.Maximum total weight truck will handle,"by the book".My F-250 has a GCWR of around 20,000 pounds.Again,truck is included,so you can not tow a trailer over around 13,000 pounds (with my truck) without exceeding this.


Do not worry about exceeding either figure,manufacturers put these on here because of liability and nothing else,they know their trucks will safely pull,carry and stop loads far exceeding their ratings.Technically,exceeding them voids your warantee,but how will they know?I've seen Dodge diesels pull in excess of 50,000 pounds with no problems.Fords will do this too,with some clutch work (they have to be revved higher to reach maximum torque).Good luck.