GVWR and Curb Weight
 

I tried searching this, but apparently it's different for every configuration..

I have a 1990 F250 standard cab long bed, 7.3L 5 speed 2wd 3.55 rear end. The door sticker lists the GVWR as 8,900lb. Online the best I can find for "curb weight" is ~4,300lb

My dad has a 2003 F250 SuperDuty extended cab, short bed 4x4, 7.3, automatic 3.73 rear end. His door sticker shows 8,800lb GVWR and online shows curb weight is ~6100lb.

First of all I was really surprised that his truck showed a lower GVWR. I thought the "Super Duty" series of trucks were supposed to be improved over the older models for capacity. While they are obviously very different trucks (different cab, different bed, 4x4 and 4x2), How is it that a 13 year newer truck with an extra 175lb ft of torque has a lower GVWR?

Also, How could his truck weigh almost 2,000lb more than mine? I can imagine the extended cab and 4x4 add a bit of weight, and the bigger body could add some, but an extra 2klb?

If any of that is correct, since GVWR is truck weight+cargo weight, that would indicate aside from the 100lb difference in GVWR that I could haul about 2,000lb more than his truck. Something doesn't seem right to me....

In any event, I've still got the door sticker to prove bragging rights... but then again I'm not sure my truck could move under its own power when loaded to 9klb.

You would be surprised how much more weight a longer frame cab and 4x4 adds my sclb f150 4x4 is almost a ton heavier than dads rclb f150 2wd and that's weird with gvwr difference

You wanna hear somethin weirdkl

My truck has a gvwr of 6250 and ky truck weighs 5600 dry

That's interesting. Wouldn't have thought it would be that much.

Where would I look up the GCVWR? On big trucks it's on the same door sticker, but I don't see it on the Ford.

My '90 F150 regular cab, long bed, 4x2, 302/AOD weighed in at about 4350 lbs. No way would an F250 of the same year with a 7.3L diesel and a heavier tranny weigh the same. You're probably closer to a 5k curb weight with that.

Newer trucks seem to have heavier frames, and the extended cab does add quite a bit, too (quite a bit of extra sheet metal, some extra glass, extra seats, etc.) 4x4 also adds several hundred pounds between the transfer case and the front differential.

Also, "more torque" doesn't have much to do with how much weight can sit on the 4 tires--the GVWR. However with that extra torque, you can PULL quite a bit more weight with better performance, so the GCWR goes up substantially.

Jason

To me it don't matter how much power you have when there's no brakes to stop it

That curb weight is nowhere close to correct. Your truck probably weighs closer to 5500. That diesel motor is very heavy.

Is there a way to look up the GCVWR? It's not on the door sticker.

your truck probably weighs in the neighborhood of 6500 lbs full of fuel,give or take a few hundred.
these are HD trucks,and the diesel alone weighs over 1200 lbs full of lube.;)

as for 9k lbs and not sure if she'll move.
when properly tuned up,not only will she move FAR more than that,but give ya a little smile while doing so.;)
IDI diesel owners will tell ya that 9k lbs is just running light,if not empty to some trucks.:)



be sure to check out the 7.3l idi engine specific section sometime too.:-X22
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum117/

Yeah there's no way its 4300# curb weight. My 96' ext cab short bed 5.8 w/ E4OD and 4x4 was 5240# with maybe a 1/4 tank of fuel and nothing in it (not even me) on a recycling center scale. I'd imagine you're truck is at least 5500#. And yeah, I bet it'll move 9k easy, my gasser will move that without too much struggle (with a trailer though).

What is the realistic weight of a 2003 Ext Cab, short bed 4x4 7.3 auto? I guess it's just because it's old, the specs are incomplete but basically anywhere I find it online lists 4300. I thought that seemed too good to be true as my Cadillac is right around 4k, and my (incomprehensibly light) Jeep Cherokee is right around 3k.

Thanks for the GCVWRs. What is considered the advantage of a 5th wheel hitch, since I see there is no benefit to GCVWR. Interesting also to me that the manual is rated lower. What's the logic behind that?

Doesn't anyone have acces to a coop scale

5500-5800lbs is my guesstimate, my '90 F150 ext cab 4x4 weighs 5000lbs on the dump scales so a newer SuperDuty diesel is definitely a fair bit north of that.

P.S. Your '90 f250 diesel is gotta be close on 5k too.

Let me google that for you

the logic behind an auto being able to out pull a manual is simple.
no clutch to slip,and you have a torque convertor.it acts as another gear reduction device like the gears in the axle kind of.
HowStuffWorks "Basic Torque Converters"

So gooseneck is more about better trailer control than really hauling a heavier load. That actually makes some sense. Most of my trailer pulling has been of the 18 wheel variety, only pulled a couple of u-hauls with my own vehicles. And I actually think it's somewhat easier to maneuver some of the bigger trailers.

It's interesting to me that for quite a bit of time manual transmission trucks had higher rated torque than automatic trucks. I never paid enough attention to see if they had correspondingly higher GCVWR. Also, though automatics are making progress the "big truck" market is still mostly saturated with manual transmissions, or the new "AMT".

I remember when my dad was looking at 7.3L "super dutys" it was hard to find an auto truck that didn't have a "new" transmission.