He may have a bunch of tools and stuff in the bed of the truck that we can not see. No matter what he has it looks bad to me. By the way, good picture.
Caddywhompus wrote: This is a question of curiosity more than anything;
How much tongue weight does it take to sag the back of a 2500 series Dodge that bad? Surely more than 1000 right?
What is the non-WD rating of a factory Dodge hitch?
I'm assuming he's way over the capacity of the hitch receiver, correct me if I'm wrong.
1) Yes he's likely over the hitch capacity, but that's just a number they print in a brochure that means nothing in the real world, most enlightened folks just exceed it... <-- Jab, Jab
2) It will take much more than 1000# to sag it down like that. I've had 2500# or so in mine with little to no sag, and my suspension is all stock. I'm guessing on the weight, but one load was 2 skid-steer buckets of 2" river rock (for landscaping), and another was 73 sq yds of sod that had been lightly rained on for about 2 hrs. I know my back thought it was heavy after I laid it all in the rain (OUCH!).
Here's a pic of a load of birch wood. We stacked it all neatly (including packing it under the tool box) until it got even with the bed sides, then threw the rest on when we realized it would all fit. I don'y know how much it weighs, but I'm sure it's 1000# or so. It didn't sag at all with that load of wood. My truck has an 8' bed.
Once again. What is the point of the thread, other than to point a finger at the "bad man" and revel in your own self righteousness?
Can't imagine the issue with that particular truck/trailer/load has any impact except for that particular place and moment. We can all feel good because we know better, and would never do such a bad thing. Or, maybe we now know that we shouldn't tow that particular trailer, with that tractor, with a Dodge truck. It is fun to pass judgment on the guy.
I would agree, it appears that he/she is pushing the envelope as it were. That, however, is history, and was of little use to the OP the moment the truck and trailer was out of range. It was useless, period, to anyone else not on that highway at that time.
Now then, having witnessed such a thing, and feeling a need to enlighten the motoring public, would it not have been just as useful to simply remind/inform us of the lesson? But then, without the "bad man" to serve as our bad example, how would we have a means to validate our own intellectual and moral superiority?
ib516 wrote: 1) Yes he's likely over the hitch capacity, but that's just a number they print in a brochure that means nothing in the real world, most enlightened folks just exceed it... <-- Jab, Jab
I realize the jab is well-earned, but I think you know me enough to jab in fun now and then.
For the rest, I do NOT exceed engineering ratings such as hitch ratings, axle ratings, tire ratings, or even GVWR generally.
GCWR (and therefore tow rating) are not engineering-driven ratings as much as I can tell. There is no basis of uniform measurement, no comparative data between like equipment, and no known controlled testing to validate them. Sometimes tow ratings change from year to year even though hardware stayed the same. In my opinion, tow ratings are driven and set by warranty and marketing departments. Warranty wants to limit their exposure, marketing wants to compete in the market place.
The SAE is currently working on fixing the above, but for now we are stuck with the phrase "There are lies, damn lies, and tow ratings". Circling this back around to the main topic, there is absolutely no way one can use the "tow rating" as a metric of a safe/unsafe setup without first validating the metric itself.
'04 Ford Freestar (Primary tow vehicle) '05 Subaru Forester (Backup tow vehicle) '65 Bethany popup (best popups ever made!) Looking for a tow vehicle Minivan towing
DraginRat wrote: ...would it not have been just as useful to simply remind/inform us of the lesson...
The picture was a visual aid to make a point. Nothing more.
I have dozens of pictures of other rigs I've snapped over the years, most of them examples of great setups and well-thought-out towing combos. Few of them adhere to OEM tow rating.
Exactly, and exactly why I post here and other forums...there are too
many out there who don't know 'enough' (as we all don't know it all)
about the metrics and the relationships of components/systems/etc.
This person didn't ask on this type of forum (assumption) and anyone
that does here, I'll not say okay, but give them advice HOW2 figure it
out themselves. All to often, find that they only came here looking
for confirmation of their setup...making no matter whether proper
or bad. All they want to hear is 'you can', 'you are good for it', etc
Anything 'can' tow just about anything. Anything 'can' be over loaded.
Have seen all too many similar setups going way too fast, even too
fast if they had it setup properly.
Then the other posts bragging how fast they can, how much then can,
how silly folks are who tow below or just at their ratings, etc. Too
many newbies will actually think that is the 'right' way to go with
their setups....not knowing they are going into or even past their
safety margins (risk management decision....aka...gambling).
I've towed a +14,000 lb trailer with my 'half ton' Silverado loaded up
to guessing over 8,000 lbs (it is a 6,200lb GVWR truck). Off road in
a wind park with dirt roads that concrete trucks needed 6x6 army trucks
to tow them up there and towed that trailer with that truck on the
highway from Bakersfield to SF Bayarea. Should I tell folks that is
okay? or that I made a mistake and learned from it? Get this, bumper
pull at that....no WD hitch, just an after market bumper.
To me, amazing so many don't maim/kill themselves or others.
Thanks for a good post and agree, lay off someone trying to help us all
-Ben Picture of my rig
1996 GMC SLT Suburban 3/4 ton K3500/7.4L/4:1/+150Kmiles orig owner...
1980 Chevy Silverado C10/long bed/"BUILT" 5.7L/3:73/1 ton helper springs/+329Kmiles, bought it from dad...
1998 Mazda B2500 (1/2 ton) pickup, 2nd owner...
Praise Dyno Brake equiped and all have "nose bleed" braking!
Previous trucks/offroaders: 40's Jeep restored in mid 60's / 69 DuneBuggy (approx +1K lb: VW pan/200hpCorvair: eng, cam, dual carb'w velocity stacks'n 18" runners, 4spd transaxle) made myself from ground up / 1970 Toyota FJ40 / 1973 K5 Blazer (2dr Tahoe, 1 ton axles front/rear, +255K miles when sold it)...
Sold the boat (looking for another): Trophy with twin 150's...
51 cylinders in household, what's yours?...
lots og guessing going on here. My 50 hp tractor with front loader weighs around 7000 lbs with both rear tires loaded with Rimguard and 8200 with the 7" mower. The tractors rear tires carry about 70 percent of the tractors weight even with a FEL. I can make the back of my 2wd 2500 Cummins and the front of my implement trailer squat just like the picture shows if I don't get loaded properly. Squatting is not a indication of over loading with a bumper set up. Two problems jump up big time with my tractor loaded like the picture. One is severe chunking and the other is the trucks front tires are unloaded which is a big issue on wet pavement when braking or steering/moving around in the mud on construction sites/pasture/etc. That's the reason I drive the tractor on when loading instead of backing on. The interstate near me speed limit is 75 mph. Lots of commercial and non commercial haulers, self included, using 2500/3500 trucks just like in the picture run those speeds every day and have many years before the net.
He's got the right tool for the job but sure has it loaded different than my rig. Its alway amases me folks can tell a rig is overloaded at 75 mph. Making a call that this rig is unsafe from just that picture ?? Maybe wondering a bit but I have no probs with sharing the road with a rig in the picture. It may be safer than a RV newby that is only 80 percent of his tow vehicles weight rating.
Jim
'03 2500 Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs
'97 Park Avanue 28' with two slides
Offline
<-- Jab, Jab 
