RVRMIKE
Ramona, CA USA
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Joined: 11/06/2003
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 Ah yes, now I get it.
Figures lie and liars figure??
Mike and Terry
Ellie Mae (Lab mix) and Cinders (Dalmatian)
93 Pace Arrow 33X
90 Wrangler
Lifetime Good Sam
Lifetime Escapees
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mecreature
Indianapolis, IN
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Joined: 09/27/2004
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I tell you what.. I would feel a lot better going down the road if some of these people were using the 80% idea.
And you guys see these set ups too.
So caddy.. If I go looking for a trailer this weekend.. Should I feel safe using the TV I have now. throw out GCVWR and use front and back axle ratings as my guide for a trailer weight. with everything else falling in line of course.
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donn0128
Pronounced Ore-gun
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Joined: 04/21/2005
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Feeling comfortable buying and feeling comfortable actually towing can and often times are two completely different things. No matter what you read on these forums YOU and only YOU will actually know when it is time to get a bigger truck because the trailer YOU bought is too much for the truck you have. I have been down this road more than once and personally I did not find it comfortable going over the trucks GVWR or the trucks GCWR. Others will have no problem with that, and in this country that is their right as long as it does not infringe on the rights of others. From my prospective when you go shopping use the trailers GVWR number and 20% of that for fifth wheel pin weight and don't forget to add 250 pounds for the hitch to the scaled weight of your truck. Now are you comfortable towing with that much on the truck? That is the only question that you have to ask yourself. And NO ONE can answer that for you except YOU.
Happy shopping!
Donn
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ib516
Up here!
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Joined: 04/18/2003
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GCWR is a rating set by the manufacturer where when below the rating, the vehicle in question passes all of their performance tests they do on their "proving grounds" before marketing a vehicle. For example, it must climb a X% grade slowing to a minimum of X% of the initial speed, with a coolant temp that doesn't rise above X. Above that rating, the vehicle may fail one or more of the tests they put it through. There certainly is no current standard for determining GCWR, and it is not a legal rating.
2004 Cougar 301 BHS 6580# Dry, 9000# wet, 9600# GVWR)
2007 Dodge/5.9L Cummins 3500 SRW Megacab 4x4/3.73
Hypertech Max Energy
"MEGACASPER" 10100# GVWR, 5200# FGAWR, 6200# RGAWR
PICTURES
ELIM 3000 Gen (still going )
Collision Reconstructionist
ScanGauge2
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ib516
Up here!
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Joined: 04/18/2003
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CA Traveler wrote:RVRMIKE wrote:Ca Traveler,
The GCWR does not appear on ANY label. That is why I question any legality pertaining to this number.
Mike I think we can all be held accountable for our actions. I think the fact that the mfg didn't supply the label or someone removed it would be a minor point in a serious court case.
BTW Besides the police specialist are called when required. Not only will they know the vehicle weight but they will know road radius, angles, grade or whatever the correct terms are.
Second BTW I'm neither the weight police or a legal person. Rather just trying to give you information so that you can make an informed choice.
We're called Collision Reconstructionists. It's what I do for a living, as a LEO.
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steelpony5555
Copperas Cove Texas
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Joined: 10/26/2007
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The 80 percent rule comes as a comfort level---my truck can and would tow a house but would it be comfortable going down the road, I think not, but if you follow the 80 percent rule then all the other ratings can in most case get tossed out the window and your drive down the hwy will be alot more relaxing and your truck will thank you---My truck is rated for 8500 lbs but I tow 6000 lbs and it does it like nobody's business which makes me happy, the truck is happy, and anyone around me is happy cause I'm happy
Again if you look at the guys chart on page 6 there are 4 different GCWR weights for the 5.4 and the only thing different is the gearing--it is the same truck and the same brakes so the only thing that means is that motor will move that much weight be it in the truck on the truck or behind the truck and including the truck, that is all the weight that motor can pull and do it resonably well--it aint rocket science!!!!!
* This post was
edited 08/07/08 06:20pm by steelpony5555 *
05 Trail Bay 27DS
07 Tundra SR5 4.7
00 Harley Electra Glide (My Baby)
07 Civic for cheap gas
Margarita machine---nothing better then sittin in the shade on a hot day sippin a Margie!
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MikeRP
Circleville OH
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Joined: 11/01/2007
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SteelPony:
Now you are funny saying that Toyota will tow a house. Must be a dinky house. Maybe a doghouse palace?
I really agree with your assessment on the 80% rule with a half ton pickup and gas motor. Just based upon experience not all half tons are happy towing unless the purchasers specifically got 4.10 gears on the stock truck.
That really is just a performance thing for me as my half tons, that I owned, would haul the weight near the GCVWR but I was uncomfortable not becasue of handling problems but just driving in 3rd gear at 3500 rpm to maintain 50 mph on a slight rise on the road.
Now, I really beleive once you move up to a diesel truck you are in another world where the 80% rule is NOT applicable. These trucks are serious haulers and have capabilites to handle over the GCVWR safely and effectively.
JMHO. To the original poster. Ya got lots of opinions. I really suggest you learn and study each truck you are considering purchasing and talk to the dealers and people who use the one you are considering buying. You'll get a handle on this with a little study.
Mike
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Caddywhompus
Southeast WI
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Joined: 06/27/2001
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Sorry guys but the 80% rule is irrelevant. I can understand the logic based on the fact that many vehicles have optimistic tow ratings these days, and experience has taught the average RVer that these optimistic tow ratings can never comfortably be achieved, hence the 80% rule.
But to apply such a rule would require that all vehicles had GCWR set 20% over the realistic comfortable level. I suspect that by coincidence most trucks and SUVs actually do fall into these category plus or minus a few points. But, as way pointed out already, some vehicles are much worse and some are much better. There are diesel pickups out there that are plenty capable of pulling 110% of GCWR day after day after day with apparent ill effects. And there are some mid-size SUVs that have 5000+ tow ratings which are really only stable with 50% of that hitched up behind. I myself have used 3 different tow vehicles to pull our current 3500 pound trailer. One was rated for 5800 pounds (60%), one was rated for 7000 (50%) and the most recent and current is rated for 3500 (100%). The one that does the best job so far is the 3500 rated minivan, the second place went to the 5800 rated vehicle, and last place went to the 7000 rated truck. Obviously GCWR was determined using different methods and motivations for all 3 vehicles.
One simply can't apply a blanket statement like "Stay at 80% of GCWR for maximum towing comfort" without knowing how GCWR was determined for a specific vehicle. Sometimes it is based on real towing ability, other times it's a race for the highest advertised number, and in a few cases it just isn't thought important and never tested at all.
'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
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outdoorsman2007
In the Woods - Somewhere!
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Joined: 04/12/2007
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RVRMIKE wrote: Ah yes, now I get it.
Figures lie and liars figure??
HAHAHA way too funny.
______________________________________________________________
By the way, to all of those talking about the "80% Rule". Exactly when did it become a rule? Just because someone thinks it's a good idea and they do it doesn't make it a rule that should be followed by all! It may not even make it a good idea! Why are so many of you so bent on convincing others to spend way more than they need to buy more truck than they need?
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pupeperson
Silver Springs, NV
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Joined: 02/01/2007
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Outdoorsman2007 said: "Why are so many of you so bent on convincing others to spend way more than they need to buy more truck than they need?"
Thats always been my question. I think it's great if a person can afford a single purpose unit, then a MDT or even a HDT can work fine in certain circumstances -- like pulling the 5er down the freeway. But when you want to boondock or get off the beaten path, some of those setups just aren't going to get it done. Sometimes even a dually has too large a "footprint" to do double duty as a daily driver. Those that have them and are happy with their setup, great -- I'm happy for them. It's just when they start believing what's right for them is also right for me (and nothing less or different could possibly work) that I begin to get iritated with the situation. There's always more than one way to skin a cat.
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