trying to find a truck!

[maverick_935]

I there anywhere on the internet that a person can find out what the towing capacity is of the trucks that he is looking at. For example;2005 chevrolet 3500 ext cab long wheel base.

I'm looking at these trucks on various lots and I need a dually that has a trailer towing weight of 16,000lbs, and yet a gross combined weight that will not put me over on the scales.

I would like to find a 2006 ?? 4 door long box for trailer towing as an occupation.I don't care if it is a chev or dodge, not ford.

[Mark Rinker]

I there anywhere on the internet that a person can find out what the towing capacity is of the trucks that he is looking at. For example;2005 chevrolet 3500 ext cab long wheel base.

I'm looking at these trucks on various lots and I need a dually that has a trailer towing weight of 16,000lbs, and yet a gross combined weight that will not put me over on the scales.

I would like to find a 2006 ?? 4 door long box for trailer towing as an occupation.I don't care if it is a chev or dodge, not ford.

What do you mean by this? Over 26K#?

Mostly 1-ton extended cab long box trucks will weigh in at 8000#-9000# with driver, fuel, and gear. They match well with 14K# gooseneck trailers, and have 12#-14# of legal cargo carrying capacity left.

From time to time, I see 1-ton pickups pulling 20K# and 24K# (dual axle, dual wheel) goosenecks. The trailer frames and axle assemblies are so heavy that you only pick up an additional 2-4K# of load carrying capacity, and empty (return) mileage is compromised.

What do you intend to tow? What do you intend to haul? Getting the right truck -the first time - is key to commercial success.

[maverick_935]

I'm looking at pulling rv's out of indiana professionally. I have been told that some of the newer trailers with 4 slides are weighing in at 14k to 15k. I want to make sure the vehicle can handle the weights long term. I am looking for a 4 door/ext cab 3500 class truck. I prefer GMC but I am also lookiing at Dodge.

They want extra fuel and gear so I thought I had to watch the weights closer.

Any advice appreciated.

[Mark Rinker]

If you are going to be hauling for hire - you might as well forget the no-CDL rule under 26K and get your license now. Reason is that you will feel pressure in the form of nit-picky inspections, tickets, and OOS problems from the DOT who wants ANYONE making money hauling to be CDL licensed, period. Don't wait. No reason to.

You'll have plenty of truck for what you describe. Might consider a SRW 3500 2WD manual transmission - you'll get better mileage, less tires to wear out, and less scrutiny from the DOT as they visually key in on dually trucks and leave the SRW alone.

In fact, you could probably run under the radar with a SRW non-badged truck for a long while pulling campers.

[maverick_935]

I'm from Canada, class 1 license(tractor-trailer) and was more worried about going over the gross combined weight of a 3500. When I have to stop at a scale I want to know that I won't get a ticket for over weight.

What is a CDL?

Apparently the trailer places want duallies hauling these big trailers.

I'm just starting to find out what paperwork I need to do this as well as the capacities of these trucks.

I have never had to worry about overloading a little truck before.

[Mark Rinker]

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration-licensing/cdl/cdl.htm

Any 3500 series will legally haul any camper designed for bumper pull or 5th wheel - by design. Its when you start piling steel on goosenecks that you have to watch upper legal limits.

Our one-ton and gooseneck combo is legal up to 29-something# GCVW, which is overloaded for the brakes, in my opinion. Therefore the truck is licensed for 12K and trailer for 14K for a GCVW of 26K#. All drivers know that 14K cargo (+8K truck and 4K trailer = 26K#) is the upper limit, well within legalities.

[More Power]

The 2005 model-year 3500 series diesels were rated for 22,000-lbs Gross Combined Weight Rating - that's the weight of the truck and all its cargo plus the loaded weight of the trailer - the combined weight.

The 2005 dual rear wheel 3500's have a gross vehicle weight rating (not towing) of 11,400-lbs. Whether 2WD, 4WD, std cab, ext cab or crew cab, doesn't matter. This simply means that a 2WD std cab can haul more weight than a 4WD crew cab, and both have the same gross weight rating. :)

Jim

[Mark Rinker]

Jim - where did you come up with the 22K numbers? That would mean that our 2006 K3500 and 25' goosneck can only haul ~10,000# of cargo, per manufacturer's spec. We routinely carried 10K loads, successfully scaled and passed many DOT inspections with 10K on a bumper pull trailer behind the 2002 K2500...? In another thread - you may have seen where an MRE driver was sited for no CDL (while empty) with that same 2006 1-ton and gooseneck trailer, empty weight of ~12,XXX#.

The DOT inspector looked at our door jamb information, Chevrolet Owner's Manual, welded gooseneck DOT placard and concluded that the 'potential and legal' GCVW of this truck/trailer combination was 29,XXX - therefore the driver MUST have a CDL, even if the combination was licensed only for a total of 26K on the tabs, and we never exceeded those weights...(I suspect if we had rolled into the scale, tabs legal for - and actual GCVW weight at 28K#, they would have found a way to write us up for being 6K# overweight, per manufacturer's specs...)

Minnesota will sell you (tax revenue) whatever tab you ask for. That does not mean that it makes your combination legal for that weight. DOT inspectors will interpret what they want, when they want to make their point. This is an area of great misunderstanding today - haulers, DOT enforcement officials, etc. all vary on their interpretation of what is legal. To make matters more complex, the manufacturers underrate their trucks capabilities, probably due to the fear of litigation.

[ISEEDIT]

DOT is supposed to go by the "door jam" tag as standard inspection proceedures in MN, not what the truck is licenced for. Take a little single axel 5yd dump truck (should be under CDL), expect it has a 33000 GVW on the tag - doesn't matter it was licenced for 26000 - tag says 33000, so class B licence needed. MnDOT covers that in they safety classes they used to give. It is also in the book. Same proceedure with trucks and trailers - combo of tags. If you have a heavy trailer, you can have the mfg put a tag that carries less weight - trailer can be over built for the tag. Just at thought . . .