Heaviest curb weight. Brag here...

[BuffaloGuy]

Post here your heaviest crub weight (weight of truck, trailer and load). Only one rule... The weight must have been from a certified scale. No estimations allowed!

I'll start with 31,060 lbs. curb weight. 11 big round bales of hay on a 24' flatbed trailer. The truck pulled it good. 65 mph top speed on the level with no wind. Definetly overloaded though. Can you say, "Boys and Girls don't try this at home."

Ken

[rjschoolcraft]

WOW! :eek: :eek:

My heaviest "certified" weight is 16,300 lb. on the way home from Yellowstone in 2000. I've towed heavier since, but haven't weighed it.

[Govt issue]

Pulling my boat, 17600. 25 foot cabin cruiser.

[Spindrift]

My pappy always said, "Never start a fight you can't win", or something like that. Ken...clearly, you started something that will be hard to beat. 31K+. Holy Haywagon! My sig shows a Cat scale weight. I've been heavier, but not by much.

[dieseldummy]

Been just a touch under 36K before. Three antique tractors on a 29' gooseneck. Like was stated above, definately overweight, but with some common sense it is managable.

[markrinker]

23,620#. 17 3x3x8' bales of hay. Averaged over 60mph for 375 mile trip home. 7mpg. Probably glad that I don't have a tranny temp gauge...

[CareyWeber]

Truck alone no trailer 11,800lbs (Lance Camper on board).

Longest tow record (maybe)is 16,900lbs from Ft Richardson, Alaska to Ft Leonard Wood, Missouri (Lance Camper and flat towed Scout).

I have towed the same setup, but with the Scout on the a trailer that weights 2,200lbs, so add 2200 so that makes at least 19,100lbs. That was from Ft Leonard Wood, MO to Ft Jackson, SC.

Carey

[Cowracer]

I think Carey is on to something.

Towing 25000# 10 miles is impressive, but towing 17000# for 1500 miles is more impressive to me.

What if you take gross weight and add 5 pounds for each mile towed. I think that would show who pulled the most extreme load.

My personal best...
6200 truck + 7800 boat for 272 miles equals a towing index of 15360.

T

[BuffaloGuy]

Yep. Makes sense. I didn't tow the 31,000+ very far and I'm glad.

However the next day I did tow 22,500 lbs (curb weight) 200 miles, gained 3000 feet in elevation and had a 30 mph cross or head wind all the way.

I got about 9 mpg and could do 75 fairly easily. That's the speed limit out here on the interstate. Let's see... That makes this load 23,500 lbs with the distance factored in. My other short haul still beats it even though I know this lighter load was a better test.

The truck did it fine but I just got the feeling that it was more than it liked.

I turned the water injection off for a spell and it was a whole different story. Intake temps went right up and power went right down.
Ken

[rjschoolcraft]

That 16,300+ lbs. GCVW for me has been all over the United States. Been to Boston/Cape Cod, New York City (separate trips), Hunting Island State Park in SC, Bahia Honda SP in FL Keys, Yellowstone, San Francisco (and many points in CA on same trip), Las Vegas and Missoula, MT plus countless business trips. I'm sure that I've missed some miles in there somewhere. I towed from Las Vegas, NV to Martinsville, IN in two days last fall. First day covered 996 miles and the second covered over 850 miles. That would be a pretty high index.

[BuffaloGuy]

ronniejoe. What are you pulling? How tall is it? Since you've pulled it so much I take it that the truck pulls it good? Just interested to know what is comfortable for these trucks. We're thinking about getting a bigger camper.

[rjschoolcraft]

It's a 1999 Wilderness 31G (as stated in my signature). The certified weight from 2000 had it at 8600 lbs. loaded, but I have loaded it heavier since (I'm guessing well over 9,000 lbs.) The Suburban weighed in at over 8,000 lbs. by itself (I've loaded it heavier on recent trips as well...the kids are growing up!). The numbers don't exactly add up because of the weight distributing hitch. I weighed the entire rig, then just the Suburban by itself. I may also be remembering fuzzy, but I have the tickets around here some where.

The trailer is actually 32' long and overall height is 11'6". There's a picture of it in my 6.5 Performance (http://forum.thedieselpage.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=006650) thread (scroll down a ways in the thread to find it). The Suburban has always handled the load well from a handling perspective, but was weak when facing any hills or mountains. I had severe overheating problems. The mods I've done have change all of that and now it really tows the trailer well.

I towed a 4020 John Deere tractor on a flatbed trailer last February. I didn't weigh the load, but I know that the tractor weighs around 9000 lb and the trailer weighed close to 2000 lb. The Suburban wasn't loaded as heavily as it is when I travel, but still I was probably around 18,000 lb GCVW.

I towed the Pull-Off trailer from Missoula, MT to Jim's home in Stevensville after the event last July. That trailer load was 11,920 lb. The Suburban handled it better than my travel trailer because of less wind resistance. I hit 70 mph a couple times on the two-lane US 93 to keep up with Jim and Dr. Lee in the Duramax Project Truck...I was following them because I didn't know where Jim lived!

Tanker tows a bigger, heavier Hoiday Rambler trailer with his Suburban. He could probably give some information as well.

[Cowracer]

Originally posted by The Buffalo Guy:
Yep. Makes sense. I didn't tow the 31,000+ very far and I'm glad.

However the next day I did tow 22,500 lbs (curb weight) 200 miles, gained 3000 feet in elevation and had a 30 mph cross or head wind all the way.

Ohh, I never thought about elevation changes. Hmm maybe add 2 pounds for ever foot of elevation?

So the Universal Gross Load Index (U.G.L.I) formula is Gross weight in lbs + (5 * total miles) + (2 * Elevation change in feet).

I guess that 747-400 that I flew to Sydney has you all beat!

Tim

[CareyWeber]

Originally posted by Cowracer:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by The Buffalo Guy:
Yep. Makes sense. I didn't tow the 31,000+ very far and I'm glad.

However the next day I did tow 22,500 lbs (curb weight) 200 miles, gained 3000 feet in elevation and had a 30 mph cross or head wind all the way.

Ohh, I never thought about elevation changes. Hmm maybe add 2 pounds for ever foot of elevation?

So the Universal Gross Load Index (U.G.L.I) formula is Gross weight in lbs + (5 * total miles) + (2 * Elevation change in feet).

I guess that 747-400 that I flew to Sydney has you all beat!

Tim </font>[/QUOTE]Tim,

I would say so the 747-400 has right at a 1,000,000lb take off weight limit. :eek: :eek:

Better add in a point or two for the outside temp when above 80

[tanker]

I was at 13,900 with my old Jayco 31FK. I'm now at 18,200 with my new Holiday Rambler. Both on certified Cat scales. I guess when Mrs. Tanker loads the trailer I could be higher, or when other family members ride along on some trips.
Sure glad I now have the excessive heat problems all solved. Never over 195* on coolant, and always well under 1200* on the Pyrometer (pre-turbo), running 15-20psi boost. ;)

[HowieE]

16,540 lbs on a Canadian scale and 85,450 miles on the trailer hub odometer and 14,4356 miles on the truck. Alaska, BC twice, west coast 3 times and gulf coast 6 or 7 times, all but 5 states and 2 proviences. May not be the heaviest but will go for total ton miles.

[Kidd]

Heaviest on the flat, 39,060 total, 34 foot flatbed loaded with nearly 12 tons of hay.

Heaviest over grades, 24,150 pulling a load of green posts and rails on a 24 foot flatbed over two mountain ranges, dirt road.. average 12% grade. Was pretty easy pull, transfer case in 4 low, never got over 1800 rpm. You sure have time to look at scenery at that speed. :D

Truck is bone stock. Weights from Govt. weigh scale. Oh, and I am legal for 41,000 GCW.

K.D. 98 GMC Dually, 4X4 6.5

[Turbine Doc]

Heaviest documented tow 18,700# truck, GN trailer, JD 2020 tractor & impliments, biggest SWAG tow weight estimated 24,000# truck, GN trailer, which are 12K together (known weight), and another 12K (est.) for 535 Ford backhoe on the trailer. Both moved 200mi of hill & flat running, hills @ 55-60 mph, and flat 70-75 mph could have maybe gone some more but fear factor kicked in, that is a lot of weight to get stopped moving.

[FarmerDale]

Our saying here is that the first liar doesn't have a chance.. A load of soybeans on a four-wheel wagon. Top speed 30mph because of trailer and SMV regulations. Weighed at 39,860 gross, 11,080 tare for a net of 28,780 (479.66 bushels for the non-metric group).

Load was only towed 4-miles, but only grunt was up into the elevatore on gravel from a dead stop.

[BuffaloGuy]

All I gotta say is try any of the pulls listed above with a 350 gasser! Pick-up trucks have come a long way!

[slagona]

Here's my bid for a STOCK 1/2 ton with 3:42 diffs:

Suburban and 30' enclosed trailer weighed 16,800 lbs, towed 1387 miles.

The Vehicle:

'99 K1500 Suburban 4WD
GVWR 8060
162K Miles (Currently at 189K)
3:42 Diff Ratio
31.7 inch 265/70/17 Tires/Hummer H2 Wheels
Trans Temp, EGT, and Boost Gauge - pillar mounted
K&N Air Filter
Everything else stock.

Averaged 13.8 mpg while cruising at 64 mph on the flats, RPMs at about 1850.

Full Trip Report (http://forum.thedieselpage.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=005064)

[1bad383]

I went from Fort Walton Beach Fl to Anchorage and then back to Panama City, the VERY senic way at 19,000#. The way I took was about a 13k mile trip. With no problems, except for that one pass going to Vegas... :eek: There is a stop on an EGT gauge, never knew that before. The turbo went out half way up the hill, wow.

[Kidd]

Buffalo Guy..

Actually I have pulled heavier and faster with my 74 3/4 ton 4X4 350 gasser. Engine was modified about as far as you can go with regular gas. Put out over 400 HP on the dyno. Ran it for over 250k, never a problem. Hauled over 1200 tons a hay a year.

After all the mods, the total price (brand new truck) was only $4500 CDN.. yeah, trucks have gone a long ways. Only, I think it's in the wrong direction. :(

K.D.

[CareyWeber]

Originally posted by The Buffalo Guy:
All I gotta say is try any of the pulls listed above with a 350 gasser! Pick-up trucks have come a long way! Buffalo Guy,

I didn't do it but my brother in-law pulled a tractor trailer truck (died in the field with rain coming) with a 40' hopper bottom loaded with soybeans (78K lbs) about 10 miles to their shop. He used low range the whole way. Here is the kicker his truck at that time was a 95 GMC K1500 with a 350 and 3.42 gears.

ps He lives in Southeast, Mo and it is very flat there.

Carey

[BuffaloGuy]

We used to pull these heavy loads with 350 and 454 gassers and after about 100,000 miles they were shot. Not so with the 6.5's. It seems they go about 200,000 before they get tired. AND they use about 1/2 the fuel.

[Spindrift]

My brother, a PS boy thru and thru, just sent this little piece of news to me. It came from his F**D forum. Watch out Tanker!

(( I bought a new 05 F350 King Ranch crew cab dually to replace our 95 F350 2 weeks ago. The dealer registered it as a class 8 vehicle (13,000 GVW) as the door jamb plate on the truck indicated.

I hooked it up to my 14,000 GVW gooseneck trailer and was pulled over by the PA DOT and was ticketed for the following:

No CDL license, no log book, no fuel tax stickers, improper registration, no warning triangles, no fire extinguisher, no medical card and overweight. (truck and trailer combined weighed 21,000 LB.) I was not allowed to drive my truck any further. We had to have a CDL driver come and pick up our truck and trailer and drive it back to our farm.

The ticket is $3,400.00. The officer stated that if the rated weight of the truck and trailer combined is over 26000 lb., CDL and commercial vehicle requirements are in effect. My old dually was 11000 GVW and I never had a problem. With the new truck the combination weight is 27,000 GVW.

Why did Ford raise the GVW by 2000 Lbs on the 05? I now cannot haul our horse trailers and equipment trailers without a CDL License and all of the BS that goes along with it.

I am upset that my dealer did not advise me of this potential problem and mad at myself for not researching this prior to spending 43K on this new truck.

Can I have the GVW of the truck lowered by the manufacturer, dealer? ))

[dieseldummy]

Spindrift, depending on the state, as it varies a little betweent them all, If said vehicle is used for recrational purposes then it is not subject to all rules. Also, in most states if the tow vehicle has farm tags then it is also not subject to CDL rules. It has also been said that the DOT oversteps there bounderies in many occasions, so if you ever have a runin with them make sure to note procedure followed and make sure it is within their set guidlines for dealing with things and if it is not then you have grounds for going to court to fight the ticket. All this said, I do beleive that in most cases people should have CDL's to drive some of their rigs. I don't know how many elderly couples have caused me problems because they don't know how to handle their oversized travel bus, and also aren't physicaly fit enought to do it. Just my .02.
Justin