Increased gvwr

[twowheelv]

Is there a way to safely and legaly increase the gvwr and towing cappacity of my truck? I don't want to buy a new truck b/c I like the one I have. However, my sister just bought a 13500lb fifth wheel and I am going to most likely buy it from her in 3 years when we graduate. Also, she wants me to move it to the beach every summer.

[nascarj]

This is always a big can of worms on the RV forums..

Simple answer is: NO- you can not LEGALY increase your GVWR/GCWR. That is set by the manufacturer.

Can you SAFELY increase the tow capacity of your truck- SURE. (Many will disagree spouting engineering principles, or design limitations or what ever)

GVWR/GCWR is generally set at the limit of the weakest link. My old 02 F250 had a GVWR of 8800- because that was exactly the load capacity of the standard tires. In 02, the F250 and F350 SRW had EXACTLY the same drivetrain, springs, brakes, and anything else that would limit tow ability... The "optional" tires on the F250 were the same ones standard on the F350 that had a GVWR of 9900. So I treated my F250 with the optional tires as if it had a GVWR of 9900.

Was I "legal"- Actually, Yes because the state of Illinois doesn't care about the manufactures GVWR. They only care if I paid enough for plates that allowed me to carry what ever weight I was. Other states are different and you may not be "legal".

Was I safe? I would have to say I absolutely was as long as I didn't go over 9900. Others will argue.

First thing I would do is go have your truck and the trailer weighed. Just because the sticker on the trailer says 13,500 doesn't mean that's what it weighs.

Make sure to weigh your truck's rear wheels with the trailer on. A 13,500 5er should only have around 2500- 2800 lbs of pin weight and your F350 should be able to handle that fine and be under your GVWR.

If you really are over the trucks GCWR, do some serious research to find out what the limiting factor is...

My guess is you'll find it to be a longevity issue not a "safety" issue and I'd lean towards your transmission not being able to pull that much for very long.

Expensive but only a slight safety issue.

j

[88beast]

yes if you register your truck with ur states dmv as say 30000# and it is only rated at say 15000# then the state dmv inspection overides the stock gvwr and makes you legal

to do this you will need beefed up shocks and springs probaly box frame rails and make sure the drive train can handle it
check your axel rating and if you need i can send u plans for an axel boxing strenghens the axel by roughly 30 - 50 %

the 13.5k is that wet or dry? also u may need to get a new tranny if that is dry because an auto tranny will need rebuilt for that much weight

i have a auto c6 rebuilt to pull with roughly 2600# on the rear and shift perfectly that would be roughly 800 on the bumper hitch
take ur truck to a tranny shop tell them what you have and what you need to pull and see what they say

[SmokeyWren]

[ QUOTE ]
My old 02 F250 had a GVWR of 8800- because that was exactly the load capacity of the standard tires.

[/ QUOTE ]

No, that's misleading.

2002 F250 standard tires (LT235/85R16E) had a weight capacity of 3,042 each when pumped up to 80 PSI. So the two tires on the rear axle had a max weight capacity of 6,084 pounds.

When you load the pickup down to 6,084 pounds on the rear axle, your front axle is going to weigh around 5,000 pounds. So tires alone limited your max GVW to around 11,000 pounds, which is a heck of a lot more than 8,800 or even 9,900.

So tires were not your limiter. Figure out something else. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[SmokeyWren]

[ QUOTE ]
However, my sister just bought a 13500lb fifth wheel and I am going to most likely buy it from her in 3 years when we graduate.

[/ QUOTE ]

Three years is a long time at your age. I wouldn't worry about it for at least 2.9 more years. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/warmsmile.gif[/img]

[ QUOTE ]
Also, she wants me to move it to the beach every summer.

[/ QUOTE ]

No problem. Be sure the trailer is absolutely empty before you tie onto it. Nothing in the fresh-water tank or the holding tanks. Remove the propane bottles and carry them in some other vehicle, or on a different trip with your pickup. No food, clothing dishes, pots and pans, nothing in the trailer. Then tie onto it with your pickup and move it. After it gets where it's going, then fill it up with water, propane, food, pots and pans, dishes, etc., etc., etc.

Assuming the beach is only a few miles away, then that will work with not much danger of a disaster, and without having to mod your pickup any for those two short trips each year.

But if the beach is in San Diego and you're in Corpus Christi, then holler back. The world changes with those distances when you're overloaded.

[nascarj]

[ QUOTE ]
No, that's misleading.

2002 F250 standard tires (LT235/85R16E) had a weight capacity of 3,042 each when pumped up to 80 PSI.
Figure out something else. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Smokey,

Thanks for quoting the capacity of some unknown brand of tire that you couldn't know if they came on my truck..

My truck did have LT235/85R16E's on it.. But they were POS Generals that had a 108 load index- 2205 lbs at 80 psi. They lasted 14,000 miles.

j

[SmokeyWren]

[ QUOTE ]
My truck did have LT235/85R16E's on it.. But they were POS Generals that had a 108 load index- 2205 lbs at 80 psi.

[/ QUOTE ]

You read something wrong. All LT235/85R16E tires sold in the USA have a weight capacity of 3,042 pounds @ 80 PSI and a load index of 120 = 3,042 pounds.

If you want to get technical, a load index of 120 is anywhere between 1,350 to 1,400 kilograms (2,978 to 3,086 pounds), but most American manufacturers have settled on 3,042 pounds (1,380 KG).

My pickup came from the factory with Generals too, but they lasted closer to 25,000 miles on the rear axle and 35,000 miles on the front axle.