License Plates

[lightsout]

Originally Posted by mlh

I guess all the people who have Ford trucks should get rid of them and get a Kenworth.
Lynwood

Payload Reduction is only an option so you simply have to be vigilant and not buy one that had that option. It seems to be popular for company F350's that have no intention on towing of carrying heavy payloads with their trucks. I was not aware of this option till I looked at the A-Pillar Sticker on the truck I wanted to buy. Fords are great trucks this is just an option that cold unknowingly bite some in the ass someday. I cannot believe the GOV allows it because the sole purpose of it is to circumvent Lic cost and insurance cost.

[RKassl]

I also live in Wisconsin, my 3500GMC SRW is licensed at 10,000lbs.

[prndl]

The nanny state of California has set up weigh stations for RV's and stopped some 5th wheels from going on if overweight. The owners were required to drop the trailers and get professional rigs in to tow the trailers. They would not allow them to have a friend with a bigger truck to come out either. This happened on the east side of the Salton Seal going north.

[Mysticaldoc]

Proper registration plates require covering your truck's dry weight plus all cargo including the hitch weight of your 5th wheel. Typically an F-350 is going weigh dry in the 7300ib range, only giving you a few hundred pounds for people fuel cargo and the like. Most States have 8000 standard plate which will not work for you. You will need a 10,000 or 12,000 lb plate. Additionally, make sure recreational trailer plate covers all the trailer weight and it's contained cargo. Remember there is overweight on registration, overweight on bridge, overweight on axles, overweight on gvwr. Can you get stopped, YES. the likelihood is low, but if you're in crash, the traffic accident reconstructionist will check all the numbers and you could be arrested, or more likely sued by someone else for neglegence. Do the right thing and have no worries. I know these things because I taught them and enforced them for 30 years. Happy travels.

[lightsout]

Originally Posted by Mysticaldoc

Proper registration plates require covering your truck's dry weight plus all cargo including the hitch weight of your 5th wheel. Typically an F-350 is going weigh dry in the 7300ib range, only giving you a few hundred pounds for people fuel cargo and the like. Most States have 8000 standard plate which will not work for you. You will need a 10,000 or 12,000 lb plate. Additionally, make sure recreational trailer plate covers all the trailer weight and it's contained cargo. Remember there is overweight on registration, overweight on bridge, overweight on axles, overweight on gvwr. Can you get stopped, YES. the likelihood is low, but if you're in crash, the traffic accident reconstructionist will check all the numbers and you could be arrested, or more likely sued by someone else for negligence. Do the right thing and have no worries. I know these things because I taught them and enforced them for 30 years. Happy travels.

It should be noted the 10,000 is considered Non Commercial which is why ford offers that payload downgrade. it is 10,001 that requires the upgraded licensing. 3/4 Tons are also often rated at 10,000. My 2019 Ram 3500 Dry weight was 8760 full tank, Andersen hitch, wife and self. as you can 10,000 leaves nothing in terms of payload if you have a traditional king pin hitch add another 200lb. My GCWR is 13,950. If anyone has the 10,000lb down grade they have a problem as you said.

[mlh]

My question here is where would find a Super Duty Ford that weighs 7300 pounds. My F250 with out the hitch and a 1/3 tank of fuel weights 8300 pounds.
Lynwood

[wade]

Originally Posted by Mysticaldoc

Proper registration plates require covering your truck's dry weight plus all cargo including the hitch weight of your 5th wheel. Typically an F-350 is going weigh dry in the 7300ib range, only giving you a few hundred pounds for people fuel cargo and the like. Most States have 8000 standard plate which will not work for you. You will need a 10,000 or 12,000 lb plate. Additionally, make sure recreational trailer plate covers all the trailer weight and it's contained cargo. Remember there is overweight on registration, overweight on bridge, overweight on axles, overweight on gvwr. Can you get stopped, YES. the likelihood is low, but if you're in crash, the traffic accident reconstructionist will check all the numbers and you could be arrested, or more likely sued by someone else for neglegence. Do the right thing and have no worries. I know these things because I taught them and enforced them for 30 years. Happy travels.

Did you tell them that drinking that coffee or eating that sandwich while driving will cause driver inattention and you may get in a accident and be sued also. People will sue about anything

[Slow Hand]

You can buy the F350 in two weight classes. A 10,000# or a 11,500# weight class.

2020's have a higher weight class but still offer the 10,000 weight class.

Most dealers only have the 10,000 on there lots because the registration in some states is stupid expensive. Like California. My tags are $730 for a 15 F250 last year. I still had to purchase commercial plates. I never heard of registering a truck by different weight classes. DMV will not derate the truck for you.I believe they will only register it as per the original tags when it was sold by the dealer.



The only place you will find the Weight Police is on the internet. Every RV site I have visited has at leas one. You can't argue with them. After all they are the Weight Police.

They have there own rule book and it comes in the form of a yellow sticker. Exceed that and off with your head. Some Weight Police even have Law Degrees. They must be obeyed at all times. I would put a LOL but the Weight Police aren't funny so I won't.



I have been to Florida and 47 of the lower 48 and there is never a cop waiting at the border stopping RV's. You don't even have to stop at truck scales. I have passed many on the road and never had to stop.

Somebody is trying to pull your tail.

[StageCoachDriver]

I've seen one way around the commercial vehicle problem. First, a commercial vehicle should have a DOT registration ($$$$). That can be avoided by having a notice on your vehicle stating, "Private Vehicle - Not For Hire". That way you can avoid weigh stations.


I saw that on a luxury motorhome and asked the owner why. He gave me the private vehicle lesson.

[Todd727]

Originally Posted by Dan Giacalone

We are new to 5th wheeling. Bought like new 2012 Monte 3582rl first. Just bought 2003 Ford f350 dually. My question is in we live in Wisconsin. In Wisconsin if weight of capitcity of truck is 8,000 it is a standard truck plate. The door shows 10,000 capicity. It is just my wife and I and could not ever imagine carrying that much stuff in the truck. I was told when entering Florida they weigh your rig and if you have the wrong type of plate the fine/ticket you??
Thoughts please.

That truck weighs nearly 9000 lbs empty (driver and full fuel). Hauling your 5th wheel, you will NEVER be under 10,000 lbs with the correct pin weight. Unfortunately, from a registration and legality standpoint, you don't have the right truck.



That 10,000 GVWR option is for a grocery getter that will never carry anything or tow anything. Never should be offered on a dually, IMO.



You'd be better off to hook everything up and head to the scales. Register it for at least the weight you have on the front and read axles. Round up to the next 1000.

[Todd727]

Originally Posted by Slow Hand

You can buy the F350 in two weight classes. A 10,000# or a 11,500# weight class.

Dually f350 has been 14,000 for several years. OP is discussing a dually.

[lightsout]

Originally Posted by Todd727

That truck weighs nearly 9000 lbs empty (driver and full fuel). Hauling your 5th wheel, you will NEVER be under 10,000 lbs with the correct pin weight. Unfortunately, from a registration and legality standpoint, you don't have the right truck.



That 10,000 GVWR option is for a grocery getter that will never carry anything or tow anything. Never should be offered on a dually, IMO.



You'd be better off to hook everything up and head to the scales. Register it for at least the weight you have on the front and read axles. Round up to the next 1000.

There is NO WAY to change the GVWR it cannot be done you will live and die by the rating on the A-pillar label. I have been up the ladder at Ford and the Wash State Patrol, both stated the label GVWR is the gospel and cannot be changed.

I just went through this 2 months ago on a New F350 a dealer had. I had to pass on it for this reason alone.

There is non difference between a F350 with a 10,000 GVWR or a F350 with a 14,000 GVWR except the Payload down grade option which is on paper only which disqualifies the 10,000 from towing because of that option.

Moral of this story do not by a 1-ton without looking at the A-pillar sticker and GVWR and if it says 10,000 walk away.

[Peter1965]

I do believe that people pulling personal RVs are exempt from weighing in every state. I have pulled travel trailers and now my 5er all over the lower 48 and have never had to weigh anywhere

[CaptnJohn]

Had a 2016 F350 4X4 Lariat Ultimate diesel, gvwr was 14K and payload 3447
Current 2019 same as above but dually, gvwr 14K and payload 5598! The srw was registered at 12K as all needed, new 5er put PL over so dually registered at 14K, PL with aux tank is over 4K

[Slow Hand]

I have never seen a DRW truck with a 10,000 weight limit. They just don't make them. Never.

That doesn't even make sense.

I just looked at the towing guide and it said 12,500 payload. GCVW of 20,000#

[lightsout]

Originally Posted by Slow Hand

I have never seen a DRW truck with a 10,000 weight limit. They just don't make them. Never.

That doesn't even make sense.

I just looked at the towing guide and it said 12,500 payload. GCVW of 20,000#

These are factory optioned downgrades on Paper only designed to reduce licensing and insurance cost, unfortunately it legally reduces your ability to haul and tow even though the truck is capable.

Here are the down grade options currently from Ford as you ca see there is a 10,000 downgrade for SRW amd a 13,000K downgrade for DRW So you are correct no 12K for DRW on 13K which is still very low. Again these are downgrade options...

[Peter1965]

Originally Posted by lightsout

These are factory optioned downgrades on Paper only designed to reduce licensing and insurance cost, unfortunately it legally reduces your ability to haul and tow even though the truck is capable.

Here are the down grade options currently from Ford as you ca see there is a 10,000 downgrade for SRW amd a 13,000K downgrade for DRW So you are correct no 12K for DRW on 13K which is still very low. Again these are downgrade options...

I am sorry but I just don't get it. Why would you buy a 1 ton dually if you weren't going to be hauling or towing something? So it makes no sense why Ford would even offer such a downgrade. Don't get me wrong, I actually like my RAM dually but if I didn't have the trailer I wouldn't buy one. I would be just fine in a 1500. They are just too big for a grocery getter. We don't fit in the parking spaces and unless you like the scratches and door dings, you are parking in the far back of the parking lot.

I am in Indiana and the BMV gave me 11,000 pound plates. I know my GVWR is 14,000. I am not sure if I am considered commercial or not but I don't think I am paying any extra for my plates. In Indiana we pay based on the value of the vehicle. As for insurance, my insurance company knows exactly why I have such a truck (they actually insure the 5er too) so there is no questions about whether I am commercial or pleasure vehicle.

[lightsout]

Originally Posted by Peter1965

I am sorry but I just don't get it. Why would you buy a 1 ton dually if you weren't going to be hauling or towing something? So it makes no sense why Ford would even offer such a downgrade. Don't get me wrong, I actually like my RAM dually but if I didn't have the trailer I wouldn't buy one. I would be just fine in a 1500. They are just too big for a grocery getter. We don't fit in the parking spaces and unless you like the scratches and door dings, you are parking in the far back of the parking lot.

I am in Indiana and the BMV gave me 11,000 pound plates. I know my GVWR is 14,000. I am not sure if I am considered commercial or not but I don't think I am paying any extra for my plates. In Indiana we pay based on the value of the vehicle. As for insurance, my insurance company knows exactly why I have such a truck (they actually insure the 5er too) so there is no questions about whether I am commercial or pleasure vehicle.

I think this option is more aligned with the SRW 1-tons. As for insurance having a Model S Tesla they can be very expensive to insure so prior to having a 1 ton we insured with Esurance and had very good rates when I bought the 1-ton Esurance would not insure a 1-ton truck of any type as they consider any truck over 3/4 ton commercial. So I had to switch back to Progressive which is not as bad a some on Telsa's but not great either. I was not expecting Esurance to drop me because of the truck, they are owned by Allstate who will insure 1-tons but they are expensive. I can find great rates for the Tesla as well find good rates for the Truck but not at the same insurance company, uhhh.

Let me mentioned we tried to insure our 5er with our auto insurers all were $1000+ we insure with Safco (where we have no other policy's) for $450 per year.

[Peter1965]

Originally Posted by lightsout

I think this option is more aligned with the SRW 1-tons. As for insurance having a Model S Tesla they can be very expensive to insure so prior to having a 1 ton we insured with Esurance and had very good rates when I bought the 1-ton Esurance would not insure a 1-ton truck of any type as they consider any truck over 3/4 ton commercial. So I had to switch back to Progressive which is not as bad a some on Telsa's but not great either. I was not expecting Esurance to drop me because of the truck, they are owned by Allstate who will insure 1-tons but they are expensive. I can find great rates for the Tesla as well find good rates for the Truck but not at the same insurance company, uhhh.

Let me mentioned we tried to insure our 5er with our auto insurers all were $1000+ we insure with Safco (where we have no other policy's) for $450 per year.

Still wouldn't buy a 1 ton SRW for driving around town. That's just silly. Buy a half ton be done with it if all you want to do is ride around town. My opinion.

I use progressive for both the Truck and the RV and I don't pay anywhere near $1000 a year for the 5er plus they list my truck as a pleasure vehicle, lowering its rates and make my car the daily driver (which it is). They have been really good to us so far. Can't say I have any experience with Teslas.

[lightsout]

Originally Posted by Peter1965

Still wouldn't buy a 1 ton SRW for driving around town. That's just silly. Buy a half ton be done with it if all you want to do is ride around town. My opinion.

I use progressive for both the Truck and the RV and I don't pay anywhere near $1000 a year for the 5er plus they list my truck as a pleasure vehicle, lowering its rates and make my car the daily driver (which it is). They have been really good to us so far. Can't say I have any experience with Teslas.

That option was more designed for commercial use, since the 1-ton is only a few hundred $$ more than the 3/4 this allows companies to buy the one ton with 3/4 ton lic and insurance cost. That is the core reason for this option down grade. Unfortunately some consumers with 5ers do not look at the door sticker and then get stuck with one of these 10,000 GVWR 1-tons. It almost happened to me two months ago until I checked the door and then walked away. Unfortunately most consumers are not aware of this option so they do not think twice and just assume the GVWR is higher.

In fact the Ram 3500 I did buy was rated 500lbs lower then published GVWR simply due to the Options I had (aisen trans and 20" wheels weight more so takes away from the Payload). No one should buy a truck without looking at the A-pillar sticker weight ratings.