License Plates

[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.

[lightsout]

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.

Ford plays a dangerous game here, that 10,000 GVWR rating is a false rating, Ford offers the option to down grade the weight rating as many states have a limitation where above 10,000lbs is considered commercial and has significant added licensing cost. Ford designed this paper option to drive more commercial sales with lower ownership cost even though in reality the Truck has the capability of 5000lb more.

I just bought a NEW RAM 3500 however I also found a new Ford F350 I really liked however the Ford had that stupid downgrade on it which 10,000 will not allow much towing capacity. I even called the State Patrol and asked if I got in a accident and I had that 10,000 downgrade option would that likely be a problem with liability, the Washington State Patrol said that is the number they would use to asses negligence. I had to pass on the Ford.

Look the 10,000 on your Dually is a fake number to start with your actual rating is much higher. That truck and payload rate of 10,000lb your truck alone is around 8-9K lbs legally you have little payload left to be towing a 5th wheel, that is your bigger problem.

That Ford Downgrade options is BS and designed to skirt commercial licensing cost. I even had the ford Dealer call Ford to see if you could get that Option removed since it was a paper option only, and ford would not do it (I really liked that Ford).

So be careful if you get into an accident and they look at your 10,000 GVWR you will be screwed as with your 5er you will be over the 10,000lb. That Dually is more like 15,000lb in reality.

[JDDilly]

I have been to Florida many times and have never had to stop and get weighed.

[DQDick]

We've also never been weighed in any state and we go to Florida about every other year.

[DutchmenSport]

Me too. Been to Florida many, many times (From Indiana), never, ever, anywhere in the USA has my camper and tow vehicle ever been weighed --- from mini van-pop up camper combination, to 3500 dualy with fifth wheel combination. Never, ever.

Indiana has different plates based on the total carrying capacity and weight of the vehicle combination. However, even though the weights are listed on the door, I could have gotten the plate for my 3500 dualy with the 7000 pound plate and saved a bunch of money. Instead, I went with the heaviest weight on the door, and glad I did, because now I'm towing a behemoth fifth wheel. I'm covered.

I was told by the BMV that if I loaded the bed of my truck and the total weight of everything exceeded the limit identified on the license plate, I could be fined. I never wanted to take that chance. But, I've also never, ever been weighed... ever.

[Elevguy]

I’m in Florida now and didn’t have to be weighed

[Dan Giacalone]

Thanks everyone. I got some bad info on being weighed. Should I get the 8000 lb. plates?

[lightsout]

Originally Posted by Dan Giacalone

Thanks everyone. I got some bad info on being weighed. Should I get the 8000 lb. plates?

The more you down grade the GVWR the more liability you create for yourself you already have an issue with the phony 10,000lb A-pillar rating. Your truck weights more than 8000lbs alone with ZERO payload. I cannot even see how you can arbitrarily change the GVWR, when FORD cannot even do it after the fact. Towing with more then posted GVWR is a dangerous liability/negligence game according to my states State Patrol.

[richfaa]

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.

We have been wintering in Florida since 2006 and have never been weighed as you say or ever heard of that.

[wecker1]

I may be wrong but when the DMV runs your VIN to register the truck won't your GVWR self populate as the truck is already in their system? I don't think that you can provide a somewhat arbitrary figure...IMHO

[mlh]

At 8000 pounds you are already over that. My 08 F250 weighs 8300. By the time you and someone else gets in even with a gasoline engine you are overweight and that doesn’t include your pin weight.
I ask a state trooper about being overweight in Virginia. He looked at me like I was crazy and said they didn’t even check RVs.
Lynwood

[lightsout]

Originally Posted by mlh

At 8000 pounds you are already over that. My 08 F250 weighs 8300. By the time you and someone else gets in even with a gasoline engine you are overweight and that doesn’t include your pin weight.
I ask a state trooper about being overweight in Virginia. He looked at me like I was crazy and said they didn’t even check RVs.
Lynwood

You are right they do not check RV's until it is involved in an accident, to decide fault the GVWC and the GVWR will be confirmed to rule out towing negligence. This was what Washington State Patrol told me called them. when I was considering the 10,000lb F350 and 100% why I did not purchase that truck.

[Dan Giacalone]

Thanks for all the info. I do not understand how the license plate can cause negligence? Is everyone suggesting I get the plate for a 10,000 truck as shown on the door?

[lightsout]

Originally Posted by Dan Giacalone

Thanks for all the info. I do not understand how the license plate can cause negligence? Is everyone suggesting I get the plate for a 10,000 truck as shown on the door?

It is not the license plate but the GVWR that is of record on the vehicle and documentation. then the OP saying they want to down grade the GVWR which I do not think is even possible. This just brings to light this Ford GVWR downgrade option they have how it impact people who tow. The problem is the actual GVRW is actually near 15K but the ford option GVWR downgrade negates that fact and makes the legal GVWR 10K which you are way over when towing any 5th wheel making it a negligent act.

[mlh]

Maximum Conventional Towing 24,200 lbs.
Maximum 5th Wheel Towing 32,500 lbs.
Maximum Gooseneck Towing 37,000 lbs.
Maximum Payload 7,850 lbs.
Maximum GVWR 14,000 lbs.

These are specifications of 2020 F350 Ford trucks according to Ford.
Lynwood

[lightsout]

Originally Posted by mlh

Maximum Conventional Towing 24,200 lbs.
Maximum 5th Wheel Towing 32,500 lbs.
Maximum Gooseneck Towing 37,000 lbs.
Maximum Payload 7,850 lbs.
Maximum GVWR 14,000 lbs.

These are specifications of 2020 F350 Ford trucks according to Ford.
Lynwood

While that is technically accurate Ford has an Option called "payload Downgrade" where on paper they downgrade the Payload that also downloads the GVWR to 10,000lbs that is why the A Pillar on the OP's F350 Dually says only 10,000lb. This is an option provided by Ford that helps businesses to buy 1 tons without paying higher licensing and insurance cost. It is just a paper down grade however it becomes the Payload and GVWR of record and cannot be changed.

The New Ford F350 I wanted to buy was a special order by a company that they never took ownership so it sat at the dealer for about 6 months til I saw it, they were willing to give the thing away. On the Maroney Window Sticker was the Payload Downgrade option. However it does not actually change anything else it is still capable of towing the larger loads, only not legally because of the down grade option and the A-Pillar that says 10,000lbs.

That is what prompted me to call my Brother in law the attorney who suggested I would have liability issues in the event of an accident who then told me to contact the Washington State Patrol and ask them. I ended up getting way up the ladder at WSP in fact when I posed the question they took two days to actually research it and came back with do not exceed the payload or I would be in violation of WA law and even though it was only a paper down grade they are mandated to follow the A-pillar label and documented GVWR. I also asked if that is something that would be investigated in the event of an accident while I was towing and then said most definitely. They did not have to tell me twice I bailed on that truck (this was just last December). It is my understanding only Ford has this option.

[RMcNeal]

I'm a retired police officer from Florida. Lived here all my life (53 years so far) and have never stopped at a weigh station with any trailer or camper I have ever owned. Only commercial vehicles need stop here.

[mlh]

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

[jeffba]

2 thoughts always come to mind for me on these type of threads.

Growing up had a saying drilled into me--"it is all fun and games until someone gets hurt"
and
I am still waiting for the "on the internet they said it was okay to do it" defense to work.

[1retired06]

Involved in a minor accident while towing outside St Louis. Other driver was cited, we were clean. However, for the accident report we were escorted to a nearby weigh station to document. Only time we have ever experienced mandatory weight check.