Buy wisely for your Tow Vehicle!

[jameswbarton]

Lesson learned the hard way!
I had an existing ¾ ton Dodge Ram 2500 V10 with a listed capacity of 19000 lbs GCWR
Specifications of the truck empty said it was 5000 lbs so I shopped and purchased the biggest I could tow thinking an empty curb weight of 12000lbs was the highest I could go.
Well I just went through and exercise of using a CAT Scale to verfy my minimum no load weights. I did have the truck full of gas with me in it and a minimum of stuff in the truck with bed empty. I had only the basic items in the RV of hoses, cords, air compressor, a few tools but no personal items of clothing groceries etc.
What I found yesterday was: I am overweight on GCWR by 840 lbs, on my truck axles specs I am under specs but my max Truck GAWR if 8,000 lbs and I am over max total weight by 1,080 lbs.
I was able to measure the actual height of the RV using the cat scale and find loaded it is 12’8 inches well above dealer spec. I am planning to program my GPS for 13’ 6 inches, as I do not want to strip my roof if the bride has been repaved.
So Lesson learned and published:
I tried to buy the biggest but lightest trailer my empty truck could pull knowing that I did not ever want to buy another RV. I thought the listed weight on the truck and RV were correct so I bought a RV weighing in by sticker of 12,000 lbs.
My truck was purchased used and thankfully has extra leaves in the rear axle springs but all the truck addons-towing baseplate, extra chrome, extra towing hitch and all the stuff added since it was new was not listed on the specs. Also the RV weight did not include the heavy bike rack, the weight of the slide covers and window awnings, and all the other accessories I had installed.
So I am very lucky in that I have not exceeded the truck axle weight limits but I am a thousand lbs overweight on the total truck weight with no passengers but me and my normal stuff I need to be in it. I am overweight on my total towing weight by 980 lbs with nothing in the RV but normal RV stuff.
So can I tow it? Yes but, I am lucky in that My old Dodge V10 drive train is the same used in the 1 ton truck of the same year. The Truck P.O. changed the factory gear ratios to higher ones than were available so I only get 9mpg truck empty on the freeway. So I now know I must use trailer towing mode on all but flat surfaces or downhill grades or I will wear out the Transmission and other components of the drive train. I must keep my speed at about 60-65 to keep the truck in its power curve. I certainly will strain its already strained condition by using it in the mountains or by loading it up to travel full time or extended trips. So I knew my old truck with only 70,000 miles could pull tit for a while. I am surprised and how much it weighs empty. I now must really think about adding an extra fuel tank or those two Honda generators in the back of the truck and a tool box. I need to keep all my tanks empty, and I will need a new Truck for when I am full timing. My transmission was just rebuilt before the purchase so it is in great condition but it will likely fail from overheating and too much total weight.
Be better than I on what you buy! I will be a few thousand lbs overweight until I get a new truck but I never intended to exceed my trucks GCWR when I bought the Montana HC 375 FL.