So I was camping down in Livingston with the big Redneck Toyhauler and shortly after I left to go home I hit a nasty bit of washboard hidden in the shadows.

Right after that I heard a huge wooshing noise. Figured I must have popped an intercooler boot.

Stopped an pooped the hood and to my surprise the fan had spun off its nut and was laying in the bottom of the shroud. After messing around with it for almost 15 min I finally got it spun back. Doesn't look like any damage occurred to the wiring.

Started driving again but the whooshing was still there so I checked again and found the exhaust had come off where it attaches to the down pipe. Seems the nylon in the lock-nut for the band clamp isn't there anymore and it most likely backed off.

Truck drove fine the rest of the way home.

Bizarre eh?

 

Wow, congrats on getting home buddy. I thought that the roads in Ontario were back. Sounds like a crazy trip buddy. Sounds like your getting some decent drives with the 03 dually?

I've put on 8000km's this month on my 02.

 

Ya its a good thing I didn't sell it. I finally got around to weighing that behemoth trailer I put together, its more than I thought. Weighed in at 17K, right at the GVWR for the trailer.

Looks like I'll be staying with a dually for awhile. I could use a SRW if I went to a load range "G" tire or even some 19.5s. Can you get 19.5s in an 8 bolt pattern or do you have to use an adapter? Not sure if a SRW would be a good idea with that much weight though...

Now that I know the weight I need to find some different tires for the trailer. PO put on some regular "e" range truck tires. Good tires but the 4 of them are only good for about 12,500#(3042 each). The weight on the trailer axles is just over 14,000#. Looks like I need some "G" rated trailer tires.

 

A SRW can legally tow more weight than a DRW. A DRW is better for when you have direct load, such as a camper, but for towing a SRW is better. You will be able to legally tow at least an extra 1000 lbs with a SRW. 17k is nothing for a 1 ton truck. I pulled that weight for many miles with my 2500 Duramax with no problems, 2200# hitch weight. I had Ride Rite airbags and good tires, with a prodigy brake controller. My 5th wheel was 15k dry, and I routinely hauled full of water, and all the extra stuff that just accumulates in a 5th wheel.

I know it sounds kinda whacky that DRW cant tow as much, but it is due to weight, a DRW just weighs alot more than a SRW, which affects GVWR. I know that I was overweight with my 2500, but really and honestly the only difference between a 2500 and a 3500 is 1 spring which I more than made up for with the air bags.

As for the trailer tires, I think that e range tires are over 4000# ( I could be wrong) because I am sure that my d range tires were rated at 3042. Also one thing to check is make sure that they are trailer rated, as they have a different sidewall construction to help with the loads that happen from turning

Kevin

 

I'vve been researching numbers and have come to the same conclusion as you that a SRW can legeally haul more than DRW in terms of GCWR.

However hitch weight is what sets the DRW above the SRW. My pin weight is 3200# which puts my rear axle weight at around 6800#. A stock size load range "E" tire is rated for 3040- 3080# depending on brand. So a SRW wouldn't have enough tire rating for my load. There are some oversized tires(305s) that have a 3500# rating.

BUT the rear axle rating for a SRW is only 6150# so even if I put heftier tires on a SRW I'd still be over the rear axle rating. I'm guessing this rating is actually based on the tires though and not the axle since the DRW and SRW is the same.

I guess it depends on how far over the legeal limits I'm comfortable with. We all know the truck will haul it without issue and as it is right now with my dually I'm ok for my axle/tire ratings but am over on my GCWR. If I go to a SRW with heavier tires I'm not as far over on the GCWR but am over on the rear axle rating.

Hmm, I wonder if I converted my DRW to a SRW and got stopped and weighed if the DOT officer would realize the door decal ratings were for a DRW?

 

I don't know about the 3rd gens, but in the 2nd gens, the 3500 come with a D80 with a rating of 7500 lbs. The 2500 manuals come with a D80 hybrid (AFAIK, has D70 spindles and hubs) and has a rating of 6500 lbs, same as the D70 in the autos.

 

the derates might be in brake sizes.

 

I have been towing trailers for over 20 years, and I have never ever been checked by DOT for anything. Something is bugging me about the weight rating you have for the e range tires. that sure sounds like the weight rating for a d range,, i will do some research and get back to you on that

 

Rated weight on any given tire is lower for a DRW setup than it is for SRW, if that's what you're thinking of . . . . ?

 

Well as it turns out I was a little off on my memory skills, but the average "e" range tire in a 265 LT size is 3480 per tire. There are some off brands that are of a 245 size that are only 3080 per tire. but they are more the exception than the rule.

 

My truck uses the brakes for a 3500 because it is rated at 8800lbs,same numbers front and back at the parts stores.

 

With your trailer at 17K lbs loaded and with 3200lbs of pin weight, you are into RAM 4500/F450 dually territory.

Like you said, 3200lbs of pin weight will put nearly every SRW truck, including 1 ton "3500's" over it's GVWR.
Plus add the passengers & anything else you have in the box, hitch, tools, firewood, etc..
To stay legal you have to be within all 3 limits: GVWR, GAWR, GCWR.
As Kevin said, SRW diesel trucks will pull overloaded no problem & can be upgraded to hold up the pin weight, but not legally.

If you do a bit of math, nearly every "2500" truck out there with a slghtly large 5th wheel is over their GVWR. But's that's another topic!


Your trailer tires are totally overloaded. Goodyear does make a "G" rated 16inch trailer tire rated at 3750lbs with upgraded wheels.
It's a very good quality tire unlike the Goodyear Marathon trailer tires.

http://www.goodyear.com/rv/products/g614rst.html

Commercial duty 17.5 inch trailer wheels & tires do exist which are very expensive but perhaps worth it if you are planning to keep your trailer & set up for awhile.

 

For some reason I think the srw and drw would have the same load capacity axle wise? The axles besides for the extra width, are identical I believe? Weight ratings vary a lot, i've got D's on my truck right now, good for 3640lbs each. I want to find out if the axle is good for more weight like the drw, considering my tires are now good for it, and that 6150 comes VERY fast! You could probably be legal with 3000lbs pin weight, IF you don't carry anything in the truck. IIRC stock tires are good for around 3300lbs each. A stock truck is only like 7500lbs, and your good for like 11250 I believe on a 3500 srw. So 3750lbs ish.

Although i've been maxed out with only a sled deck 2 sleds, and 3 people in the cab with some gear. I think Dodge likes to lie on the weight considering right now I weight like 8500lbs empty.

 

Yep, I figured I wouldn't be legal even with the dually and I'd really like to go with a SRW and figured if I'm not legal anyway with the DRW should I worry about being legal with the SRW?

I only tow this trailer 4-5 times a year yet I drive the truck 2-3 times a week in the summer, possibly more this fall as the wife will need to start driving herself into work, we commute Cochrane-Calgary everyday. Rather than getting another vehicle I'd rather get a more commuter friendly truck and drive that and let her take the minivan.


Stock size "E" rated tires are around 3000#, I checked the rating on my tires currently on the truck. There are higher rated "E" tires but not in the factory stock size. There are lots of options in the 16" rim but the selections for 17" seem fairly slim. I think if I did go to a SRW I've have to swap out to 18" rims, seems like there are more options available in that size.

For the trailer it originally came with "G" rated tires so I'm confident the rims are rated for it. I think the PO just cheaped out and put on some used truck tires. I've got a really good Kal tire rep thru work so I'll see what he can do for me.

In the meantime I just need to decide if I really want to go to an SRW or just stay with the truck I have now.

On the upside the tranny is shifting better than ever. I think it liked that big pull on the weekend. Took the glaze off the synchros maybe.....

 

As I see it the rear axle weight ratings on the door sticker are largely derived from the factory tire ratings. For example, the factory tires on my 2500 are rated for 3042 lbs each, and the rear axle is rated for 6084 lbs. I now have tires with a higher rating and would be comfortable exceeding the rating, but legally I would think we are still bound by what's on the door sticker.

Just as a side note, on second gen trucks anyway, the dually axles do have larger spindles and bearings than the SRW trucks. Not really sure about the newer trucks.