I have a 1988 F250 7.3 Diesel 2WD with a 3.55 rear axle and the on the door jamb it says that the Gross veihicile weight should not exced 8800lbs. The truck weighs about 6400lbs empty so does that mean I can only tow 2400lbs!!
Thanks for any advice.

 

No Buddy,What you need to look at is GCVW or Gross Combined Vehicle Weight. I believe( hopefully someone will corect if I'm wrong) The tongue weight is all you need to add to you GVW. Doesn't the sticker also tell you what weight you can tow?

 

The 8800 is th e total weight on/of the truck. You say your truck weight 6400 then you can add another 2400 to the truck. That can be cargo like dirt, cargo like wife-kids and thier stuff, and that can also be the hitch weight of a trailer. The GCVW is what the vehicle can tow. This will be the combined weight of your vehicle and trailer. What you should do is compare the GVW and GCVW. Sometime you will only have a, say for example, 1000 pounds of GVW left over. You get a 5th wheel trailer. The total of the 5th wheel and vehicle stay under the Gross Combined Vehicle Weight (GCVW) yet the hitch pin exceeds the 1000 pound (your GVW) of free weight left over. BRAKES and suspension is were most of the 8800 is rated. Your GCVW is in your manual somewhere. If not try an internet search for (1988 F350 Towing Specifications). Good luck

 

To make it even more fun, besides GVWR, you need to consider GAWR Gross Axle Weight Rating(Front and rear) For example lets say you still have 2400 of paload left. If you put all the 2400 pounds in the bed over the axle, you might well exceed the GAWR rear in other words too much weight in the bed. This happed a lot with 5th wheelers. A tow behind travel trailer puts less weight on the rear axle than a 5th.

In order of personal idosyncracy, I look at GCWR first, the GVWR, then GAWR as what decides me on whether to tow or not. I tow a travel trailer so my concerns and opinions may be different from a 5th wheeler.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

Ah good point. I honestly havent taken a look to see what my truck's GAWR is. Curious to see but unfortunally the only scale in town is now out of commision, ie DOT filled the hole with concrete.

 

You don't need a scale to find the GAWR. It's on the same sticker as GVWR.

 

Ok I guess I am confused dont you need to weight the rear of the truck to see what that value is then subtract that from the GAWR to give you what the rear axle can handle?

 

" BRAKES and suspension is were most of the 8800 is rated"

If this were true, trucks that have EXACTLY the same brakes and suspension but different engines would have the same ratings. Same with transmit ions & axle ratios.
The GVWR is aimed more at vehicle performance then safety. If you are willing to except a truck that goes up the hill a Little slower, you can load it a little heavier.
If you load it TOO heavy.... you *MIGHT* break something. How heavy is "TOO HEAVY" ? That depends on too many factors to ever be addressed buy a single rule or number.
And I'll say again.. Fords recommendations are NOT law. Being under the weight ratings DOES NOT make it safe. Being over the weight ratings DOES NOT mean you are going to kill someone. Check with you state for the weight laws that apply in your state. The laws in the next state over ARE different. Federal weight laws for big trucks DO NOT APPLY to you even though in some cases they may be the same as your state laws.

 

Oh I agree that the engine, tranny, rear end are also reasons for the ratings. Yep there is a multitude of variables that are used to figure out the GVWR in a vehicle. I was just looking at the aspect of stopping potential and the possibility of breaking something in the suspesion. Heck you should see some of the things people do up here, 8x8's inbetween their axle and frame, to haul stuff. Pretty comical...