Towing over the limit

[paulhead]

So my 2013 E350 V10 22E is rated at 5K lbs for towing. Is that a safety buffer so the company avoids liability? I have a car hauler towing a lifted Jeep. Haven't weighed it yet but I think I'm gonna surpass the 5K but not by much. I know the V10 is a beast. Would upgrading the hitch help? Wondering opinions on this. Thanks.

[ducksface]

Its kind of religion here.
Some will swap around all of their suspension but won't go over a pound on towing, picking the engineering standards they want to pick.
Some will not go over an ounce on on gvwr.
Some wont go over 60mph in an 80mph zone.
Some won't drive in the rain.
We found out yesterday Some won't use their toilet.

Here's the facts.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mot...-capacity/amp/

Its voodoo, not gospel.

At 110°f the vehicle is ran up a 12%ish hill outside of Laughlin Nevada until it pukes out the radiator overflow or slows to 35mph...and that's the rating.(more or less).


If you're doing less than that....
You decide.
My guess? 3:1 buffer.

That old of an rv will need the hitch bolts checked.

And
Lord only knows what's in that radiator. Do a flush.

And
My 2dr s10 blazer offroader weighs just under 6k by itself.
Its going to depend if lifted means mall crawler or viable offroader as to weight.
Get weighed. You might be off by 1500lbs.

[Sappy2]

What size is the receiver? Although the Ford spec may be higher from purely a GCWR rating, the final stage manufacturer (motorhome builder) has the last say on final hitch rating. But, the receiver size is step #1 to determine the max capacity of the hitch itself. Then, after the hitch size, it will be the allowed Rear Gross Axle Rating AND the GCWR of the finished unit. And, yes, motorhome builders tend to be conservative with ratings.

[airforceret]

The weight limitation is primarily related to the frame extension and mounting. You also cannot safely run weight distribution. However, the hitch itself is typically rated higher than the 5k listed when installed.

We have several thousand miles towing the jeep, probably 15k miles with a UTV, and even a 1000 or so with a Chrysler 200 Convertible on an 18 ft Integrity commercial car hauler.

A good car hauler and managing tongue weight to be at the 500 lb hitch limit works good for us. We have a 26b on an E350 chassis with the V10.

BTW - Not a mall crawler!

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by paulhead

So my 2013 E350 V10 22E is rated at 5K lbs for towing. Is that a safety buffer so the company avoids liability? I have a car hauler towing a lifted Jeep. Haven't weighed it yet but I think I'm gonna surpass the 5K but not by much. I know the V10 is a beast. Would upgrading the hitch help? Wondering opinions on this. Thanks.

Your "limit" is set by the smallest of several factors:
The hitch may only be rated for 5000 lbs (likely)
The difference between your GCWR and your loaded weight of the MH.


I'll throw some close numbers out there for you:
If your GCWR is 18,500 lbs
And you GVWR is 12,500 lbs
and you are loaded to GVWR, then you could tow 6000 lbs IF your hitch is rated at 6000 lbs or above.
If your MH is only loaded to 11,500 lbs then you could tow 7000 lbs with the proper rated hitch.

There is no such thing as a "Tow Rating"; you have to look at all the numbers to see what you can really tow.

[Lt Keefer]

If you tow as much as one ounce over your weight limit a disaster will occur in which you will kill a family of orphaned nuns on their way home from a pilgrimage. Your insurance company will deny your claim for damages and the local district attorney will prosecute you for manslaughter and you will spend the rest of your life in prison. The families of the deceased will sue and your family will be forced to sell everything and live on BLM land in Arizona. So, you have to ask yourself, do you fell lucky? Do ya?

[MJC62]

IDK living on BLM land in Arizona doesn't sound all that bad...

[ducksface]

Originally Posted by MJC62

IDK living on BLM land in Arizona doesn't sound all that bad...

It's not so bad.
Someone elses open range(it's still a thing)Damn cows on the back porch gets a little old....

[Jimbo56]

Originally Posted by Lt Keefer

If you tow as much as one ounce over your weight limit a disaster will occur in which you will kill a family of orphaned nuns on their way home from a pilgrimage. Your insurance company will deny your claim for damages and the local district attorney will prosecute you for manslaughter and you will spend the rest of your life in prison. The families of the deceased will sue and your family will be forced to sell everything and live on BLM land in Arizona. So, you have to ask yourself, do you fell lucky? Do ya?

Forgot the “punk!”.

[Jimbo56]

Our GVWR is 16,000. GCWR is 22000. Filled and loaded with spouse and dogs we weigh 16,300. Pull a 12 ft tandem trailer with a Smart Car, cooler, dog fence, kayaks, bikes. Comes in at 3400. I always feel lucky!

[lwmcguire]

Stopping safely is likely number one concern

Brakes need to be working well on the trailer

As Duck noted, you will find out if you need a new radiator and transmission cooler

Liability wise you are hanging out there

[paulhead]

You guys crack me up. And thanks for all the good info. So the car hauler has a wood deck and good trailer brakes. My YJ has had metal cut off but then more added on, I need to weight both. So similar models to my 22E came with the 8K hitch? Could it be as simple as swapping out the hitch and keeping it below the GCVWR?

[sip]

It really depends on the setup ... a well built, well maintained, double axle 6000lb car hauler with good brakes can end up being a lot safer and easier to tow than a raggedy, off balance, single axle but 3000lb boat trailer with shitty tires

[The Gritz Carlton]

Originally Posted by Lt Keefer

If you tow as much as one ounce over your weight limit a disaster will occur in which you will kill a family of orphaned nuns on their way home from a pilgrimage. Your insurance company will deny your claim for damages and the local district attorney will prosecute you for manslaughter and you will spend the rest of your life in prison. The families of the deceased will sue and your family will be forced to sell everything and live on BLM land in Arizona. So, you have to ask yourself, do you fell lucky? Do ya?

I'm with you here!! There's too many "Dewy, Chetham & Howe" law firms that will jump all over this. Any modification whatsoever like drop-down hitch, slightly extended hitch, etc., will decrease the capacity significantly. 99% of motorhome hitches are mounted inbound of the rear of the coach and way to high, requiring some type of "modification" in the hitch you use. Normal height is 18" from the ground to the bottom of the ball where the shaft starts. Take it to a hitch professional and get it beefed up or at least certified to your need.

[Bob Denman]

You know my Legal Team?!?

https://www.thorforums.com/forums/at...1&d=1643311056

[Bob Denman]

But seriously: the hitch is rated for 5,000 pounds. It's a sure bet that's NOT what your RV is rated for.
Ignore those limits at your own risk!

[Beau388]

My personal opinion is max gross weight rating is about stopping and not about towing. If your entire rig can't be stopped in 150 ft, you need better tires, brakes or less weight. I have an old 1965 Corvair convertible with drum brakes that stops from 60 mph in 101 ft. I have a 2016 Hurricane that stops in134 ft from 60 mph when fully loaded. Carrying the Corvair on a dolly with surge breaks (2900 lbs total), the Hurricane stops in 149 ft on dry pavement. My reaction time is about 1 second or 88 ft at 60 mph. That is a long way to try to stop a 53 ft long rig. Have you ever tested your anti-lock brakes to see if they work?

[paulhead]

Originally Posted by Beau388

My personal opinion is max gross weight rating is about stopping and not about towing. If your entire rig can't be stopped in 150 ft, you need better tires, brakes or less weight. I have an old 1965 Corvair convertible with drum brakes that stops from 60 mph in 101 ft. I have a 2016 Hurricane that stops in134 ft from 60 mph when fully loaded. Carrying the Corvair on a dolly with surge breaks (2900 lbs total), the Hurricane stops in 149 ft on dry pavement. My reaction time is about 1 second or 88 ft at 60 mph. That is a long way to try to stop a 53 ft long rig. Have you ever tested your anti-lock brakes to see if they work?

No but I will. And thank you for those numbers.

[71_340]

If whatever you are towing exceeds the rated towing capacity of your RV your biggest problem will be liability in case of an accident. You have to ask yourself the question if it is worth losing everything you own and then some.

[Moondoggie]

Wait! Am I reading this right? According to the specs I have found on the Thor Miramar site, the GCWR of the Miramar 34.1, 34.2, 34.4 and 35.2 are all listed at 26,000. The GVWR of each of these vehicles is 22,000. Does this mean that no one who drives a Miramar (other than the 37.1) can tow more than 4000 lbs? That eliminates a LOT of towing possibilities.