[rhagfo]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

All three of the truck manufacturers are (or have recently) upped the GVWR on their 3/4 ton models. When I first saw it on a Chevy or GMC (can't remember which one it was) the GVWR was rated at 10800 pounds. I thought to myself, "Now that's illegal, I wonder how they're getting away with it?"....

Then I saw it on a RAM and also on a Ford, so I thought, "OK, when did the federal government change the weight rules for truck classes?"....

As I understand it, trucks are built by the manufacturers to fit a specific class. If they change the GVWR and put the truck in a different class, then it's no longer "the other class"... Where it really gets "fouled up" is when you start mixing classes and the federal emissions categories get crossed. There's a reason why a TPMS is "required on a specific truck and exempt on the next truck"... As an example, TPMS not required on F350 dually, required on F350 SRW.

I wonder if this recall is based on "tires, axles and brakes" not meeting the requirement for the "upgraded class" based on the "new GVWR" where the same equipment does meet the "original classification" (in this case, the 10K GVWR) but when the "class was crossed, those items no longer were certified for the new classification" ???

There's got to be a "penalty" for crossing classes with the same truck... As an example, a Class 2 GVW is 10K and is a class 2b EPA... If the GVW is upped to 10400, it's a class 3 both in GVWR and EPA... How can the "same truck be in two classes? As I understand it, (heard about it but have never seen one), RAM has one 2500 series that was offered with a 12,800 GVWR ????

At least when all three manufacturers started "jumping the 10K GVWR in 3/4 ton models, it made no sense to me. Of course, what do I know ?? LOL

Here's how the federal government has classed trucks:

I don't think Ram has passed the 10,000# GVWR on their 2500's. That 12,800# 2500 would be 500# more than their current 3500 SRW GVWR.