High Country 310RE

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by Banjopicks

Curious what the cost was for those upgrades? I certainly don't want a one ton for everyday driving.

I traded a 2016 F250 in on a 2016 F350. I see no difference in ride pulling and no difference in ride if only the 5er hitch is in the bed. I suspect by the time you add all the stuff to make you feel good towing illegally the ride will be worse than stock. Additionally, $500 plus labor or time when the difference in new prices is in that same range. Often, a 350 can be purchased for less than a 250. In the area I live 3/4 tons are much more popular than 1 tons but the exact opposite where my daughter lives.

I would like to see states getting together and coming out with a $10 annual sticker. Every TT, 5er, and MH would be pulled to the scales weighed and checked for payload overload. The fines would make the states millions. Everyone on the road would be safer.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by CaptnJohn

I traded a 2016 F250 in on a 2016 F350. I see no difference in ride pulling and no difference in ride if only the 5er hitch is in the bed. I suspect by the time you add all the stuff to make you feel good towing illegally the ride will be worse than stock. Additionally, $500 plus labor or time when the difference in new prices is in that same range. Often, a 350 can be purchased for less than a 250. In the area I live 3/4 tons are much more popular than 1 tons but the exact opposite where my daughter lives.

I would like to see states getting together and coming out with a $10 annual sticker. Every TT, 5er, and MH would be pulled to the scales weighed and checked for payload overload. The fines would make the states millions. Everyone on the road would be safer.

When there were "only a few" people towing overloaded, there really wasn't enough justification to spend large sums of taxpayer money to enforce a "problem" that wasn't that frequent. Now that more and more people are turning to RVing, the number of people towing larger trailers with smaller vehicles is growing. We're on the "verge of someone screaming foul" that works in a position where they can't be ignored. As one member said several months ago, "It'll change when a senator's family is hurt in an accident with an overloaded RV." I don't know if it will go that far or not, but it's inevitable that states are going to start enforcing weight restrictions. If for no other reason, to increase their tax revenue for road repair.

Looking at recent offerings from Keystone, you can't buy a "current model" Cougar less than 37' long with a "loaded pin weight" that will be greater than 2200 pounds. That puts all "new Cougars" out of the 3/4 ton truck capability (if you include a sliding hitch and a family of 4). Once people can "only buy big trailers" the F250/2500 trucks are going to "fade away for RV use". It will be very simple for law enforcement to check, just by reading the label on the side of a truck, pull it over for "random weight check" and take appropriate action.

So many people currently own "smaller vehicles" because of recent past costs associated with fuel. Now that we're out of that "fuel crisis" they are looking to buy an RV. So, why not get the "biggest we can afford" with little concern for what we have to pull it with.....

Certainly not everyone falls into this kind of thinking, but the "unknowing, new buyer" who listens to the salesman is particularly subject to being "sold down the river"..... Once they do experience towing with an underpowered, overweight vehicle (and accept that as the way things are supposed to be), the pattern perpetuates itself with their future purchases. Until that cycle is broken, they honestly believe all RV's are supposed to tow "like theirs does" and they accept that bad towing as "normal" for RV's....

It's unfortunate, but I suppose "government intervention" (I hate that terminology) is going to "fix it for us" (or make it so much worse that none of us can RV any more)........

[Tbos]

I hope we don't get to the point where the government, state or federal, have to mandate weighing our rigs. I'd like to see the users, manufacturers and dealers take this seriously. If the dealers would take a serious look at the TV and its capacity I think most people would still buy but maybe something smaller than planned. Then when they upgrade the TV they'll eventually upgrade the TT too. Overall everyone would be safer and there might be more rigs sold.
I for one am very grateful for forums like this to educate us. I'm considering an upgrade of TV to a 350/3500 and TT to 5er we can live in full time. Looking at the dry pin weights on some of the Montanas I wonder how they are within the weight limitations of the current crop of 1 ton trucks. I've looked at the GM and Ford trailering guides and they don't list pin weight capacity. Just towing and GCWR. What I haven't done is look on a 350/3500 door sticker. That might help relieve some fears.


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[geobet]

I'm the original poster.

This discussion, as expected, has digressed into a plethora of self anointed "weight police" comments and shameful scare tactics. Come on guys. Shouldn't you be out camping or something? Get a life. You've made your points at nausium. ENOUGH already! Most of your responses missed my point for the original post by a mile. I didn't ask for opinions or lectures, advice or any pulpit beating, hell-fire belching self appointed do-gooders to redirect my post into a sermon about weights and consequences.

As an ex-OTR trucker with over a million accident free miles. I have a class A CDL with all endorsements and am well aware of weights. And, I've never been fined for being overweight!!!

What you may not be aware of is that the truck manufacturers have engineers to certify test results of loading, stress and such. However, before these results go to press - guess who has to issue the final bless off? Pencil neck, paper flipping lawyers who've never turned a wrench in their lives and wouldn't know which end of a screwdriver to use. Fudge factors are built into the final product to stave off litigation. Believe it!

My Ram 2500 is rated, by Ram Trucks website and my original build sheet, to tow 17,550# with a payload of 2920#. The HIgh Country GVW and pin weight are within that margin. And, no I don't haul heavy - no full tanks, no junk I don't absolutely need. I leave the house at home.

I have the same chassis, frame, tranny, engine, yada, yada, yada,,,,,as a Ram 3500! In 2013, the only, let me repeat that...the ONLY difference between the two trucks is that the 3500 has an extra rear leaf in the spring pack. So, you self anointed weight police, take that and stuff it where the sun don't shine.

I belong to several forums, dare I say ones that are much more civil and less preachy, and if this is any indication of what can be expected on the Keystone forum - I'm outta here!!! Where the heck is the forum monitor? Is there one? Someone needs to police these posts and keep them on target and to the point.

Cheers:

George

[JRTJH]

Since the OP has stated that he has the information he requires and feels the thread has detoured off his intended track, he states he has the comments he needs, and will seek information on other forums, so before it becomes any more negative than it is, the thread is closed.