When did pickups become medium duty trucks?

I'm watching the Patriots beat up on Cleveland during Tom Brady's first game back and one of the commercials is for the new F250.

I saw the new Superduty will have an aluminum body, and then thought I saw a claim of 925 ft-lbs.

I went to the ford site to confirm that was really what I saw and then looked at towing and payload: Superduty Specs

925 ft-lbs.

Max of 32,000 lb for gooseneck trailer.
Max payload 7,160 lbs
Max GCVW 40,000lbs

You can go up a few more lbs on the GCVW with an F450.

That great as long as everything's working as designed, but if the trailer brakes fail how many miles will it take an F350 to stop a 32,000lb trailer?

Brakes should work just fine, truck is rated for the load. GCVW should be around 14K right no way its 40k.

In reply to wearymicrobe:

If maximum gooseneck towing is 32000lb, then yes, that's a 40,000lb combined vehicle weight. The GVWR is 14k which is the maximum load for the truck itself.

Urk.

Interesting that the SHORTEST wheelbase is 146", and you can go way out to a 176" wheelbase. When I was doing alignments (up to 2001), the standard drive-on racks that we used could only handle a 139" wheelbase, MAX, if the truck had 15" wheels. 16" wheel trucks couldn't be more than 138" wheelbase. And you needed a long box extended cab, or crew cab, to break that.

So, yes, trucks are FRIGGIN HUGE nowadays!

For perspective, 176" is almost two Miatas.

You simply cannot go wrong with any new HD truck. They can do anything, quiet, and comfortable.

And just remember just because you can pull it with that truck, the govt says otherwise, with anything greater than 26k....

My 16 3500 cummins ram gave zero berkeleys about the trailer behind it through the mountains. Previously i towed this trailer with a 90 3500 454 dually chevy. The ram makes the old dually feel like an s10 in the towing capacity dept. soooooo many torques

When i was shopping it was hard to find a non half ton pickup under 12k gvwr. I have a 14k gvwr trailer so to legally be under CDL requirements i needed 12k or less truck. I could have had a dually cheaper, but would have been over the magic 26001 combined number

Most people don't need this, or anywhere near it. My truck is hooked to a trailer for 90%+ of its miles, and the half ton wasnt cutting anything but my bank account breaking driveline parts

Just what every truck buyer needs...I can't wait to start blindly recommending it on every truck thread here.

Knurled wrote: In reply to wearymicrobe: If maximum gooseneck towing is 32000lb, then yes, that's a 40,000lb combined vehicle weight. The GVWR is 14k which is the maximum load *for the truck itself*. Urk. So, yes, trucks are FRIGGIN HUGE nowadays!

That is nuts, I missed the gooseneck. Most I have ever done in my super duty gasser is 11.5K and it was horrible. Trucks are nuts now, I guess I consul myself that 99.9% of them will not be pulling that load on the road. The ones that are normally are trained well.

I rent trucks to pull our club trailer now. 2015 model 3/4 ton units from the place that will pick you up. Crew cab, long bed, 4x4's. Hemi Dodge is good, empty. With the trailer it sucks. Diesel Ford is the best empty but honestly only middling at pulling the trailer. The Cummins, well now, NOW we're getting serious about towing some serious loads. It barely even notices the trailer which is a big, wallowing beast of a bumper pull trailer.

If I was in the market for something to pull long distance: Cummins all the way.

My 15' F350 diesel doesn't notice my 24' enclosed trailer no matter what I put in it. Ridiculous.

This thread reminds me how hilarious it is that my D350 wasn't happy towing a 2002 Impala on an open trailer. Damn 727/3.07 gear combo.

KyAllroad wrote: I rent trucks to pull our club trailer now. 2015 model 3/4 ton units from the place that will pick you up. Crew cab, long bed, 4x4's. Hemi Dodge is good, empty. With the trailer it sucks. Diesel Ford is the best empty but honestly only middling at pulling the trailer. The Cummins, well now, NOW we're getting serious about towing some serious loads. It barely even notices the trailer which is a big, wallowing beast of a bumper pull trailer. If I was in the market for something to pull long distance: Cummins all the way.

Last year i had a tow pack 5.3 1500 avalanche with optional 4.10 gears. It was screaming in 2nd to keep 50 in the WV mountains with the datsun in 14' enclosed trailer. This year same car and trailer, but cummins ram. Felt like no trailer, i could pass semis like they were standing still on the same grades. And it would keep 65-70 climbing them in 6th with no argument.

Trucks are a right tool for the job kind of thing.

The full size and HD truck markets are absolutely cut throat. The stats for the diesel trucks from the "big three" are all crazy. The manufacturers can play some games with numbers and configurations just so that their marketing departments can make claims about 'best in class' this or that. What we're seeing now is a lot like the hp wars with muscle cars, just on a larger, and often more expensive scale. 1000ft-lbs from a a factory vehicle with factory warranty isn't far off. After that, I see the target moving from max power/tq to fuel economy.

And these trucks cost more than the medium duty trucks used to cost. $60k is easy to spend on a 3/4 ton nowadays. Super easy.

dculberson wrote: And these trucks cost more than the medium duty trucks used to cost. $60k is easy to spend on a 3/4 ton nowadays. Super easy.

It's not that hard to get there on a half-ton, either!

I couldn't get a Colorado diesel out the door for under $50k and I couldn't get a reasonably equipped F-150 for under $45k. A Silverado 2500HD Duramax with a well appointed interior is north of $70k and can be optioned to $85k.

I can buy a Peterbuilt with a sleeper cab for mid-30s with a million miles left in it... Cowboy Caddy anyone? It is rumored to tow well.

Ranger50 wrote: And just remember just because you can pull it with that truck, the govt says otherwise, with anything greater than 26k....

Isn't the CDL requirement for over 26k due the need for an air brake endorsement? I know when I was looking to cruise around in the halo truck, which is 30k lbs I looked into this. Since I wasn't commercial, and it has an air over hydraulic brake system as opposed to just air, I was not going to be required to have a CDL, so I was going to be able to go over 26k with no CDL.

IIRC, there are some exceptions to the over 26k for truck + trailer combos. If you never use it for anything even remotely commercial and it's 100% personal use, not being paid to move stuff for friends, etc. you might not need a CDL for it.

Driven5 wrote: Just what every truck buyer needs...I can't wait to start blindly recommending it on every truck thread here.

yawn

KyAllroad wrote: If I was in the market for something to pull long distance: Cummins all the way.

Yup. I'm going to be sleeping in a different state for each of the next three nights and bringing a two car trailer with me. I've done long tows with a Grand Cherokee, a couple of generations of Tundra and the big Cummins. The Cummins is the only one that's relaxing.

I do wonder how many 3/4 ton owners know how heavy their trucks are. Mine clocks in at 7700 lbs. That's basically four tons by the time you put anything in it - like two people. You've got to drive it like it weighs that much. Heck, I have to pay attention to bridge ratings.

And yes, you can tow some really stupid stuff with no special license if you're not engaging in interstate commerce. It's a bit frightening.

I work for Cummins, so I quite enjoy this thread, haha.

It is nuts though. After towing with a B-body wagon for so long, the first time I pulled a 10000 lb trailer with a Ram 3500, it completely blew my mind. The trucks don't feel all that quick empty, but a big trailer sure doesn't seem to make them much slower.

In reply to rslifkin:

That's a gray area. You're proven guilty on the roads until innocent. If you are doing a favor for a friend and they are paying you for fuel and a 12pk, you're commercial now. That's a stretch but entirely plausible.

In reply to Cotton:

DOT cops don't care. They are stopping anyone and everyone that even remotely stinks of possibly being overweight and not placarded.

My f350 empty and empty trailer weighs 9000lbs.

Cant most of the 3/4 ton trucks run a 1/4 in like 14 seconds?

In reply to MrChaos: I wouldn't doubt it. Yesterday I launched from a light in the Powerstroke ford and it was fighting for traction all the way to 70 and positively left my buddy in his late model Civic Si. And I wasn't even trying hard on the launch. It really is impressive.

I should see if they can get me a Chevy next year and see how it handles the load. Nothing like side by side comparisons to settle "which is best" questions.