He CAN do it, probably very easily - with or without airbags and a Gryphon - but he SHOULDN'T do it if it puts him over any of the truck's load ratings. Sorry - that's my story and I'm sticking by it!

 

i thought most people drove 60mph with a heavy load like that anyway?

 

No not every one has the god given sense to travel at a safe speed. I will give you and example my dad and I are driving his motor coach through Georgia and we get passed by another coach towing a Tahoe. We were going with the flow of traffic at 73 MPH and this guy passed us like we were standing still. These coaches dry start at 40,000LBS and they carry 150 gallons of water 300 gallons of diesel not to mention the car behind it that weighs 5500LBS. They put load limits on these trucks for a reason I have a CDL and would never risk putting every ones life at risk around me cruising down the highway by overloading a truck commercial or private period.

 

That is the most misguided comment I've seen in a while. Insurance companies are not going to drop you with that load. I know, been there do that and resuranced it and have PAPERWORK supporting it.

 

Considering he will be over his GVWR and depending upon boat size, over his GCWR, they can most certainly do it and he could be charged with the accident no matter whose fault it really is. His truck does not have 1600lbs of payload as it sits empty. That doesn't even include passengers, or tongue weight of the boat, or anything else he has loaded in the vehicle. Adding airbags or add a leafs does not change the amount of weight the vehicle can legally handle.

 

While that may be light for an in-bed camper, it is more than a 1/2 ton has available for payload.

How about I just avoid driving near overloaded vehicles. I don't want to be close enough to give or see expressions. Putting oneself at risk is fine with me. Put others at risk (by telling them to exceed OEM ratings on the internet or driving overloaded on the roads with others) is what I have issues with. Oh, and OP wants to do with on a 12 year old truck.

There are several things that were designed by the OEM to come up each rating. Engine cooling, trans cooling, gars, differential, bearings, bushings, springs, brakes, tires, etc. All come together to get the OEM ratings. Modifying any of them does not increase any ratings.

 

While that may be light for a in bed camper, it is more than a 1/2 ton has available for payload.

How about I just avoid driving near overloaded vehicles. I don't want to be close enough to give or see expressions. Putting oneself at risk is fine with me. Put others at risk (by telling them to exceed OEM ratings on the internet or driving overloaded on the roads with others) is what I have issues with. Oh, an OP wants to do with on a 12 year old truck.

There are several things that were designed by the OEM to come up each rating. Engine cooling, trans cooling, gars, differential, bearings, bushings, springs, brakes, tires, etc. All come together to get the OEM ratings. Modifying any of them does not increase any ratings.

 

Got any facts to back that up? Talk to a state trooper. They don't care what that door sticker reads. They look at tire ratings.

 

Tire ratings are totally meaningless as I can put a LR E on my vehicle that are rated almost twice my GVWR. Even a LR C will handle above the weight the vehicle can. GVWR is determined by far more than just tires. Brakes, frame, engine, suspension, and driveline make up that determination.

From the owners manual:

GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) – is the maximum allowable
weight of the vehicle and the loaded trailer – including all cargo and
passengers – that the vehicle can handle without risking damage.
(Important: The towing vehicle’s braking system is rated for operation at
GVWR, not at GCWR.) Separate functional brakes should be used for
safe control of towed vehicles and for trailers where the GCW of the
towing vehicle plus the trailer exceed the GVWR of the towing vehicle.
The GCW must never exceed the GCWR.

http://www.chroniclet.com/2008/08/27...t-27-2008_122/

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/14/nyregion/14van.html

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/104595/

Whether weight or number of passengers, an overloaded vehicle is an overloaded vehicle.

I even found references to DEA agents looking for overloaded vehicles as possible drug runners.

I know through my searches, that Maryland, and I am sure other states, state that the vehicle weight can not be more than the GVWR. It is a citable offense to do so, whether a non-commercial or commercial vehicle.

Where is your proof that it is okay to go over GVWR and GCWR?

 

Your first article says over loaded is that passengers or weight? Is that over the GVW or the weight on the registration? Same with your 3rd article, is that too many people? Was he over his GVW or registered weight? Was he over the rated tire load? These articles have no "proven" facts. They don't even say if the charges held up in court. You can be charged with anything the police want to, what matters is if it stands up in court.

Your NY Times article has NOTHING to do with weight. IT has to do with too many people for the number of seat belts. Please, please, re read that article.

My DOT # is my proof. The reason that DEA and DOT are looking for over loaded vehicles is to make $$$ and arrests. When you register a truck, it's set at the GVW. If you pay to raise your GVW on your registration your legal, they are looking to see if you are over your registered weight not the stamped GVW of your truck. Trust me, I have a fleet of over 60 low boys and 100 F-450 / F-550s that are weighted for 48 lower states. The GVW on those trucks are lower then the actual weight we run, we hit scales all the time, our reigistered weight on the f-550s is 25,999 lbs. This allows us to run over the GVW without any issues. May GVW for a F-550 is 19,000 lbs, we run in the low 20s every day and stop at all weight scales WITHOUT issues. All we have is a DOT # on the side of the truck and the registered GVW of 25,999. No issues. DOT is looking at tire size and max load rating (they also look at the "bridge" weight). Believe me, I haul for a living and haul heavy machines and material day in and day out. I know the law.

 

And you are talking commercial, which has nothing to do with an F150. Now if you are allowed to run over GVWR, then I must say that is one of the dumbest laws I have ever heard. For commercial,around here they bhave weigh stations, and if the vehicle is overweight at all it is yanked off the road.

 

You are correct, IF it is over the REGISTERED weight or the max allowed axle weight based on bridge and tire size (the width of tires changes the max axle weight ratings) it is pulled off the road (can also be downed for equipment issues). I'm very up to date on your weight scales and have passed over both the one west of 27 on I 70 west bound and the one on south bound 270 south of 355 (which I hit everytime I come home to MD or back to FL).

 

i have 06 and pulled my 35 foot camper and aluminum fish/hunting boat on four hour drive doing 65 mph and never had a problem, friend has 03 f150 with 28 foot camper and fishing boat together never had a problem

 

Here's another way to look at it in an anology....

If you 'overload' any size rig, it's basically the same as putting a single bullet in a revolver, spinning the cylinder and then pulling the trigger.... Will it fire or not?? Will you crash or not?? Will you get caught or not?? Will you be just fine??

You can be as conservative as you want, or as reckless as you want... You have the same odds as something 'bad' happening as you do in getting to your destination just fine if you try the above example for yourself...

"Crap Shoot" comes to my mind as well...

IMO, load up your rig as you feel comfortable with and deal with whatever happens..... If you overload and get to your destination unscathed, then great... If you are under all of your weights, but still get into an accident, then what??

Most folks on here when they get a 'question' on "how much can I haul" or "tow", it's going to be on the more conservative side.... I'll suggest that more often then not myself... It only makes sense to me... Now, if you just load up your rig to the bumpstops, claim you did "just fine" and then you go from there, that's your choice, but I'll guess you might come up on that 'bullet in the chamber' sooner then later....

Good luck to all with whatever you tow or haul! Just use your own common sense and that'll do more then whatever 'recommendations' you get on the internet!

Mitch

 

all i have to say, if you do it, please take pictures lol