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CAT Scale Weigh-in Heavier Than Curb Weight?

I've done two CAT weighs. One fully loaded in "travel mode" with me, wife, dogs, stuff, hitch installed, etc. The second was while traveling with 5th wheel attached. Without the 5vr, I'm at 8,720. Hitched up I'm 640 over the 10k "limit," but also 520 under the 6,040 rear GAWR.
 

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Most of the closed weigh stations I drive by are active, so it’s easy to pull in and weigh yourself. You usually have the place to yourself and can mess with WDH, TW, or Pin weight if you want to.

My factory curb weight was 8,450. My initial trip to a scale had me at 8,720 with myself and ~3/4 tank of fuel. I’m in the 215 range when dressed and 35 gallons is diesel is 245. So I’m a she’s lighter than published, can’t complain.

She’s got weight put back on her with a front receiver, OBA, running boards….

Not much of an issue on a 3500 SRW thou, I seem to max out the rear tires before hitting the mostly meaningless GVWR.
 
My 2022 megacab Laramie CTD with me in it, tanks full, soft bed cover, 3 bed steps, tools and stuff behind seat. Payload sticker is 1922 = 8078 curb weight.

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Scale ticket from beach trip, home leg. Truck and 5ver are a pretty good match.
 

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We all know that a 2500=5500 its just derated by changing that yellow sticker by the evil factory/government (insert favorite conspiracy theory) that wants to scam us into buying a more expensive yellow sticker, but we know better if it fits it ships Lol.

My 2019 3500 SRW HO Big Horn 4x4 by door sticker says 12,300 GVWR. So my big boned truck is 5100lbs steer, 3560lbs drive, for a total of 8660lbs (I remember when cars weighed more than 3000lbs they were considered fat). The mods are a 50 gallon titan fuel tank nearly full at weigh in, and a camper shell on the bed, and full DEF. So of my original payload (3960), I have 3640 left. Which is what one would figure from expanding the gas tank and putting a topper on the back. I was not in the truck and the truck was practically empty, save maybe some papers proving I purchased it.

But I would say, my truck matched its payload sticker. Its just easy to forget how much "stuff" we add to trucks that eats up the already constrained payloads. Payload is what most people run out of 1st on a truck.

Yes, I'm removing the 3" "leveling" on the front the previous owner thought was a good idea. Looks a bit nose high doesn't it?
 

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Grateful Dad's truck is a 2021 Crew Cab, Box Delete, 4x4, short bed, which lists with the 6.4 as having a GVWR of 9900lbs/10000lbs depending. So his truck weighed in at 9300lbs with trailer attached. I'm assuming as he doesn't say that is without passengers, and potentially without a full tank. That leaves him 600-700lbs of payload. 2 CPAP adults and a dog away from a an arby's meal to being overweight. Your trailer being 2K heavier will mean you will have an additional 150-200lbs of pin weight, and assuming your truck weighs about the same about 400-500lbs of payload. Not much margin, and basically just 2 people, or 1 person with the additional of a steel bumper. This also assumes your hitch weighs the same and etc, etc, etc. It should work but its going to be marginal, and no tool boxes in the truck.
 
After this one last year, told wife that trailer needs to get on a weight loss program. Truck is a bit pudgy at 14,760. LOL. Haven't weighed it again after taking some stuff out this summer. I doubt I took 760 pounds out of it.
 

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Grateful Dad's truck is a 2021 Crew Cab, Box Delete, 4x4, short bed, which lists with the 6.4 as having a GVWR of 9900lbs/10000lbs depending. So his truck weighed in at 9300lbs with trailer attached. I'm assuming as he doesn't say that is without passengers, and potentially without a full tank. That leaves him 600-700lbs of payload. 2 CPAP adults and a dog away from a an arby's meal to being overweight. Your trailer being 2K heavier will mean you will have an additional 150-200lbs of pin weight, and assuming your truck weighs about the same about 400-500lbs of payload. Not much margin, and basically just 2 people, or 1 person with the additional of a steel bumper. This also assumes your hitch weighs the same and etc, etc, etc. It should work but its going to be marginal, and no tool boxes in the truck.
I am 7200 gross on my truck. I figure 7500 MAX with the hitch in the bed.
My estimated pin weight it going to be around 2100.
RV is about 10,550 + at best, 1500 lbs more.
I dont think I have 2 tons of **** to go in it, even though it is rated for that much cargo.
I am going to be close to the 22K GCVWR, but legal, I hope.

I will find out next week.
 
Yeah, its impossible to tell how heavy a vehicle is by looking at it (unless you've been doing it a long, long time). The only way to know for sure is to weigh it. Its just like the garage door spring, it never gives any indication of how much tension its under until you pop it loose ;-).

I've been towing for years, and its amazing how fast pots and pans, food, clothes, water in the tanks, bicycles, backpacks all add up to serious weight. Plus how poorly the weight can be distributed making tongue weight climb faster than you think. I have towed way above my maximum payload/GAWR and etc. before. You're truck won't blow up, or catch fire if your overweight (well not generally). What will happen is you won't tow level (probably nose high), which reduces steer axel weight, giving people that coveted "white knuckle" feeling over bumps when the steering goes lite. Nose high/unlevel towing will also throw your headlights out of alignment, making it hard for everyone to see at night (you'll illuminate the sky, and oncoming traffic's eyes). It will also accelerate the wear on suspension components on your truck (shocks and bushings in particular go fast). It may also make your ride worse depending on how close to the bumpstops you come. Finally it can cause blow outs on your 5th wheel if its also not level and you overload the front axle/tires becasue you aren't towing level. See a theme here, towing level is key ;-)

Towing this 5th wheel will require due diligence on your part, to load things properly and carefully, maybe helper air bags. But I'm going to suspect you'll want a 3500+ truck, long bed, duallie in the long run to tow this 5th wheel. It will make the drive a lot more relaxing, which is a major part of having fun. Unless your definition of fun is code brown moments when trucks pass you while hitting bumps :).. In which case I respect your definition of fun, but prefer to watch it on youtube.

Anytime you exceed GVWR you do open the (remote) possibility of getting a ticket. Lets face it, cops are only worried about REAL safety issues like going 5 over the speed limit and parking in a no parking zone. They don't care if your texting while driving an overloaded truck, so long as your not speeding or drunk or both haha ;-) They really don't want to follow you to a cat scale for 45 minutes to give out one ticket, when their performance appraisal depends on how many tickets they issue.

So just keep it below 80 while your texting and having your roadie and you'll be fine.
 
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Does anyone else just hook up the trailer and drive? I figure if my trailer can't handle the weight neither can the truck. Of course i don't pull a 5th wheel.
 
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