LOL....that would be nice. Ready for a boat with 8 more feet and one more engine than what you have? :D I'm ready if you are! :evilb::drink::drink:

5 miles is not really any strain on the truck either. I wondered if a truck could stand the strain of this for say 700 miles maybe four times a year or a little more, with this set up.

As far as DOT there is not a concern with the weight behind a chassis if it meets load regulations. A 3500 chassis of course can have only 3500 lbs on the rear axle. The trailer and it's load also must meet the trailer ratings and axle distribution. If all this is good, which you could with this set up, then DOT will look at the rest of the tow parameters like width and length. Yes a 400SS is over the mfgr recommended weight limit for 3:73 gears but that is not what the DOT enforces. They could care a less what the mfgr suggests for engine load limits. The tow limits change based on dive train equipment, power, gearing etc but that part is not a DOT factor. For example what a 3500 chassis was rated at in the 70's vs what it is rated at now is not a change in the DOT's rating but rather engine load limits of the mfgr. If an operator wants to burn up the engine and drive train that is on the operator. That is more of my concern; how much abuse before things start going south.


I'm confident that a 400SS goose neck tow could go fine with the Dmax and 3:73 but that is a few thousand lbs over the engine load limit. How much in excess of the engine load limit can the engine handle without a problem is my pondering?

[QUOTE=aquaforce;3680270]A 3500 chassis of course can have only 3500 lbs on the rear axle. QUOTE]

Not sure about that. My PSD Excursion empty has 4000 lbs on the rear axle, and that is the same as the SRW axle used in the F250 and F350 pickups. That axle is rated for 7000 lbs IIRC.

A crew cab dually probably has close to 3500 lbs on the rear axle empty. Those figures includes the weight of the axle btw.

Better then I thought, so for now nice and easy!


http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/r...5-27110354.jpg

[QUOTE=Chart;3701581]

The way I understand it is the axle weight distribution of the tow vehicle has a weight allowance based on the chassis rating which includes tongue weight and vehicle weight but not to exceed the GVWR of the axles. For a one ton truck it is generally something like vehicle weight plus 3,500 lbs for the rear axle will be very close to what the decal on the door shows.

On Suburbans and like the Excursion the extra weight of body, glass and interior stretched out over the rear axle deducts from the GVWR to where less towing remains.

That is a beautiful rig all matched up. I like it. :Score-101010:

Thanks Aqua, FINALLY have has some devotion time to the boat, rubrail down has been waxed, new numbers put on, oil changed, I still gotta do the drives, I'll do them next week, somehow I want to get the bilge clean, not exactly a easy task figure it out somehow

new to me 09 GMC my little 242

congrats!