II think a lot of the confusion here comes from a lack of knowledge of how tow rating are achieved.... firstly they are a marketing tool. my hemi can pull more than your vortec. Secondly the reason that a quad cab hemisphere with 3.92 gears is rated differently from a quad cab 4.7 with 3.55 has nothing to do with stuff breaking or controlling loads... it has to do with the trucks ability to maintain a set speed up a set grade... think... the breaks are the same so you will slow down as fast... the steering is the same so you have the same control, the frame and axles are the same so they are not going to break in one application and not the other... the only difference is that your truck will be crawling up a grade with the lower rated setup. In other words if you live in the hill country it makes a big difference but if you live in west Texas it doesn't... there are no grades. That is not to say there are not massive differences between a short bed regular cab and a ramble four door... there are. And you should always try to buy a truck that exceeds your payload expectations by 30 percent (that is just an opinion) but if you find yourself pulling a 5200 lb trailer with a non weight distributing hitch you will be fine. If you already have a truck rates for 9800 lbs and you have to tow 10,000 lbs 3 or four timers a year the truck will handle it. Adding gears will get you up the hills at a slightly higher rate of speed but will not affect any other aspect of towing.
Remember to some extent these numbers are simply made up. Also remember that they are essentially always wrong.... they are for zero equipment vehicles with 150 lb drivers. If you weigh more than that or your truck has any options that add weight, that comes right out of your GCVWR.

 

I have a lighter hood. That should save me a few pounds.... Still doesn't make up for me weighing 190 or the STI under my seat...

 

agree with all of frogs explanation except the above quote. Along I-10 west of Sonora there are some nasty grades in comparison to the Hill Country all the way to Sierra Blanca

 

That is EXCELLENT advice !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

So... heard back from my sister... according to her the only way that she would move to deny a claim would be for there to be gross negligence; her example was overloading to the point where the vehicle was structurally damaged. She also said that the only way it would even have been raised to her level was if there was something either very out of order with your claim or you haf just pissed off your adjuster. She also said typically the overloading would have to be the cause of the accident. If for example you turned without indicating you are still covered as weight was not the cause of the accident.

So...

 

Read this - although it is a 2009 article, I don't believe things have changed much truck wise.

http://blogs.edmunds.com/strategies/...vs-toyota.html

4th Place: 2009 Ford F-150 Lariat 4WD SuperCrew 4x4
As-tested price: $46,415
For more information, see the 2009 Ford F-150 model review

Our Ford F-150 tipped the scales at over 6,000 pounds -- the heaviest of the bunch. As such, the 5.4-liter V8 was the least powerful in the group and struggled with the F-150's sheer mass. The Ford was the least suited to lugging around a pair of Fleetwood trailers, despite a best-in-class tow rating (see Inside Line test for more information). The attractive interior, bright chrome external features might make the F-150 the best-suited for commuting duties, but with fuel economy of 12.6 mpg, that seems a bit wasteful.

See this video

http://www.insideline.com/dodge/ram-...and-video.html

Lastly, here is another link. Bottom line is that for the kind of load were talking in this thread, you need a 3/4 ton truck

http://www.tundraheadquarters.com/bl...m-tow-ratings/

 

I've pulled with Furds, and I don't know how they do it cause they are slugs compared to even the 4.7 Rams, but they DO handle better pulling heavy loads. As I've stated, you just don't feel like you've struggled to maintain control like you do with a Ram (be it 2nd, 3rd or 4th Gen.) I guess it's gotta be frame or suspension related cause they lag WAY behind in sheer HP. Just my own observation.

And Frog, you got a nice sister, but she would be within the company's legal rights to DENY such a claim. Geico has told me on the phone that my claim would be voided if I was over weight pulling, leaving me to face the brunt of any liability. The "argument" I had with my cousin who works for The Hartford really wasn't IF they'd pay the claim, but IF they could legally deny such a claim. I think the "bargain" insurance companies would be the hard asses with such a claim. BUT IMO, anybody pulling over weight is taking a risk that I, for one, ain't willing to take.
I also do networking for a county in Georgia and have had the conversation that LEGALLY if you are knowingly pulling over capacity and have an accident, you are liable for criminal charges if property damage or injury results from a mishap. Again, may have to be an extreme case, but again, not a chance I'm willing to take.

Although it's not really related, next time you talk to your sister, ask her about accident claims and Over-Size tires. I personally know a guy who had a claim denied because he was running 37" tires on his lifted Nissan Titan. The assessor weighed into account that the over-size tires were a "contributing factor" in the accident and also notified him that the insurance company was not notified of such "modification" in writing. A local attorney advised him to sue his insurance company in a civil case, but after getting an estimate of the cost to fight it should he lose, he chose not to. Be interesting to know what your sister says...

 

I think I've decided to go with a 2008 F-250... The local dealer let me borrow one with 43k miles yesterday that I've been driving today and for just slightly more than my truck, its a nice truck and will easily solve my problems. The power extending and folding mirrors are my favorite part.