need towing expertise

[EricM]

The EXACT same arguments can be made about ANY other modification to the vehicle or violating ANY other type of law.

Crash going above the speed limit, uh oh in trouble for speeding
Crash with aftermarket non-DOT bumpers and hurt someone, uh oh in trouble for illegal parts
Crash with illegal tint on the windows, uh oh in trouble for illegal obstruction of vision
Crash with beadlocks on, uh oh in trouble for non-DOT wheels
Crash while towing 200 lbs above your GVWR, uh oh in trouble for exceeding the trucks rating
Crash while buzzed, uh oh in trouble for exceeding your BAC limit

I understand your point. You constantly break all kinds of laws, so what's one more? OK- Got it.

The problem is, your advise on the matter is terrible. When I'm towing a heavy trailer, I don't speed. I don't have illegal tint, bumpers, or wheels on my truck. I also don't drive vehicles when I'm drunk. All your hypotheticals are out the window. The only legal issue I'm concerned about when towing a heavy load is the GVWR and CGVWR.

If I'm in an accident, even if it's not my fault- my insurance company could easily say "you are on your own" if it was overweight. Why would they cover it if they can just as easily be free of all liability?

I don't know if you've seen how much money can be involved in a wreck, but you can top $500,000 very quickly. Throw in a few people's medical bills and it's pushing a $1 million easy. I'd prefer to not throw away everything I've worked for my entire life and go into bankruptcy just because some guy on the internet said it's no big deal to tow a few hundred pounds over the rating of the truck.

In reality, it IS a big deal. For you to act like it's not is a disservice to anyone reading this in the future and the OP who asked.

 

[TBONE21]

Update....

I took my raptor today to the rv dealership and hooked up to a similar rv.
Unhooked I measured 2 and a half inches to the bump stop. Hooked up but no Wd hitch it measured a quarter of an inch. Putting bars on it, went to an inch and a quarter. Now we didn't spend time to measure and set the bars on perfect but it gave me a good idea. It looked like it was awful. I thought it dropped 5 inches until I measured and figured out that wasn't the case. My visual measurements aren't that good anyways. Anyways that's where we stand. I was fully loaded with fuel and had a ton of tools in my bed.
Dealer said we may could of gotten more lift if the bars were set up perfect.

 

[Reptar]

If I'm in an accident, even if it's not my fault- my insurance company could easily say "you are on your own" if it was overweight. Why would they cover it if they can just as easily be free of all liability?

My point is just that for ANY of those other things that are frequently and commonly done to these trucks that many people brush off as no big deal even though they're technically illegal too.

I'm not saying if you're towing over weight while also with tint, or while also speeding, or while also on non-DOT wheels or parts, but any of the things independently.

If you get in an accident with illegal tint, you're in the same hole of trouble that illegal tint could be ruled as the cause of the accident severity.

If you get in an accident with going above the speed limit, you'r ein the same hole of trouble that illegal speeding could be ruled as the cause of the accident severity.

If you get in an accident while towing a couple hundred lbs over your rating, you're again in the same hole of trouble that exceeding the rating could be ruled as the cause of the accident severity.

They're all risks to weigh, and I'm not recommending going to the extreme on any of them, but I find it a little hypocritical to chastise someone so much about going a couple hundred lbs over their tow limit yet see nothing at all in the tint threads or wheel threads or bumper threads, etc. that showcase mods or acts that aren't technically legal and carry a risk.

I wouldn't recommend limo tint on the windshield, but reasonable tint on the sides and maybe very very light on the windshield isn't really a big deal, even if technically illegal.

I wouldn't recommend doing triple digit speeds on the highway, but 5, 10, 15 mph over the posted limits isn't really a big deal, even if technically illegal.

I wouldn't recommend going a thousand lbs or more over the tow rating, but a couple hundred lbs over the rating isn't really a big deal, even if technically illegal.


That's my point lol.

 

[FarFromStock]

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[customtruckshop]

We install the Hellwig Big wig bag kit and the sway bars and they help a lot with towing and would recommend looking into Helper products for your Raptor if you are going to tow. They make a huge difference.

 

[dataustin]

So the Hellwig Big Wig Bag Kit fits on a Raptor?