Q: Tow capability of deisel trucks on the road
I have friends that have 2500 deisel pickup trucks that they pull the 5th wheel campers with. My question is regarding their weight ratings and legal ramifications in the event of an accident. For an example my friends truck has a payload capacity of 2200 pounds it can have on the truck but can tow 17000. I'm pretty sure that they are over on the payload but under on the max towing capacity. I've had camper dealers tell me that I shouldn't worry about it because they're staying under the tow capacity anyway. So I'm just wondering if one should be concerned about being over on payload but under on the other?
A: If your friends knowingly exceed the manufacturer's recommendations and that condition contributes to an accident, your friend could have significant liability AND he would be giving HIS insurance company a great argument that they are not liable because of his affirmative decision to exceed the manufacturer's recommendations. It is a REALLY BAD idea. It would be like your cardiologist telling you to avoid salt but your gardener telling you it's ok if you use Himalayan salt then wondering why you had that stroke.
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