• Thank you for visiting HeavyEquipmentForums.com! Our objective is to provide industry professionals a place to gather to exchange questions, answers and ideas. We welcome you to register using the "Register" icon at the top of the page. We'd appreciate any help you can offer in spreading the word of our new site. The more members that join, the bigger resource for all to enjoy. Thank you!

Empty weight? 97 Ford L8000 8.3L Cummins old county plow truck

roachven7

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
19
Location
Northwoods, MN
Occupation
Homesteader
So I just bought a 97 Ford L8000 8.3L Cummins single axel old county plow truck to haul gravel and plow my 2 mile driveway.... I figured it'll barely be on public roads but I'm best off going ahead and transferring the title over to my name just in case I ever sell it..... So I go in and they tell me they won't register it until I can tell them the empty weight? So the GVWR is 41,000 printed on the door but I can't find anything about the damn empty weight, anyone got any decent guess as to what the empty weight would be on this vehicle? It does have the plow and a wing, so I don't know if that factors into the empty weight? I don't want to just completely make something up but I figure if anyone here could just give me a good estimate, that would probably be good enough.... I've searched all over the internet and can't find it so it's not like the registration lady will be able to prove me wrong... Thanks in advance for any help!
 

Delmer

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2013
Messages
8,891
Location
WI
Cab and chassis = 13,000. Plows, box etc brings it to 20,000 plus or minus. My best guess.
 

Wes J

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2016
Messages
649
Location
Peoria, IL
International without the plows attached was about 17,000 for a single axle, 21,000 for a tandem. Add 3-5000 for the plow setup.
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,377
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
Interesting spec on the old truck. 20K lb front axle and 21K lb rear axle?

BTW - what's all that white stuff on the ground?
 

roachven7

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
19
Location
Northwoods, MN
Occupation
Homesteader
I guess What I meant by "just bought" was that I bought it this past winter..... hence the snow in the pictures....hehe. Just now getting around to transferring the title. Thanks all for answers... I will probably just go with 21,000 since that seems about right?
plowtruck7.jpg
 

colson04

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2016
Messages
2,087
Location
Delton, Michigan
Any good guess what it would weigh without that giant chunk of metal? Any other opinions? Thanks


Go find a scrapyard, farm elevator, or other place of business with a scale. The local scrapyard charges $5 for a certified weight to take to the SOS for title transfers. I had to weigh a trailer I bought out of state. I was in, out and back to the SOS in like 20 minutes total.

(SOS = Secretary of State. Michigan doesn't have a DMV)
 

colson04

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2016
Messages
2,087
Location
Delton, Michigan
For another reference, an '87 F-750 with 429 gasser, single axle, no plows, was right on 13,000 lbs at local gravel pit.
 

JPSouth

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2016
Messages
125
Location
SW Montana
'97 IH 2554, DT466, full on fuel, extra overload spring set, heavy box and 350 lb. 30K hitch - 17,350# with me and the border collie in the cab.
 

Nige

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Messages
29,379
Location
G..G..G..Granville.........!! Fetch your cloth.
Does the empty weight affect what you might have to pay in road taxes, whatever..? Sorry I have no idea how those rules work in the US but over this side of the pond, the heavier the truck (empty) the more you'll pay for the yearly road tax.
If more weight is going to cost you more money, surely anything that can be unbolted (like the plow and the wing) should not be classed as part of the truck - because let's face it the truck can operate without them. In that case you'd want to pull all those extras off then put the truck on a scale.
 

fast1buzz

Active Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2018
Messages
34
Location
pueblo co
Occupation
Retired Heavy Haul Company owner
Here in Colorado you have to have a certified scale ticket for a title weight and they do tax you by the weight. I purchased a C70 Chevy service truck with a utility body and autocrane loaded that bad boy up with 10000lbs of tools compressor,welder,and whatever else I thought might be needed only to unload it to get an ''empty'' weight. It only weighed 9100 with everything removed. I would say your L8000 would weigh quite considerably more than that but I would find out first if it needed to be a certified weight and go from there.
 

colson04

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2016
Messages
2,087
Location
Delton, Michigan
20181015_145950.jpg

I hauled gravel with my plow truck after Christmas, full fluids, me and my son in cab, put my tare weight right on 19,100 pounds. A bit heavier than I was expecting, but not out of line with what other guys posted above.
 
Top