Spent months shopping for a new Superduty, ended up ordering one that fit our criteria- XLT, Powerstroke, 3.55 rear-end, Camper package, fifth wheel, etc. We were debating back and forth between a F250 SRW and F350 SRW, ended up with the F250.The dealer, technical specs in the promo material and everything else from Ford states the payload is 3,450 lbs. I knew with options this number would come down, especially with the diesel. But I was pretty shocked when the sticker on the door said the actual payload is 2,130 lbs. A whole 1,300 lbs less!! Our XLT is pretty basic, but I get it that the diesel and 4x4 adds to this weight, but a 2,130 payload is pretty light for any serious towing. I looked at a F350 SRW on the lot and the door sticker said 2,500 lbs, still really light. Anyway, I'm not going to worry about it, I've pulled over 100,000 miles on an old F250 with lower ratings with the same camper with no issues. It's just really misleading all the material that is out there touting one number, but in real life, it's much different. My old truck was before the payload numbers were put on the door jamb, so I've been overweight for 17 years and didn't really know it. I have always been within my "owners manual" payload number and combined gross weights, but I'm sure I was 500+ lbs over on payload if they would have measured/reported payload the same in 2001. I have to say, despite the disappointing door sticker payload numbers, you would never know it...these new trucks are light years ahead of the old ones in handling, power and stopping.

What is the RAWR/Rear Tire Max Load Ratings on that F250?Those are numbers that REALLY count.Stay at or under those load ratings and GO Camping!

I would be more than disappointed. Hopping mad. Heck, my well equipped 2015 Tahoe has a payload of 1,595.

Old-Biscuit wrote:What is the RAWR/Rear Tire Max Load Ratings on that F250?Those are numbers that REALLY count.Depends on what your counting?If you buying a truck to tow with get an F350, 3500 or full one ton.Brochure ratings are based on strip model best case scenario vs. a real world actual truck that is not stripped and has options.Every pound of options reduces the GVWR.

Ford specs have about a dozen different payload ratings each for the F250, F350 SRW, and the F350 DRW. Cab, bed, engine, even tire size, affect the payload rating. And the difference between the low and high of each is significant. Your salesman probably picked the F250 configuration with the highest rating and passed that off as the rating for all F250s.

It’s been a while since i ordered a truck (2002) and when I did i didn’t care about anything other than tow rating. Can you not get payload info for the truck you order when you order it?

Payload Ratings are a farce | Good Sam Community

thomas201
Explorer
Jun 13, 2018
My suggestion. At a large dealership, find a truck on the lot that is almost what you plan to order by the window sticker. Open the door and check the door sticker. You should be close. Works very well if the only problem is the color.
mowermech
Explorer
Jun 13, 2018
I have never worried about the door sticker numbers. When I register my trucks, I put the GVW on the registration that I want, and get on down the road. My old '94 3500 was registered for 14,000 GVW. I'm sure I never exceeded that LEGAL limit!
I run LT Load Range E tires on all trucks. Yes, even the half tons I have owned in the past.
My 2500 has Cooper Discoverer LT E tires, but I don't know what the registered GVW is. I don't care, either. I have a 2500 because it tows the 7X14 enclosed trailer with both ATVs aboard with no problems, and I like the Cummins.
mbopp
Explorer
Jun 13, 2018
That 3450# payload is for a gas engine. I've always maintained if you want a Diesel go with a 1-ton since 3/4-ton Diesels don't have much more payload than a 1/2-ton gasser.
bartlettj
Explorer
Jun 13, 2018
mbopp wrote:
That 3450# payload is for a gas engine. I've always maintained if you want a Diesel go with a 1-ton since 3/4-ton Diesels don't have much more payload than a 1/2-ton gasser.

The payload on my 2500hd diesel crew is limited by the legal limit of 10000 GVWR for class 2 trucks. It weighs 7900 lbs curb. When you go by the axle ratings it still has plenty of payload, as it has the same spring packs and axles as a 3500 SRW
nickthehunter
Nomad II
Jun 13, 2018
"If you hit your max GVWR, you will probably be way over in Payload."
Payload is the gross weight of the truck subtracted from the GVWR. It is impossible to have an inverse relationship between the two numbers. If you are over one, you are over on both. If you are under one, you are under on both.
Devocamper
Explorer
Jun 13, 2018
GM Ford and Ram all have tow guides and Ford and Ram have a camper Guide for Slide in campers. When I ordered our Ram it came in within a few pounds of what the guides said it would , 4x4, diesel ,cab size even front seats ,bench or buckets made a difference in payload and gvwr ratings on paper. The info is out there just need to find it , found GM the hardest to figure out weights with a given configuration and GM always came out with lower payloads and gvwr's, I had been a gm owner for all my past trucks but needed the maximum payload available this time around and that was the ram when each truck was configured the same.
2edgesword
Explorer
Jun 13, 2018
You have to read all of the fine print and then (knowing all of the various add-ons and limitations) do the calculating to find the weakest link. Payload is typically the weakest link.

Then there are the local/state regulations. I need a 3/4 ton to tow the trailer my wife wanted. One of the problems I ran into was the maximum 6,000 lbs maximum curb weight to get passenger plates and ability to drive state parkways. This was going to be a summer tow vehicle and my regular commuting vehicle and I use parkways in commuting to work and just about every other place I have to go. Nothing in 3/4 ton with a crew/extended cab, 4x4, etc. made the weight so I had to keep searching until I found a regular cab F250 4x2 that just made it under the passenger vehicle weight limit (the curb weight on this truck is 5860 lbs).

There were a few other ways to avoid having to put commercial plates on what was going to be a passenger vehicle but it required making add-ons (seats attachments in the truck bed, camper shell, etc.) that I didn't want to make.
souraider
Explorer
Jun 14, 2018
Don't know what trim level F350 you were looking at, but my '17 STX 4x4, SRW, short bed diesel has a cargo capacity of #3766 per the door sticker.
blt2ski
Moderator
Jun 14, 2018
Last I checked, door sticker was a warranty weight rating only! not a true legal one if pulled over by true weight cops. I have yet to get a ticket being over the door sticker numbers from a CVEO, as long as I had a paid for license higher than I weighed, and was under the Federal Bridge Law limits per axel!

So in a nutshell, the door sticker payload ratings are a farce, "EXCEPT" to the manufacture, or a civil lawyer in a civil suit, and even in the civil side......being over may not be that big a deal!

Marty
ACZL
Explorer
Jun 14, 2018
I would suspect the empty weight of the OP's 250 will be about 8,000-8,300. With a max of 10,000, OP won't be close to 2,000 payload

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