Dually payload??

Tonymull - I have a new theory - today I looked at a 1996 Chevy Silverado 2500. The sticker in the glove box said the cargo weight rating was 1208. Perhaps they are including a 150$ person in every seat? 6 people x 150 = 900# That would at least bring the rating up to 2108 including people. That still sounds low, the tires were rated to 3000#.

I have 2 ideas.
1. The truck companies are over conservative when setting their limits so no one listens to them and everyone is happy. Some people believe it's a marketing ploy to get people to buy larger trucks than they actually need.

2. No one really wants to know what their payload is because it's a huge pain and they just want to get out and have fun, math be damned! If people obeyed their payloads, less campers would be sold and less camping would be done!

I apologize to those who are telling me to weigh the truck, that's great advice, it's just hard to do when you don't own the truck. I don't want to spend a bunch of time inspecting and test driving a truck only to find out the payload is less than what I need - so I've been doing my best to find out before seeing the vehicles.

I worry about payload because I want an easy driving experience with good safe handling.

ruthiebaby88 wrote:
I just thought it was strange that a DRW 1 ton GMC Sierra would have a max payload of 2482#?

GVWR of 10000, GAVR 4500, GAWR 7500

The tires are 16s.

The truck did seem huge, very long - do you think they used up the weight with an extra long bed?

Is this a 1990 truck with a 454 engine in it? That is no longer a 'very capable' truck. They have improved a LOT over the years.

In 2005, Ford F-350 SRW was rated to carry about 4,000 pounds, and had a GVWR of 11,500 pounds. The Dually F-350 in 2005 was rated around 13,000 GVWR. It did depend on the cab choice, and if you had a diesel engine, then the GVWR went up by about 500 pounds.

You would be better off looking at a newer truck, with a much higher GVWR, or look at a F-450 with a tool box body that is 33" tall, same height as a normal pickup body. The early 'Super Duty" F45 in their VIN number had a 16,000 GVWR and 16" 10 lug rims. So they did not mount the older 2,400 pound rated rims on the heavier truck!

IF you want a lighter curb weight, then the gas engine will be about 400 - 500 pounds less than a diesel model.


Have fun camping!

Fred.

KD4UPL wrote:
If you're looking at a 2001 - 2010 Chevy the GVWR should be 11,400. The truck empty probably weights about 7,500. This should leave you around 3,900 pounds of payload. Even subtracting for people should leave over 3,000 pounds for payload.

Yep. Mine weighs



With me (the driver) in it and this much fuel: (enroute to pick up the camper (AF811) from the dealer.)

KD4UPL wrote:
My own 2005 Chevy dually is rated for 11,400 but scales at about 13,200 with my family, 11' TC, and boat hitched up. I'm not over the ratings of my tires or axles. I've got many thousands of miles behind me with this set up.

I'm over the GVWR of my 2009 Silverado Dually right off the camper dealer's lot. This photo was on the way home from the dealer.

Sounds like my old 91 dually. 10k gvw. That was when a 1 ton carried about a ton of weight.

Usually the dually rear axle is rated for 8,000 lbs. or more as with these trucks the weakest link is the tires and adding 2 more nearly doubles the load capacity. Subtracting the weight of the truck at the drive axles gives an approximate maximum payload.

The problem with the payload ratings is that if you have a crew cab the manufacturer down rates the load to allow 150 lbs. per passenger seat or 750 lbs. with the crew cab configuration.

The rear axle and wheel bearings are rated for at least 8900 lbs. so the weakest link is first the tires and after that the leaf springs followed by the strength of the frame.

There is something else wrong with your numbers. I have a SRW 2500HD that has a payload rating from the factory that is greater than the 2482 pounds mentioned. It is actually less than the payload rating of the new Ford F-150 trucks with 17" wheels.

When I was looking at new trucks on dealers' lots there were always similar trucks with very different payload ratings and the difference was usually with the rims and tires on the two trucks.

Trucks can come with different axles depending upon options and whether the engine is gas or diesel and with different leaf packs and with different rims and tires. All of these factors affect the calculated value that is put on the sticker. Most of these factors are easily corrected by the owner to improve load capacity and handling.

plock40 wrote:
hello, I own a 2013 st ram 3500 4x4 long bed crew cab dually and the door sticker says gvwr is 14000 lbs. i loaded my a/f 990 with full water, propane and gas in truck with food and all camping gear, plus 2 bikes on front, minus wife and i, maybe 300lbs and the total weight 13480. the camper sticker says camper weights 3526. i guess i am under weight by 220 lbs, would that be about right, thanks

Yes. ;)

In Louisiana you now have to register your truck based on GCVR not GVWR. So my 2000 F250 is registered for 20,000lbs. That is what Ford stated for all 2000 model F250's and F350's for that year. Every state is different. We now do not have to have single axle trailers or boat trailers inspected new rule.

Are you considering a tc or towing?

hello, I own a 2013 st ram 3500 4x4 long bed crew cab dually and the door sticker says gvwr is 14000 lbs. i loaded my a/f 990 with full water, propane and gas in truck with food and all camping gear, plus 2 bikes on front, minus wife and i, maybe 300lbs and the total weight 13480. the camper sticker says camper weights 3526. i guess i am under weight by 220 lbs, would that be about right, thanks

The payload capacity of your truck = GVWR - scale weight. It doesn't matter what any sticker, salesman, or brochure says. If you want to know the payload capacity you have to weight the truck.

Now, what sticker are you looking at? Is it the one in the glove box? This one assumes that you have a 150 pound person in every seat in the cab. If this is a 6 passenger crew cab truck then they have subtracted 750 or maybe 900 pounds form the payload for passengers. (I don't remember if they count the driver or not).

If you're look at a '90s Chevy the GVWR is probably around 10,000 and the truck probably weighs about 7,000 empty so you've only got around 3,000 payload. Subtract the passengers and you're down near the number you gave from the "sticker". Yes, it's really sad but that's all that truck is rated to haul.

If you're looking at a 2001 - 2010 Chevy the GVWR should be 11,400. The truck empty probably weights about 7,500. This should leave you around 3,900 pounds of payload. Even subtracting for people should leave over 3,000 pounds for payload.

Did they "use it up with a heavy truck"? Yes. Crew cab, diesel, 4wd, it all adds weight. If you look at a 2011 and newer Chevy the dually should have a GVWR of around 13,000 which helps your payload considerably.

Now you know why the majority of trucks hauling TCs are over their GVWR. Most of us go by axle and tire ratings. My own 2005 Chevy dually is rated for 11,400 but scales at about 13,200 with my family, 11' TC, and boat hitched up. I'm not over the ratings of my tires or axles. I've got many thousands of miles behind me with this set up.

Is it legal? Absolutely, my truck is registered and tagged for 14,000 pounds. I know a lot of people will try to say I'm going to kill someone, I'm going to get sued, etc. That's their opinion. Many many professional "hot shot" truck drivers run dually pick-ups all day everyday over their ratings hauling automobiles, pipe, etc. They are routinely stopped by DOT for inspections and cross the scales at weigh stations. It's perfectly legal.

Trucks can be modified to have a greater payload capacity, not a greater GVWR mind you, but a greater physical capacity. Only licensed up-fitters can change the GVWR. I once saw a truck that started life as a 1500. It had been modified with tandem rear axles, a 500+ cubic inch engine, and a fifth-wheel hitch. It was used to move semi trailers around. I bet the door sticker still said something like 6,400 GVWR. In reality that was capable of much more.