Forum Discussion

bighog01's avatar
bighog01
Explorer
Dec 19, 2017

F350 payload dispute

New F350 SRW that I'm considering says 3326 lbs on the payload sticker with a 11500 GVWR. I asked for this info before the dealer had it brought in from another dealer. Salesperson and fleet manager say that its actually 4164 lbs because the factory invoice says the trucks shipping weight is 7336 lbs. Now I'm sure that's weighed with minimal diesel I. The tank. Isn't the door sticker the law? I always thought so. I'm not obligated to buy this truck and I have no deposit on it. Right now I'm not feeling comfortable hitching my Fuzion to it.
Tow Vehicles
  • Wadcutter's avatar
    Wadcutter
    Nomad
    Dec 19, 2017
    Manufacturers do not make the law. Legislatures make the law. The sticker doesn't mean anything about what is legal to haul. It's like the tag on your mattress. It tells you what the vehicle is about.
    I taught truck and vehicle law for over 20 years and was recognized by the courts in truck weights. I didn't get my knowledge by listening to some fat guy around a campfire like a lot of the 'experts' on this forum.
  • ShinerBock's avatar
    ShinerBock
    Explorer
    Dec 19, 2017
    bighog01 wrote:
    Isn't the door sticker the law? I always thought so.


    Law for you? No.

    Law that the manufacturer has to have the sticker in order to sell the vehicle in the US? Yes.

    These stickers were mandated for manufacturers to place on any vehicles they sale after the Ford Explorer/Firestone fiasco in the late 90's.
  • IdaD's avatar
    IdaD
    Explorer
    Dec 19, 2017
    The payload tag has nothing to do with legality. That's just the GVWR minus the curb weight leaving the factory. I would trust the tag over the paperwork in terms of the payload math, but you can generally legally load to whatever you pay on the registration.

    I'm in the camp that thinks the payload tag tends to be pretty meaningless and causes more confusion than it prevents. Axle, tire and wheel ratings are the important numbers as far as I'm concerned.
  • 4x4ord's avatar
    4x4ord
    Explorer III
    Dec 19, 2017
    My 2017 SRW 4x4 F350 Platinum weighs:

    Front axle: 4850
    Rear axle 3470
    Total 8320

    These weights are with a B&W hitch installed 3/4 tank of fuel and a 210 lb driver.

    By the time I load up my wife and a little bit of nothing in the truck I'm down to 3000 lbs that my truck can take on the pin if I'm traveling through BC. I'm not aware of any other jurisdiction that cares what my trucks GVWR/payload is. I feel legal and safe so long as I don't overload my tires. In other words I could be comfortable hauling a 4000 lb pin.
  • ShinerBock's avatar
    ShinerBock
    Explorer
    Dec 19, 2017
    IdaD wrote:

    I'm in the camp that thinks the payload tag tends to be pretty meaningless and causes more confusion than it prevents. Axle, tire and wheel ratings are the important numbers as far as I'm concerned.


    Yeah, and the other part about that is the numbers on the sticker go out the window if you buy new tires that do not have the same ratings and specs as the factory tires. It just becomes a useless placard after that point.
  • bighog01's avatar
    bighog01
    Explorer
    Dec 19, 2017
    All valid points.
    Front axle: 5600 lbs
    Rear axle: 7230 lbs
    But how they come up with 3326 lbs or any other sticker number still baffles me
  • TurnThePage's avatar
    TurnThePage
    Explorer
    Dec 19, 2017
    bighog01 wrote:
    All valid points.
    Front axle: 5600 lbs
    Rear axle: 7230 lbs
    But how they come up with 3326 lbs or any other sticker number still baffles me
    I think the others were comparing actual (unloaded) axle weight to the GVWR, you are comparing GAWR to GVWR.
  • PDX_Zs's avatar
    PDX_Zs
    Explorer
    Dec 19, 2017
    Although I am reluctant to call it a rule, one guideline I have found helpful is that anything said by anyone with “sales” in their title is generally wrong, misleading, or untrue.

    YMMV
  • 4x4ord's avatar
    4x4ord
    Explorer III
    Dec 19, 2017
    The GVWR is not equal to the sum of the axle ratings. This is partly why many of us aren't too concerned with GVWR numbers. The yellow tag probably uses a curb weight for your truck of 8174 lbs (11500 - 3326). That weight probably includes a 150 lb driver and a full tank of fuel.

    I think that shipping weight of 7336 is the hardest one to understand.
  • bighog01's avatar
    bighog01
    Explorer
    Dec 19, 2017
    4x4ord, what does your sticker say? Your truck seems similar to the one I'm considering. This is a srw long bed Lariat.

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