Payload capacity app?

ruthiebaby88 wrote:
Has anyone found a great, quick site or app for searching payload capacity on different used trucks?

Many salesmen and owners don't know what payload capacity is - they quote the tow rating or the GVWR - or the always wonderful 'don't worry it'll be fine'

I would love to find a rapid way to search this - I would really like to get my pickup and camper in the next few days in order to get started traveling so anything I can do to save time but still make an informed decision is great.

Use what your state size and weight folks give you.

Allowable gross loads.

(3) In determining the gross weight of a vehicle or the gross weight of any two (2) or more consecutive axles under subsection (1) or (2) or (9) of this section, the total gross weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles or the gross weight of any two (2) or more consecutive axles shall be the sum of the axle weights.
For the purposes of this chapter the gross weight of a vehicle or the gross weight of any two (2) or more consecutive axles may be determined by accumulatively adding the separate weights of individual axles and tandem axles or groups of axles to determine gross weight.

and how much load can a tire carry;

Allowable load per inch width of tire. (1) The maximum allowable load for any vehicle tire operated on any public highway shall not exceed six hundred (600) pounds per inch width of tire and shall not exceed the manufacturer’s load rating, whichever is less.

Ford has used a 9000 lb RAWR for years.

Dodge used 9350 RAWR since '03 model (3rd gen) came out.

GM slipped up and actually dropped their RAWR down to the 8200-8500 RAWR range. They fixed that in '10 I believe with a 9375 RAWR.

Of course the lower ratings of the tires "dual loads" have to be used on the rear of the DRW truck when figuring tire loading.

And even DRW trucks OEM tires come in different sizes and load ratings.

bighatnohorse - I have seen trucks with tires rating to 3000#, but with lower payloads

mkirsch - So why does your truck say the maximum slide in camper is 2800#? Isn't that low for a 3500 Chevy? Are they saying the dry weight of the camper?I have been thinking of my fully loaded camper weight.

For example dry weight 1875# dry weight + 400# tanks/battery + 1000# people/stuff = So by my calculation your truck could not carry the 10ft Northern Lite with no slides.

Looking at it this way it seems that you'd have to get a 3/4 ton for a popup and a 1 ton dually for anything larger!

On the other hand if they are talking about dry weight then there are many hardside campers I could carry in your truck including the 10 ft lance I'm looking at with a dry weight of 2542 (Loaded is 3894).

ruthiebaby88 wrote:
Ok - saw a 1 ton dually -

Should be able to carry just about anything right? Sticker in glove box says 'This information is furnished to indicate the manufacturer's recommendation regarding the use of a slide in camper with this truck as manufactured.'
cargo weight rating: 2482#. Would this be x2 since it's a dually? Seems very low?

It did have a crew cab. 2482 would not get you much with a weighted camper and 4 passengers.

You would look at the rear tire rating - the lower of the two ratings printed on the tire is the one you would use when looking at a dually. Then X2 that rating to find your allowable "payload".
Very simple.

The glove box statement probably concerns horizontal center of gravity and or braking ability or bed deformation or a combination of things.

ruthiebaby88 wrote:
Ok - saw a 1 ton dually -

Should be able to carry just about anything right? Sticker in glove box says 'This information is furnished to indicate the manufacturer's recommendation regarding the use of a slide in camper with this truck as manufactured.'
cargo weight rating: 2482#. Would this be x2 since it's a dually? Seems very low?

It did have a crew cab. 2482 would not get you much with a weighted camper and 4 passengers.

That's the slide-in camper "rating." Not the payload capacity.

It is *NOT* X2.

The slide-in camper rating is the maximum weight of the camper that the manufacture of the truck determined could be safely hauled, WHEN THE COG OF THE CAMPER IS WITHIN THE DESIGNATED COG RANGE IN THE TRUCK BED.

I say this because trucks built in the last 15 years or so seem to have a designated COG range of the front edge of the bed to the rear edge of the bed. The "A" and "B" numbers are 0 and 78 for my 1500 Chevy, and 0 and 96 for my 3500 Chevy. You wouldn't want to put 5000lbs at the front or rear edge of the bed because the truck would be undriveable, and you'd get suspension damage.

My 3500 Chevy has a GVWR of 11,500lbs and weighs 6300lbs empty. That's a payload of 5200lbs. The glove compartment sticker says that the maximum camper I can put in is around 2800lbs.

Your truck's actual payload rating is probably in the 4000-5000lb range but you would have to weigh it to be sure.

There is really nothing that can replace weighing the actual truck, and subtract that weight from the GVWR. The resulting number is your official payload capacity, no matter what is listed anywhere*. But even then, the payload capacity is only one number among others and needs to be understood. It is well possible to overload the rear axle and remain within the overall GVWR.

The axle weights are actually the more interesting numbers. Typically, the sum of the weight ratings of both axles is a number which is greater than the GVWR. You can make the point that it is in some way OK to exceed the GVWR as long as both axles are within their weight limits. In fact, the german authorities (thats where I live) will in many cases accept that calculation and put it into your vehicle's paperwork. But that is another story.

Payload is a good indicator how much camper your truck can carry. But it is where you carry the load which is important. Imagine a crew cab, short bed truck, with an 8 or 9 ft camper in the back, and possibly a trailer with a hitch extension behind. It is easy to see that much/most of the added weight is behind the rear axle. The further aft the center of gravity of the load is, the more of the added weight goes to the rear axle. If the center of gravity of the load is behind the rear axle, it will actually take weight OFF the front axle... So, in this case, ALL of the added weight, plus the weight removed from the front, goes to the rear - after all, it has to go somewhere, as the truck didn't get any lighter.

Nothing beats knowing the numbers for your particular truck, and weighing the actual loads at a scale.

* provided the truck is in stock configuration (wheels, tires, springs etc.)

Not all DRWs are equal. The ability to carry weight is the least of the brakes, wheels, tires, frame, and also is impacted in manufacturer specs by things like powertrain.

I don't think the ratings are ever going to be perfect because the truck camper market actually tiny compared to the entire truck market. The cargo limits are only important to this small number of people.

Ok - saw a 1 ton dually -

Should be able to carry just about anything right? Sticker in glove box says 'This information is furnished to indicate the manufacturer's recommendation regarding the use of a slide in camper with this truck as manufactured.'
cargo weight rating: 2482#. Would this be x2 since it's a dually? Seems very low?

It did have a crew cab. 2482 would not get you much with a weighted camper and 4 passengers.

Thanks everyone! It's confusing, but I think the more times I hear it, the more it sinks in. I will look for the doorjam sticker with the max tire rating of the original tires bought for the truck.

Then I will check the actual tires weight rating to see whether I would have to replace them to support weight.

Then perhaps if I decide to test drive I could weigh vehicle just as a double check.

Excellent answers coming in this post.

I believe and I could be 100% wrong but you also have to take in consideration the manufacturers rating on the rims. Some tires today are rated much higher than the rims they are being put on.

I was told this when I had my 3/4 ton Truck and wanted higher rated E tires.
Today I believe my Rickson 19.5 rims are rated at 5000 pds.

Paul

wintersun wrote:
. . .If the sidewall on the rear tire states a max load of 3200@80 PSI then the total load is 6400 lbs. minus the 3000-3300 lb. weight of the truck. . .

This is confusing. The proper term would be GVWR or gross vehicle weight rating - not "total load", right?

When a truck tire goes over a curb or hits a pothole, it can cause a single tire to support the entire payload.
This is frequently the case with dually trucks when a low curb lifts the truck by the rear outside wheel and leaves the inner tire suspended off the ground.

Looking at the rear tire of a dually one will see that that tire has two ratings!
One rating is lower for use on a dually and the other rating is higher when used on a single wheel.
Confused yet?

Again, the dumb simple straight forward method to determine payload is to look at the tire's printed rating.