Payload vs CWR

ylind wrote:
Hi all, I started this thread. Great discussion, thanks. Lots of great info.

I went to a scale today. The truck with me in it and a full tank weighs 8,400 lbs. Subtract my weight and the fuel and the curb weight is 7,968 lbs (about 368 over what Chevy says in the brochure and online). GVWR is 11,600 which gives me available payload of 3,632. The measured front axle weight is 4,800 and rear is 3,220. That does not add up to the total truck weight of 8,400, but doing some simple math to adjust and I calculate the total front axle load at 5,027 and rear at 3,373.

The rear axle and springs have a stated capability of 7,050. The tires are matched at 3,525. Subtracting the measured/adjusted rear axle weight of 3,373 from the stated capacity of 7,050, I get 3,677 of additional weight that can be put on the rear axle. That’s about what the available payload is, so it all pretty much adds up.

So, I'm back to where I started: if my available payload and rear axle capacity is around 3,677 then the only Lance camper I can put on my truck is the 850 if I want to leave any room for another passenger and gear. The Lance 850 has a listed base wet weight of 2,694 without any options. The next lightest camper is the 950S (which I would love to have), but it is listed at 3,154 wet without options. That means I would have to pack exceptionally light and travel alone.

So, once again, my only conclusion is that most truck/camper combos are dramatically overloaded (duallys with small campers excluded). If we assume that the axle on my SRW truck is the exact same as the one on the DRW version, then the axle is not the issue. And, we're back to upgrading the springs, shocks, and tires to safely getting additional payload.

That seems to be the consensus in this thread so far. So, the real issue at this point in my mind is the legal one. Echoing the previous post, are there any real examples of overloaded trucks upgraded with aftermarket products being held liable in an accident, getting a ticket for being overloaded, or having warranties denied?

BTW, I appreciate the spirit of the comment, but getting a RV is not an option for me. I need my truck to be a truck most of the time. It's more than something to carry a camper.

Thanks again. This is a great forum.

Your math looks good. Do consider that some of the camper's (especially on the 850) and passenger's weight will end up on the front axle. You can also subtract your tailgate which is all the way in the back but add tie downs to the weights.