"NOTE: BASE WEIGHTS CAN CHANGE". I guess they can change by a lot.
Yep.. Brochure numbers rarely meet reality when the rubber hits the road..
You weighed your truck and have those actual figures. You can do the math to figure out your actual 'payload'.
What you do with that number is still up to you. Go over, stay under, pack light, pack heavy...
We all do it our own way. Just like that post not too long ago about "your style of camping".. Each to their own. What works for me is not going to work for you and visa versa..
Sometimes you just have to jump in and go from there to find out.
I'm only on my 2nd TT in almost 20 years.. The first one was towed with my 97 F150 with only a #6250 GVWR. I was over that GVWR by an amount that would get me "banned" from this site, ha, ha.. And that was with just a #5000 GVWR TT. (I pack heavy). Did just fine for close to 16 years and that trucks "tow rating" was around "#7000"..
Fast forward to trading that 97 (with 255,000 miles on it) for a brand new 13 F150 with a GVWR of #7700.
I towed that same #5000 TT with it until 2019 when I got the current TT.
Now, I'm basically maxed out on the current truck with a #7000 GVWR TT for my personal towing comfort level and towing satisfaction. (still packing heavy).
Your truck, your camping style, your choice in the end.
In the end, get something and get some miles under your belt towing and then you'll know what you like and don't like and go from there. I was lucky, in that I've been towing stuff since I was 16 years old and none of it was on my dime! Towed heavy, towed light... Never knew anything about ratings or weights back then (early 80's). Just knew what was heavy and what was not..
Good luck! Mitch
