True Truck Payload

JIMNLIN wrote:


More input on the subject.....This paste and copy from a automotive engineer ;

***I'm a retired auto engineer and Marketing has a big impact on GVWR. As a engineer, it was our job to make sure the frame, brakes and powertrain components were designed well above the GVWR ratings that Marketing wanted, so we would design in a safety factor for each component. You don't really think we would build a truck and then test it to determine what the surprise GVWR number should be!
Axle ratings are also well above the GVWR rating and in commercial vehicles, axle ratings are the pay load determining factor and even they have a big safety factor designed into them.
It would be unusual for a lawyer to accept a overweight case unless it was grossly over the safety factor weight and even then a vehicle manufacture would not share that info because it is not a hard fast number that will break if one more pound is added.
There are many videos of million pound plus loads being moved by trucks across country. It's all about the axles.***

The truth. And tires fit this too.

Kayteg1 wrote:
Per my knowledge all states and provinces allow registering trucks at higher GVWR and since vehicle weight doesn't change, that come to higher payload.
That's how you see those 350, 3500 series trucks pulling 40,000 lb gooseneck car haulers all over USA and they get axles weighted at each DOT scales.

It’s ok, but you are still incorrect. Here’s the CA form (your previous home state) for reference. https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/wcm/connect/1ee248d3-8577-45dd-afca-7206e349d4c7/reg4008.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=

They register for GVW and CGW.

Nevertheless, payload like GVWR doesn’t change since it’s based on GVWR. If you are talking about how much a vehicle can carry, I’d call that capacity because that isn’t listed on the sticker and could be subject to debate.

Also, btw, not all trucks list FAWR and RAWR, so if you want to use those, and it isn’t listed, you’ll have to look it up. In any case, as I previously noted, you have to go to a scale to know how much weight capacity you have left for Front and Rear. Otherwise, you won’t know what the distribution of the rest of the truck weight will be.

In summary, as I previously noted, payload is simply GVWR-vehicle weight. Weight capacity is not payload.

Per my knowledge all states and provinces allow registering trucks at higher GVWR and since vehicle weight doesn't change, that come to higher payload.

My state is one that doesn't use any type of weight numbers to register our non commercial trucks.
Just the vehicles axle/tire load ratings are used in determining a over load condition not any type of weight number.

Fords F350 srw is a classic example how silly the yellow payload stickers are. F350 srw has 13 different gvwr ranging from 10000 lb up to 11500 lbs. We can get a F350 srw in the same configuration with a 11500 gvwr or a 10000 gvwr. Both are identical from the ground on up.... the only difference is the gvwr number and the payload sticker.

More input on the subject.....This paste and copy from a automotive engineer ;

***I'm a retired auto engineer and Marketing has a big impact on GVWR. As a engineer, it was our job to make sure the frame, brakes and powertrain components were designed well above the GVWR ratings that Marketing wanted, so we would design in a safety factor for each component. You don't really think we would build a truck and then test it to determine what the surprise GVWR number should be!
Axle ratings are also well above the GVWR rating and in commercial vehicles, axle ratings are the pay load determining factor and even they have a big safety factor designed into them.
It would be unusual for a lawyer to accept a overweight case unless it was grossly over the safety factor weight and even then a vehicle manufacture would not share that info because it is not a hard fast number that will break if one more pound is added.
There are many videos of million pound plus loads being moved by trucks across country. It's all about the axles.***

jimh425 wrote:


Also, you can’t license your vehicle for payload as far as I know. You can license for Gross Vehicle Weight. So, trolling or simply wrong. :D

Yes, you are wrong and I will not comment on trolling.
Per my knowledge all states and provinces allow registering trucks at higher GVWR and since vehicle weight doesn't change, that come to higher payload.
That's how you see those 350, 3500 series trucks pulling 40,000 lb gooseneck car haulers all over USA and they get axles weighted at each DOT scales.

Kayteg1 wrote:
Not sure stickies will help when even "mature" members can't comprehend the difference between amount declared for taxes from numbers made by engineers.

You seem to be confused about gross vehicle weight vs payload. Payload is, of course, a different number and does appear on the sticker on trucks I’ve seen and doesn’t change on the sticker no matter what you license your truck for.

Also, you can’t license your vehicle for payload as far as I know. You can license for Gross Vehicle Weight. So, trolling or simply wrong. :D

mbloof wrote:
Once the thread has ran its course maybe one of the moderators can make it a "sticky". No sense beating a dead horse every few weeks/months in the forum.

Not sure stickies will help when even "mature" members can't comprehend the difference between amount declared for taxes from numbers made by engineers.

jimh425 wrote:
Not really sure what you mean by True. Payload for a truck is on the sticker..

Once the thread has ran its course maybe one of the moderators can make it a "sticky". No sense beating a dead horse every few weeks/months in the forum.

Not really sure what you mean by True. Payload for a truck is on the sticker.

If you use the RAWR and FAWR, you’ll need to take the truck to a scale to know how much capacity each axle has. In practice, I think most of us would say you’ll be happier if you stay under the GVWR. Another issue with using axle ratings is that the tires also need to be able to handle that load which also means they have to be inflated to carry the weight.

I suggest shopping for a truck camper. Once you find the camper and know it’s weight, look for a truck that is sufficient to haul it. Unless you need a SRW, that usually means a DRW. Sure, you can haul a lot of camper on a SRW, but I bet you’ll enjoy the DRW more when you are fully loaded and bring all of your stuff plus have full holding tanks, etc.

I was able to get by with the SRW carrying my TC because I was very careful to minimize the amount of water and clothes etc that we carried. Not a lot of fun, but doable when I absolutely had to have a SRW.

Man,I am glad they didn't have the internet back when I started into truck campers..:B..From 8ft campers on 1/2 ton trucks to 8-10ft on 3/4 ton trucks,I never weighed a one,never looked at a door sticker for payload and never wondered if it would work,I just made it work..

Never a broken axle/bearing or anything related to weight in the back..Just put the TC on and added springs if needed and the coil helper springs were like $15 back then/now $25..One set of Helwig helper springs only because of a heavy 35ft Fifth Wheel on a 3/4 Ford we lived in for a while.

The internet has changed truck camping,that's cool..I weighed my first TC(My currant one) because of the internet and we have a grain scale a block away and I miss those guys..:)..I still wouldn't change a thing if the weights said I was a criminal ready to run-over anything in my path...I drive accordingly..

A normal truck camper on a normal HD pickup truck(1/2 or 3/4 ton or above),just works and it doesn't have to be expensive either, unless of course,you read the internet...

To the op...You can listen to the dealer/someone on the internet or you can use just good common sense and enjoy a pickup with a truck camper on it....Your choice as it should be.

MARKW8 wrote:
I'm one of those people who look at axle ratings and not necessarily GVWR.
I had my camper on a 2500 Chevrolet for 80k miles. 1200lbs over the gvwr. But under the tire and axle ratings.
Mark

This is the correct answer.