True Truck Payload

Our Ram 2500 with 2WD and 6.4L Hemi has a payload capacity about 1000 lbs more than the same truck with the Cummins and 4WD. This allows us a wide range of mid sized options in selecting a TC. Our Adventurer 80RB and Travel Lite 840 SBRX fully loaded (passengers and gear included) are well under the GVWR, axle, wheel and tire ratings as well as the sticker payload number.

sranderle wrote:
We're looking into a possible truck camper to replace our current teardrop style trailer.

I visited a dealer this weekend, and we were talking about payload. I know that this is important when it comes to truck campers. They stated that the sticker on the driver's door jamb is not the true payload. They said to add up the front and rear GAWR, and substract the weight of the truck (full tank of fuel, no tailgate, empty).

I've heard this same formula before. On my current truck, that would give me 680# over the GVWR.

I'm looking to the community to see if this is accurate or not. The dealer was definitely not trying to sell me anything.

Thanks for your insight!

Ha Ha Ha..What do yu think of the replies now..(laughing)

The fact is the listed payload on your door is the so called legal payload..There is no way to change that,period!

So moving on you will see that most people(not all) with a truck camper are over there GVWR and will give you reasons why that is okay..It is up to you to choose what you want to do, on your own..

By the time you take that door sticker payload and subtract the weight of everything you put in the truck people/tools/pets/coolers/clothes etc..You name it..That payload just went way down,I mean way down..Not leaving much weight for a truck camper..

Then there is the truck camper and the hardware to secure it to the truck..It never ends,then water /food and camping supplies..After all that it's time to weigh..Most likely you will be over your GVWR unless you choose a very small TC or pop-up or have a DRW with a smaller TC..

As an example::I have a Ford F-350 DRW with 4600# on the door sticker as payload with a Lance 9.6 that weighs 2689# empty..I am within 100# or so of being maxed out or over my listed(legal) payload..One more person/pet or more tools and I would be over GVWR.

Only you can decide how to proceed on getting into the TC business..

New trucks have way higher payload ratings. Yet all along, they’ve had the same parts.
Look at a 20 year old Dodge 2500, manual trans.
It’s got a Dana 80 rear axle, rated for 11,000 pounds by Dana. Same one the same era F450 had.
The payload rating sticker said you could barely haul a load of wet leaves.
Dodge didn’t even sell a single rear wheel badged as a “3500” then, because it was redundant when the 2500 was literally the same thing.
It really comes down to wheels and tires.
The hard parts in 2500-3500 trucks are all similar. They put stiffer springs in some. They put taller suspension on some. Ford puts a couple-inch taller block between the axle and springs, and slightly stiffer springs into its SRW F250 and calls it an F350.
Oh, and a bigger number on the sticker.

The all-mighty payload sticker... it’s a magic thing.

specta wrote:
I weighted my truck on a CAT Scale and subtracted it from the truck's GVW rating.

It came out that my cargo capacity was 2920 lbs. My camper weighed 2921 lbs.

I was over loaded. :E And as a result all four tires blew out, both front and rear axles busted and my brakes couldn't stop the truck when everything gave out and I crashed and totaled my truck and camper. :B

Specta, so sorry for your loss--lol!

So . . . I pose this question. Why do we have so many lengthy debates about how to calculate an "alternate" payload on a truck when the manufacturer's rated payload is clearly displayed on the door jam of most every truck? It's because many hard-side campers push a lot these trucks to, and over, the manufacturer's rated payload (especially SRW's). As a result, folks start to rationalize how they can "increase" their payload by picking and choosing an alternate way to calculate a higher payload for their truck. Can you really blame folks for doing this. It costs a lot of money to purchase a truck with a higher manufacturer's rated payload sticker on the door jam--lol!

Simply put, if it was easy to stay within the manufacturer's rated payload when carrying a camper there would be zero no need for all these daily/weekly debates on payload.

to the original poster. The published payload also takes into consideration 1 person in every seat (don't know the formula for what weight per person) plus anything else you could carry. PLUS tong weight if towing anything.

But if you were to get weighed by DOT, they use your GVWR as your max weight loaded (also including tong weight on your truck, but not trailer weight)

I weighted my truck on a CAT Scale and subtracted it from the truck's GVW rating.

It came out that my cargo capacity was 2920 lbs. My camper weighed 2921 lbs.

I was over loaded. :E And as a result all four tires blew out, both front and rear axles busted and my brakes couldn't stop the truck when everything gave out and I crashed and totaled my truck and camper. :B

OP, once you get all this payload stuff worked out to your satisfaction, you're going to go through the same thing trying to determine the true empty/loaded weight of any future camper.

Many recommend adding 1,000 lbs. to the "empty" weight of your camper to arrive at an approx. loaded weight. That's reasonable. However, good luck finding out the true empty weight prior to purchase. I've witnessed a few campers visit a CAT scale over the last year or two. Got to say I was mortified with some of the numbers. Not at all what I expected based on the manufacturer's empty weight claims---even those manufacturers that supposedly weigh their campers individually off the assembly line are suspect.

A lot of smoking mirrors out there. Good luck.

Woohooo, the rvnut weight cops are out in full force with attitude!
Way to go boys! We’re into the dually thing and you’ll be hung at sunrise with a new rope if you disobey the sticker! On page 1 no less.
To the OP, there are volumes of discussions on this forum on this exact topic. Plenty to form your own opinion and plan of action.
Good luck buddy......and that salesman was also full of ____. Not because your truck isn’t likely far more capable than the mighty sticker, but because the front axle weight rating plays very very little into most axle weight equations as it’s rare that a truck camper adds a significant amount of weight to the front axle. Really only happens with short bed capable campers on long bed trucks. And even then it’s situationally dependent on how it’s loaded.

When you’ve been “stickered,” KAY, that’s your number. Ever hear of an “exit clause?” As in liability? As in warranty? You may, but I don’t, cheat on taxes, Kay.

Lwiddis wrote:
The sticker is theTRUE payload. The ONLY number backed up by the manufacturer. Find a new dealer.

Which sticker?
The one made by lawyers and listing taxable GVWR, where we all cheat on taxes?
Or the axle rating, given by manufacturer's engineers?