Adding air bags: can that increase payload capacity?

[DesertDogs]

Does adding airbags to a pickup truck tow vehicle increase the payload capacity of the truck?

For example, take a pickup with 3500 lbs. of payload capacity. If one were to add air bags to such a pickup, could that realistically increase the payload capacity from 3500 lbs. to 4000 lbs.?

Also, does adding airbags improve ride quality in the truck?

We're thinking of going with a 2019 3/4 ton RAM or 1 ton RAM as our every day driver and also as a tow vehicle for a fairly short 5th wheel.

I'm trying to decide which would be the best route to follow when buying a truck that will serve mostly as a daily driver, with occasional use to tow a 5th wheel.

3/4 ton with air bags added?
1 ton without air bags?
1 ton with air bags added?

Or....???

[Me_Again]

Flashman wrote:
19.5 H rated tires.

And there goes the ride quality. The 19.5" tires have something like a minimum of 70 or 75 PSI to retain the bead seal, which is in the brick truck category when empty. Might be OK for a truck that is used mostly for towing heavy, not so good as a daily driver.

[Flashman]

19.5 H rated tires.

[DesertDogs]

So, is it reasonably possible to increase the cargo capacity of a 1 ton SRW pickup from 4100 lbs to, say, 4600 lbs?

What would need to be done?

[noteven]

....

[jerem0621]

Nothing will change the rated capacity. But you can add modifications to impact the capability.

Example. A 1979 Corvette is factory rated about 195 HP or so.

You can drop a 502/502 in it and nothing from the factory rating will have changed. It’s still a 195 HP rated car.

However, the capability has changed drastically.

Same thing with the weight carrying add ones.

Take a SRW HD truck (F250/2500), put those 19.5 inch HD tires. Put one ton springs or airbags and Timbrens on it. You have not done anything to change the factory rating, but you have drastically changed the capability. You are in the “You are on your own zone” and please proceed at your own risk.

Kind of like Experimental aircraft vs Certified Aircraft.... but that is a different discussion.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[Me_Again]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

spoon059 wrote:

romore wrote:
The door sticker remains the guide in the event of a police check or worse yet an accident.

Not true. The sticker remains the guide for warranty purposes only. The only thing that matters for a "police check" is your paid registration weight.

YEP. I am well north of 14k but licensed to tow what I do.

RV Weight Cops always have the scary notes about issues, yet hotshot haulers roll through the weigh stations across the country at weights that are way beyond RVers. How can that be? Oh wait, they are within the federal bridge weights and licensed for the correct amount!

[Cummins12V98]

spoon059 wrote:

romore wrote:
The door sticker remains the guide in the event of a police check or worse yet an accident.

Not true. The sticker remains the guide for warranty purposes only. The only thing that matters for a "police check" is your paid registration weight.

YEP. I am well north of 14k but licensed to tow what I do.

[Grit_dog]

Well, were firmly off in the weeds of semantics between the weight cops and the realists...
happy Thanksgiving! Weight cops watch how much you eat before heading back over the river and through the woods from you grand daughters house in your 380 horse 2500 sleigh after too much turkey!

[Me_Again]

ShinerBock wrote:


It boggles my mind that people still believe that the manufacturers rated weight sticker is legally binding when the laws clearly state otherwise. It makes me question where they are getting this information. Do these people actually think that every state have this ginormous database of all the GVWR's and other weight rating of every vehicle and tire configuration ever made? They don't which is why they go by registered(declared) weight.

Ask the average person what they know about the federal bridge weight laws and you will most likely get a blank stare!

In my home state of Washington they license tonnage for pickup trucks. As a default they take the empty weight times 1.5 and round up to the next even 1000. Both my 2001.5 GVWR 8800 lbs and 2015 GVWR 11,700 were licensed for 12K. On either I could have paid a little more and license either one for 14K.

[ShinerBock]

spoon059 wrote:

romore wrote:
The door sticker remains the guide in the event of a police check or worse yet an accident.

Not true. The sticker remains the guide for warranty purposes only. The only thing that matters for a "police check" is your paid registration weight.

It boggles my mind that people still believe that the manufacturers rated weight sticker is legally binding when the laws clearly state otherwise. It makes me question where they are getting this information. Do these people actually think that every state have this ginormous database of all the GVWR's and other weight rating of every vehicle and tire configuration ever made? They don't which is why they go by registered(declared) weight.

[spoon059]

romore wrote:
The door sticker remains the guide in the event of a police check or worse yet an accident.

Not true. The sticker remains the guide for warranty purposes only. The only thing that matters for a "police check" is your paid registration weight.

[Me_Again]

BTW my rear axle ready to tow was 3760. (truck was 8900) Pucks that I installed without gooseneck hitch mount, Demco picture frame, B&W manual slider, EU2000i gen/gas can, tools, two sets of golf clubs in V-Box and no heavy tailgate, me and DW.

[deltabravo]

DesertDogs wrote:
Does adding airbags to a pickup truck tow vehicle increase the payload capacity of the truck?

No. GVWR / PAYLOAD as rated by the manufacturer is what it is.

[Cummins12V98]

If you are concerned about a 200# hitch then you already have too small of a truck. Believe me ratings don't mean CHIT!!!

My DRV was 18k at the factory with 21k rating. How in the HE!! can it now weigh 24k??? Real easy as you keep adding and adding along the way plain and simple.

Good news is I have a truck that easily handles all that weight. Yea it's my daily driver.

[Cummins12V98]

"Since the vast majority of use of the truck will be as our daily driver, we do not wish to have a DRW truck."

Well having the correct tool for the job is simply more important than what you wish for!!!

Don't like the facts you need a DRW then get a smaller RV, it's really that simple.