F250 Payload Capacity

[YellowLightning]

I am looking at buying a used F250 but the door sticker seems to have a lot lower payload than I thought it would have. The truck fits the price range my wife and I are in. We are looking at a 1995 Hallmark, model number 4026-9HM. We will probably strip it down and rebuild it as simple and light as possible. Want to have a front hitch for bikes and will occasionally tow a small boat.

Specs of the truck are 2013 F250 XL w/power locks/windows/mirrors, 6.2L V8, 4x4/FX4, ex-cab, 8' bed. Payload capacity of 3016lbs, GVWR 10000lb, Front GAWR 4800lb, Rear GAWR 6100lb. It had a 3 leaf rear leaf spring and no auxiliary upper leaf. Factory tire pressure of 75PSI front and 80PSI rear. It sat very tall for a F250. With that GVWR, I would think the payload would be higher. Am I assuming too much to think it should have a higher payload?

Is this a good truck or should I hold out for an F350? Could I bring it to a heavy truck shop and upgrade the suspension and apply for an official payload re-certification? Or just buy it, load it up, and get on the road?

[mbloof]

YellowLightning wrote:
Essentially adding the 18" tires and wheels should allow the truck to handle a Rear GAWR of 7000lbs and give the truck an 11000 GVWR.

Thoughts on my thoughts? haha

Fords SD rear axle is rated for 9,750 lbs so your rear axle weight rating comes down to the ratings of the installed tires at 80PSI times two. (the weakest link)

My stock OEM tires on my 2017 F250 were rated at 3450LBS each giving me a rear axle weight rating of 6900.

Needless to say, the stock tires and rims were replaced with less than 500 miles on them for higher rated parts. 🙂


- Mark0.

[Kayteg1]

Comparing taxable numbers again?
If the number bothers you- go to your DMV and pay the taxes for what both axle ratings give you combined.

[Grit_dog]

^Thoughts?
Yes start listening.
You’ve found the gvw placards are all over the place. However doubt you found one that has a lower rawr than the sum of the empty weight and stated payload capacity. But it’s possible.
17” tires s uck for heavy loads because they don’t make them in heavy load ratings anymore. Low end trucks with 17s get low end gvws due to the low end tires. Period. Nothing more.
Just buy a Superduty, any superduty and stop obsessing over the stickers. They for the most part are super conservative.

[YellowLightning]

JIMNLIN wrote:

YellowLightning wrote:
I was able to find an F350 version of the F250 I originally looked at. It has a GVWR of 10700 and a payload of 3720. Is it safe to assume if it was a 11000 GVWR the payload would be 4020? What is the difference between a 10700/11000 GVWR, just the spring rating?

Ford markets 12-13 F350 SRW trucks with different GVWR numbers (10000 gvwr on up to 11500 gvwr)....many times for the same identical truck according to Fords specs. And also comes with a 6340 rawr....6780 rawr and 7230 rawr.
Like all truckers what you look for when buying one for hauling/towing is the truck with the highest axle ratings and RAWR in particular as its carrying all the load.

That's interesting because the F350 truck I am looking at has a Rear GAWR of 6290 but a payload of 3720.

Based on looking at literally a dozen door jam stickers of various trucks, having the LT275/70R18 tires and LL code rear spring gets you 7000lb Rear GAWR and 11000 GVWR = highest payload capacity (actual number based on other trim options as well). Having LT245/75R17 gets you a lower rear GVWR. Essentially adding the 18" tires and wheels should allow the truck to handle a Rear GAWR of 7000lbs and give the truck an 11000 GVWR.

Thoughts on my thoughts? haha

[JIMNLIN]

YellowLightning wrote:
I was able to find an F350 version of the F250 I originally looked at. It has a GVWR of 10700 and a payload of 3720. Is it safe to assume if it was a 11000 GVWR the payload would be 4020? What is the difference between a 10700/11000 GVWR, just the spring rating?

Ford markets 12-13 F350 SRW trucks with different GVWR numbers (10000 gvwr on up to 11500 gvwr)....many times for the same identical truck according to Fords specs. And also comes with a 6340 rawr....6780 rawr and 7230 rawr.
Like all truckers what you look for when buying one for hauling/towing is the truck with the highest axle ratings and RAWR in particular as its carrying all the load.

[Grit_dog]

^Yes and maybe not even different springs but rather just a different gvw package.
Same as the 250. No meaningful difference between it and a comparable 350 until you start getting into the 5klb payload range then the rear axle becomes the limiting factor.
You can believe the weight cops on here and placards or you can put the 2 trucks side by side and see that the only diff is the rear diff and springs. Possibly. A F350 gasser of that era may also have the 10.5” rear axle too.

[YellowLightning]

I was able to find an F350 version of the F250 I originally looked at. It has a GVWR of 10700 and a payload of 3720. Is it safe to assume if it was a 11000 GVWR the payload would be 4020? What is the difference between a 10700/11000 GVWR, just the spring rating?

[specta]

billtex wrote:

specta wrote:


Numbers can be funny.
My tires are load range E tires, 3195 @ 80 psi.

With the camper fully loaded each rear tire is overloaded by 380 lbs.
.

Nothing funny about that. As trucker campers, many of us push the limits of our rigs.
There is one exception; don’t exceed your wheel/tire ratings.

Your choice. Tires are an easy upgrade.

Be safe.

I am.

[billtex]

specta wrote:


Numbers can be funny.
My tires are load range E tires, 3195 @ 80 psi.

With the camper fully loaded each rear tire is overloaded by 380 lbs.
.

Nothing funny about that. As trucker campers, many of us push the limits of our rigs.
There is one exception; don’t exceed your wheel/tire ratings.

Your choice. Tires are an easy upgrade.

Be safe.

[bigfootford]

Edd505 wrote:

bigfootford wrote:
Yellowlightning look at Specta's signature... His weight!
You can not go by the sticker weight. Sticker weight is without a fridge, water heater, stove, water, mattress and on and on!

Kenny
2011 Chevy 2500 HD 6.0L 4wd Regular cab.
What real trucks really look like.
1995 Lance 945 Onan QG 2500 LP
6580 lb truck 10540 fully loaded

His weight is 10,500+ just like several of us. My weight is 10,400 too!

My Bigfoot camper's sticker says 2,600! Fully loaded it is <> 4,200.

Not sure what Specta is running for tires and rims.

Jim

Not, it has everything but battery(s), water, & propane. Why would they give the weight minus equipment? That's nuts. Added weights what you put in.

They use to call it wet weight... Water and propane. The stove, fridge, seat backs, battery etc are considered options thus the lower weight.

Seems that in the past couple of years mfg are now including the weight of options.

Jim

[Grit_dog]

I don’t doubt your tires haul it fine, and don’t understand why 17s got de rated from what they used to be, probably just as strong, but If you’re after rated tire capacity 17s are horrible. 18s or 20s are good for about 500lbs more per tire in stock sizes and 800lbs more in 35-35” tires.

[specta]

bigfootford wrote:

The 17" tires/rims are great. Think the weight capacity of each is 3700lbs.

Numbers can be funny.
My tires are load range E tires, 3195 @ 80 psi.
The rear GVW rating for my truck is 6200 lbs.
With the camper fully loaded each rear tire is overloaded by 380 lbs.
Yet going by the max recommend payload of 3380 lbs including passengers I'm only 576 lbs over what they say is max payload.
Going by the trucks 9500 GVW I'm 1040 lbs over.

My truck empty with me inside and 1/2 tank of gas weighs 6580 lbs.
Without me in the truck it weighs 6400 lbs.
Add their max payload of 3384 and that brings the trucks total weight to 9784 lbs with only 1/2 tank of gas.

So using their own numbers they are telling me that the truck fully loaded can weigh 284 lbs over their GVW of 9500 lbs.

So, in all reality going by their numbers I'm really only over by 746 lbs and not the 1040.

LOL :B

The weight in the brochures includes everything except liquids and options.

[Edd505]

bigfootford wrote:
Yellowlightning look at Specta's signature... His weight!
You can not go by the sticker weight. Sticker weight is without a fridge, water heater, stove, water, mattress and on and on!

Kenny
2011 Chevy 2500 HD 6.0L 4wd Regular cab.
What real trucks really look like.
1995 Lance 945 Onan QG 2500 LP
6580 lb truck 10540 fully loaded

His weight is 10,500+ just like several of us. My weight is 10,400 too!

My Bigfoot camper's sticker says 2,600! Fully loaded it is <> 4,200.

Not sure what Specta is running for tires and rims.

Jim

Not, it has everything but battery(s), water, & propane. Why would they give the weight minus equipment? That's nuts. Added weights what you put in.

[bigfootford]

specta wrote:

bigfootford wrote:

Not sure what Specta is running for tires and rims.

Jim

Good tires. :B

I took a different route than most when I picked my camper and tires. I didn't seek opinions on the internet.

I bought exact truck I wanted with the sole purpose of carrying a truck camper.

I talked with a close friend who was a Lance distributor for over 40 years before I bought my current camper. I did my walk thru with him on the phone.

Over the years he spent a lot of time with both Ford and Lance engineers discussing and planning trucks and campers.

He is very familiar with my truck and its capabilities.

I have another close friend that has been in the tire business for close to 40 years. I called looking for a set of 18" take-off and new tires.

I ended up keeping my 17" factory wheels and he told me that the tires I chose would serve me well.

I replaced the OE shocks and added air bags after I bought this camper.

I'm quite pleased with how it handles and I have zero worries about it being slightly over weight.

The manufactures "safety margins" exceed my weights.

The 17" tires/rims are great. Think the weight capacity of each is 3700lbs. So you have 7400lb capacity on the rear. If you were to weigh the rear axle weight fully loaded you would be just under that weight which is great. I too got the airlift bags with a onboard compressor which is very nice! Stock Ford f250 tires were 3014lbs each. I actually ran them for about 50,000 miles with my camper on fully loaded. That was pushing the capacity of the tires on the rear. Think it was about 200lbs each.. No cheap tires.

[specta]

bigfootford wrote:

Not sure what Specta is running for tires and rims.

Jim

Good tires. :B

I took a different route than most when I picked my camper and tires. I didn't seek opinions on the internet.

I bought exact truck I wanted with the sole purpose of carrying a truck camper.

I talked with a close friend who was a Lance distributor for over 40 years before I bought my current camper. I did my walk thru with him on the phone.

Over the years he spent a lot of time with both Ford and Lance engineers discussing and planning trucks and campers.

He is very familiar with my truck and its capabilities.

I have another close friend that has been in the tire business for close to 40 years. I called looking for a set of 18" take-off and new tires.

I ended up keeping my 17" factory wheels and he told me that the tires I chose would serve me well.

I replaced the OE shocks and added air bags after I bought this camper.

I'm quite pleased with how it handles and I have zero worries about it being slightly over weight.

The manufactures "safety margins" exceed my weights.