How to order a 3500 to maximize payload?

cptqueeg wrote:
Hi,

What options should I order to maximize payload on a gas Chev 3500 SRW 4x4?

Zero bling option.

If I was setting up a rig for travelling through areas of vigorous Weight Police activity to back country roads and off road areas I would buy a cab and chassis truck and convert it to single wheels like fire departments do with their “brush trucks”.

So you somehow got magically the smallest possible gvw that I'm not even certain you can get on a GM 1 ton, sure have to try hard to get that low of a rating, and think you have a 5klb payload?
The confusion around here is baffling. Yours and everyone elses included.

Have fun with the truck and camper, it will be an awesome hauler regardless of whether it has a 100,000gvw or 1,000 lb gvw.
Think about them 19.5s though. Not sure why you want them for what you're doing other than to rattle your fillings.

4949lbs is w bed delete, and I'll be adding on a aluminum flat bed. Planning on only 2 passengers, upgrading to 19.5" 14 ply tires and air bags. The way the dealers paperwork came through I was at 10,100 GVWR so hence the OP and further investigation. I'm thinking the wet weight of the camper will be ~3000lbs and tongue wt ~ 400lbs max. Even if I add another 500lbs of stuff I should be under 4000lbs total payload. Thanks for your replies.

JIMNLIN wrote:
Keep in mind there is no one ton SRW that can carry 4949 lbs in the bed without exceeding a tire/wheel or rear spring pack (RAWR).

And since the OP will not even be close to that weight with his proposed setup, it's immaterial.

cptqueeg wrote:
Sorry for not wording my op as clearly as possible. I meant ordering the options such as heavy duty front end, heavier rear end, camper pkg, tow pkg and the like to increase the payload. I did know that many options such as diesel, extended cabs, and other power options add weight and reduce payload.

My reply to JIMNLIN got wiped out thanking him for the link. That link is a treasure trove of information and the reason I posted.

I will play around with that build model and I'm considering air bags and the 19.5" tires and wheels.

Just so you know I'm not a complete newb having worked as wildland firefighter in CA,ID and OR driving fire trucks such as this one below:


https://www.firepics.net/MyBB/attachment.php?aid=73094




Thanks, appreciate the comments.

Then pick a truck and don't fixate on the ratings as the end all beat all of considerations. If you understand this, then you'd have a handle on the different gvw packages that GM offers for different configurations and that the chassis under the different gvw ratings in a given truck class is the same, maybe they up the spring rate or offer higher rated tires, but same basic truck.

You're not going to get a materially "different" truck and your proposed setup will haul smartly on any of them.

JIMNLIN wrote:
I think you will find GM like Ram doesn't offer all the different GVWR and RAWR packages like the F350 SRW from Ford. Ford has over a dozen GVWR and three different RAWR packages (tires/wheels/rear spring pack) all with differing payloads depending on selections.
Using the weights calculator you will find payloads on the rear axle is close to the same (100 lbs or so) for a gas engine or diesel in the same configuration.
I mention using the trucks RAWR as its gonna' carry most if not all the load in the bed.
Be careful with truck makers payload sticker . Its gvwr based and if it all placed in the bed can and has over loaded tires/wheels/rear spring pack.

GM does offer a upgrade front axle with certain selections. However the trucks front axle may or may not carry more weight from a GN/5th wheel trailer.

Well GM "only" offers 8 different gvw ratings for 3500srw trucks alone and several more for 2500s and duallies. Guess that doesn't count as different gvwr packages? And the rawrs change as needed to fit the package....

Keep in mind there is no one ton SRW that can carry 4949 lbs in the bed without exceeding a tire/wheel or rear spring pack (RAWR). That 4949 lbs is a GVWR based payload and is to be used over fawr and rawr such as a service truck with a overhead rack that mounts to the trucks bed and to the trucks frame in front.
The weights calculator shows you how much payload that particular truck has for front and rear axles.

Add 4949 lbs in the bed will need upgraded tires/wheels and rear spring help. The axle itself is a 11.5" AAM axle rated at 10800 lbs capacity by AAM. GM derates it to 7250 lbs with tires/wheels or spring package.

JIMNLIN your link is excellent. It game back w 4949lbs which is more than sufficient for my needs. I will go through that w my salesman just to make sure. When I went through the calcs w the Ford dealer I came up in the low 4's.

Thanks again.

I think you will find GM like Ram doesn't offer all the different GVWR and RAWR packages like the F350 SRW from Ford. Ford has over a dozen GVWR and three different RAWR packages (tires/wheels/rear spring pack) all with differing payloads depending on selections.
Using the weights calculator you will find payloads on the rear axle is close to the same (100 lbs or so) for a gas engine or diesel in the same configuration.
I mention using the trucks RAWR as its gonna' carry most if not all the load in the bed.
Be careful with truck makers payload sticker . Its gvwr based and if it all placed in the bed can and has over loaded tires/wheels/rear spring pack.

GM does offer a upgrade front axle with certain selections. However the trucks front axle may or may not carry more weight from a GN/5th wheel trailer.