Huge discrepancies

camp-n-family wrote:

But the math is compelling. If you subtract the curb weight from the GVWR, you should get the payload, no? Math doesn't lie. So why is the sticker so much less? Where does the mfr. come up with these figures?

You are correct in that you get payload by subtracting the curb weight from GVWR. The discrepancies are due to the configurations and options. Most ads and salesmen will use the best case scenarios which sound best. A base model, regular cab, 2x4 can have 3k payload. A crew cab, Lariat, 4x4 will add a lot to the vehicle's curb weight, which subtracts directly from the payload.

You need to go by the sticker, they are legally mandated and are accurate. Keep in mind that sticker number also gets reduced by dealer added options like bed liners, side steps etc. The 2k+ payloads are rare to find on a dealer lot. You'll likely need to special order the tow and HD payload package. If you're going to go there you might as well get a 3/4 ton of the lot for less $.

I'm definitely not a mathematician, but I'm wondering about some things here.

The mfr. sets the payload, based on what he puts on the truck as it rolls down the line. That's the sticker.

The dealer adds a little this and a little that - maybe a tow mirror and a bed-liner. They increase the curb weight, which reduces the difference between curb weight and GVWR, and supposedly reduces the mathematical computation of available payload.

But in each case, the differences between the sticker and the mathematical computation (GVWR minus curb weight) was huge - many hundreds of pounds, much more than the weight of the items the dealer/s may have added over time.

And if I understand this process correctly, if the sticker is the holy grail, then no one should ever add anything to the vehicle after it leaves the assembly line, because doing so will render the sticker incorrect.

Do I have that right?