Huge discrepancies

[MargaretB]

We have been looking at F-150s. Each time we find one that looks like a likely candidate, we call the dealership and ask about it, including the payload capacity. Four out of four people have given us numbers in the 1500#-1900# range, based on the manufacturer's website.

When we arrived to look at the trucks, every single one of them had a sticker in the door jamb that showed a payload capacity of less than 1250#. Every one.

So... I've read here, many times, that the door sticker is the number we should go by. But the mfr's websites are giving totally different numbers, and when we do the math we get a third number that bears no relationship to the other two.

So who should we believe? The sticker? The website? Our own math?

[shelbyj]

MitchF150 wrote:
Here's my stickers.. Got lucky and found it sitting on the lot near the back.. Almost like they didn't want to sell it!




Here is the window sticker with the 'options'. 🙂



They are out there.. Just gotta get lucky I guess?

Mitch

Mitch don't you know you can't tow with P rated tires? That's so unsafe. Those tires are for cars not trucks 🙂 (insert sarcasm)

[MargaretB]

MitchF150 wrote:
Not all of us need or want a an HD truck.. Heck, I only tow about 5-6 times a year and even if it was a larger, heavier trailer, I'd still only want my F150..

Now, if I had to have a #9000+ GVWR travel trailer.. Sure, I'd have to reconsider my choice of truck.. Even thou my particular F150 has a stupid "tow rating" of over #11,000!!

I'd run out of payload, GVWR and rear axle weight long before I'd come close to that "tow rating".

I'd feel comfortable going up to a #7000 TT without blinking an eye with my F150..

Margaret, don't try to shop by what the web page ratings say.. Those are "at best" and "properly equipped" and NOT what you are going to necessarily find on a dealers lot, especially if looking for used.

Keep looking and that "gem" will find your way.. Until then, enjoy the ride you have and don't stress it! 🙂 I know, easier said than done, but still.. 😉

Mitch

Good to know - thanks!

[MargaretB]

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?

[rbpru]

Well as the OP has probably figured out, when in doubt go bigger.

That is okay if you willing to pay more for initial cost, repairs and maintenance; plus you are willing to except a rougher ride when unloaded.

Every feature you add to any truck reduces the max cargo, be it power windows or heated seats. That is why the dealer can only give you a rough estimate of the payload.

There is nothing mystical here, a half ton is 1000 lbs. The Max cargo on my truck is 1411 lbs. that means after a couple of adults and a dog I am eating into my cargo capacity. If my TT and stuff exceed the max cargo, I either tow over capacity or buy a bigger truck.

[cekkk]

Regular Cab $31,045, 2015 F250 MSRP.
Regular Cab $29,440, 2015 F150 MSRP.
Difference of $1605, per Edmunds.

Of course, nobody ends up with the base priced vehicle, but I'm guessing the 250 will require fewer add-ons than the 150 to create a good tow vehicle.

IMHO, 150s are great trucks for everything the average person uses a pickup for, except towing more than light loads. I live in pickup country and see a whole lot more horse trailers, loads of hay, equipment (and campers) being pulled with the 250s and 2500s than with the half-tons. Just say'n.

[dadmomh]

G'Morning, MargaretB....we're in the same place you are. We have an '03 F-150 crew cab, 5.4, 3.55 and our payload is 1840....I went and looked at the sticker....again. We are rated to tow 8000#. Our Rocky has a GVWR of 6629#. There will always be someone who says you should just go ahead and buy a 350/3500 because you'll be better off. Where? Certainly not at the bank. Your choice of TTs is one of the lighter ones and you don't need it for that. You're not hauling a mountain of "stuff"....did you ever go and invest in that coffee maker??? You're an AARP member with some longevity, so the chances of you moving to a 35' TT or 5er are pretty darned slim. You just want a truck that's sufficient to tow your TT safely and serve as a daily driver. Is that right?

There is good advice on the forum, but there are those who apparently have very deep pockets and believe that bigger is better. But not all of us. Suggestion is that when you are looking at a truck that may serve your needs, ask the salesman to pull up that truck by VIN#. There is a website by year that you can also check specs, but ask for the actual printout from the factory when the truck was built - they can have it almost instantly. That should match the stickers on the jambs. While we were on our last FL trip, we got to talking weight, etc and pulled into a scale. I called our Ford dealer and they had the complete info for us in less than a minute. The manual leaves some to be desired as far as details. You need the actual from that vehicle. Same rule applies to auto salesmen as to RV.....don't take their word for it, triple check it yourself.

So after you buy the coffee maker and head for the car lots, don't let this make you crazy, which it can. Take it one step at a time, just like with the TT. It's hard to believe that there aren't some nice, fairly new trucks out there that will fit your needs. BTW, if you find a dealer that you're comfortable with, they can check a wide area to see what dealers have what for sale and they often swap around. When I bought my car, the color I wanted wasn't at the dealer I love but they found it in just a few minutes and sent a driver to pick it up for me. You should still be able to work with the dealer you're comfortable with. You might find it that way. Good luck.

[MFL]

Atlee wrote:
Only through 2014. The heavy payload pkg in 2015 only has 6 lugs

MFL wrote:


The HD 150, will have 7-bolt wheels, also easy to spot. You likely won't find one of these on the lot.

Jerry

Thanks, good to know that a change was made.

Jerry

[cekkk]

MitchF150's stickers indicates passenger tires and 35 psi. How does that work with an HD claim? Certainly that would be an important factor in Ford rating the vehicle's carrying capacity, no? My truck's sticker wants 65 psi up front, 60 rear, for its booties.

[Atlee]

Only through 2014. The heavy payload pkg in 2015 only has 6 lugs.

MFL wrote:


The HD 150, will have 7-bolt wheels, also easy to spot. You likely won't find one of these on the lot.

Jerry

[goducks10]

JMO but the only reason to get a 1/2 ton over a 3/4 ton is for mpg when not towing. They usually end up pricing out pretty similar when you load up the 1/2 ton to tow and carry at it's max. If mpg when not towing is more important than the payload and tow ratings then thet the 1/2 ton. If not get a 3/4 ton or better.

When I had my 2010 F150 max tow with 1857lbs for payload I needed to put LT tires on to help carry the maxed out payload and with towing a 31'-7300lb TT. The ride for all intents and purposes was not much different than my current Ram 2500. Only reasons I'd go back to a 1/2 ton again is if I was towing a relatively light weight TT or not towing at all. Actually if I wasn't towing I'd probably go with a new GM twin or Tacoma.

[coolbreeze01]

With the new information, 70's and a budget, I'd make do and enjoy what I have. Good luck.

[jaycocreek]

Generally you need the max tow option to exceed 1500 lbs in payload.

XLT Crew Cab/5.4 right at 1700Lbs.

[MitchF150]

Not all of us need or want a an HD truck.. Heck, I only tow about 5-6 times a year and even if it was a larger, heavier trailer, I'd still only want my F150..

Now, if I had to have a #9000+ GVWR travel trailer.. Sure, I'd have to reconsider my choice of truck.. Even thou my particular F150 has a stupid "tow rating" of over #11,000!!

I'd run out of payload, GVWR and rear axle weight long before I'd come close to that "tow rating".

I'd feel comfortable going up to a #7000 TT without blinking an eye with my F150..

Margaret, don't try to shop by what the web page ratings say.. Those are "at best" and "properly equipped" and NOT what you are going to necessarily find on a dealers lot, especially if looking for used.

Keep looking and that "gem" will find your way.. Until then, enjoy the ride you have and don't stress it! 🙂 I know, easier said than done, but still.. 😉

Mitch

[lbrjet]

The brochures are best case scenarios with no options on a truck. Pure fiction. Next time you call ask them to please get the info from the yellow stickers and it could save you a trip. Generally you need the max tow option to exceed 1500 lbs in payload.

[MargaretB]

We are in our 70s. We need a vehicle that will work for an around-town car about 90% of the time and tow for the rest. We can't afford, nor do we really need, a big muscle truck. We don't haul stuff around, except ourselves and the normal stuff townies carry in the course of their lives - no drywall, or heavy machinery, or even heavy tenting gear. What we do need is a reliable truck that can pull our ultra-lite TT with room for us and our kayaks, and once in a blue moon, maybe the grands. A truck that won't fill up the parking lot at Safeway. Everything we need to haul will fit into the back seat of the cab. So no, there's no way we're going to try to afford a bigger truck than a half-ton.

We have a good friend, a very experienced TT guy whose on his 5th one, a 22' Airstream, in 40 years, who tows with SUVs. His current one is an MB diesel and he's thrilled with it. Tons more torque than he found on any other TV, rated at 7000#, and he carries two adults, one big dog, and two kayaks without even knowing he's pulling anything.