Payload discrepancy

[Shorteelaw]

I'm so confused right now....

So we just purchased a 2010 Titan SE SWB with the tow package... when we looked up the information on payload it said it had payload of 1,900-2,015... so my husband went to a weigh station with just himself in it (he's 6'9'' and 300 pounds) and it weighed 5900 pounds. The sticker on it says that it's GVWR is 7,200... so that means we only have 1,300 payload left. The difference isn't a matter of another 300 pounds... it's 600-750! What am I missing?????

[PUCampin]

myredracer wrote:
The weight of any factory options - 4x4, 8' box, super or crew cab, plus all the lesser ones (tow hooks, ex.) - will reduce payload capacity. What is shown on the sticker is not necessarily accurate and is for a base curb model without any options. For example, upon going to a scale, the payload cap. on our F250 is supposed to be 2701 lbs but is actually 1800 lbs and it's because we have 4WD, 8' box and super cab plus a canopy of about 200 lbs. That's about 900 lbs less than what the sticker on the door pillar says. It is what it is... Many swear that the sticker is 100% accurate tho. and can find themselves in a jamb. If you don't really need 4WD, don't get it. That's the single biggest eater of payload capacity.

The best thing you can do is fill your fuel tank up and go to a scale with just the driver and subtract the weight from the GVWR figure.

Respectfully, this is not true, at least here in the US. The yellow sticker shown in the post above IS specific, for THAT vehicle model and trim with it's options as it left the factory (not including dealer add ons). Not for a base model like a brochure. Open the doors on several variations of the same vehicle, they will not be the same. Notice it has that vehicle's VIN printed on it. This requirement is one of the few things the US government has done right.

[myredracer]

The weight of any factory options - 4x4, 8' box, super or crew cab, plus all the lesser ones (tow hooks, ex.) - will reduce payload capacity. What is shown on the sticker is not necessarily accurate and is for a base curb model without any options. For example, upon going to a scale, the payload cap. on our F250 is supposed to be 2701 lbs but is actually 1800 lbs and it's because we have 4WD, 8' box and super cab plus a canopy of about 200 lbs. That's about 900 lbs less than what the sticker on the door pillar says. It is what it is... Many swear that the sticker is 100% accurate tho. and can find themselves in a jamb. If you don't really need 4WD, don't get it. That's the single biggest eater of payload capacity.

The best thing you can do is fill your fuel tank up and go to a scale with just the driver and subtract the weight from the GVWR figure.

[MitchF150]

This is the only true source for YOUR trucks payload figure...





Getting it off of a web site, even if entering all of the options and such is not really going to be what your truck has..

Now, if your sticker looks like this with a "#1900" payload figure and you have the weights you have, something happened along the way that probably no one will be able to explain...

Good luck!!

Mitch

[BurbMan]

Correct. There is no substitute for getting weighed, but my point is that while tongue weight should be in the 10-15% range, you do have some ability to manage tongue weight against available payload of the truck by how you load the trailer, as long as the tongue isn't too light.

[Francesca_Knowl]

BurbMan wrote:
...........snip........
If the fresh water tank of the trailer is behind the trailer axles, you can actually reduce your tongue weight and increase available payload by traveling with a full water tank. ........snip.......

This is practicable ONLY if by transferring that weight one doesn't lighten the tongue below the required 10%-of-total or so needed for trailer stability.

[BurbMan]

Welcome to the world of "trying to figure out what my truck is rated to carry". Hats off for doing your homework, most don't ask these questions until after they buy a trailer that's too big....

Some points may help: The 150-driver issue...there is no allowance for the driver in the payload number. However, most mfrs include a 150-lb driver in the calculations when quoting a tow rating.

On the payload, you mentioned that you looked up your specific model, which is good. But the payload quoted is going to be the weight of that model subtracted from the GVWR (7200 lbs). The issue becomes when you add options that aren't included with whatever the base trim level is for that model. Things that add weight could be towing package with HD radiator and trans cooler, bigger engine, or luxury items like leather and a nav system. So for example if you look up the payload for the "SE" model, it will have taken into account all the stuff that comes with the SE model, but not the options that you can add over and above. After all, the mfr has no way of knowing how each vehicle will ultimately be configured, there are too many permutations. There there are the aftermarket items like the tonneau cover, etc.

So you really not too far off the mark from the brochure payload # everything considered.

shorteelaw wrote:
But giving ourselves 100 extra pounds of payload would give us approximately 660 extra pounds to have in the trailer, right?

Yes. In general a travel trailer will have a 13% tongue weight, so for every 100 lbs of available payload, 100/.13= 769 lbs of total trailer weight. Of course this number will vary depending on how the trailer is configured.

So, some of that depends where on the trailer you add weight. An extra battery on the tongue will add almost all of it's weight to the truck's payload. A case of beer directly over the trailer axles adds no weight, and any weight added behind the trailer axles actually reduces your tongue weight and increases you available payload.

If the fresh water tank of the trailer is behind the trailer axles, you can actually reduce your tongue weight and increase available payload by traveling with a full water tank. However, you need to be careful that the weight of the water doesn't put you overweight on the trailer axles.

Hope some of this helps.

[rbpru]

The stickers on my TV and TT say, Max cargo truck 1411 lbs. Max cargo trailer 2722 lbs.

Including the cap, tools, camp gear etc. in my truck, then adding the tongue wieght; I am within a few hundred lbs. of the truck's max cargo number.

Even though I am nowhere near the max cargo limit on the trailer. A portion of the trailer load that gets transferred to the WD hitch adding to my TV load.

My point is one has to take a close look at the wieghts involved. It is not so simple as it seems.

[Shorteelaw]

boosTT wrote:
There are a lot of people who are over their payload...

I wouldn't worry about pulling a bed cover to save 100 lbs. Now if you are 500lbs over the GVWR or over the axle ratings, I would start to be concerned.

I'm right at my max payload hauling an atv in the bed while towing my 19' travel trailer. My setup tows great using an ram 1500.

But giving ourselves 100 extra pounds of payload would give us approximately 660 extra pounds to have in the trailer, right?

[boosTT]

There are a lot of people who are over their payload...

I wouldn't worry about pulling a bed cover to save 100 lbs. Now if you are 500lbs over the GVWR or over the axle ratings, I would start to be concerned.

I'm right at my max payload hauling an atv in the bed while towing my 19' travel trailer. My setup tows great using an ram 1500.

[Francesca_Knowl]

kaydeejay wrote:

Francesca Knowles wrote:
..........

Per your max trailer weight: T'other figure that should be on your door panel is Gross Combined Weight Rating- "GCWR". That's the very maximum weight that the trailer/truck combo and all contents can weigh.

Francesca, small point but you will not find GCWR on any label on the vehicle as it is not a legally required number.
The ONLY place it will be found is in the Owner's manual (or on appropriate web-sites of course).

Wow- thanks for the correction; what was I thinkin'?!
Not a small point at all...

[anaro]

I feel your pain. I have been where you are now. I had an 04 armada that I thought was rated to tow up to 9100 lbs, turns out I only had 800 lbs available payload. Too little for my 7000 lb tt that we bought in 2011. We traded for an 09 F250 diesel in 2012. Didn't think to check payload because we thought a diesel can tow almost anything. Wrong. It turned out our f250 only had 1500 lbs of available payload. Plenty for our current tt but not our upgrade we want so 2 weeks ago we traded for our new TV. We checked, double checked and triple checked every possible spec. The truck wasn't on the lot so we made the dealership get the other dealership to snap pics of the hitch ratings and tire loading stickers for us. We passed on 2 trucks because this revealed weaknesses that would not be capable of our next tt. We now have a truck that can handle our next tt without a doubt. We will be verifying weights at the scale on Sat but I know I have a hitch rated to 2000 lbs tongue weight and I have 4000 lbs payload per sticker which will still give us over 3000 lb payload with aftermarket add ons, family, pets, etc. I tell you this to show you the same painful journey we travelled to get us where we are today. Sadly you have discovered the Achilles heel of the 1/2 ton. It is a horrible feeling to realize you don't have as much truck as you thought you did. The good news is you know this before you bought a tt.

To figure out what you can safely tow. Get a more accurate weight with everyone (pets too), full tank if fuel and anything you plan to have in the truck when towing. Now take the trucks gvwr and subtract your scales weight to get your available payload (you understand this step already.) Next take the scaled weight and subtract it from the trucks gcwr to get your overall towing capacity. Your limiting factor will be your payload not your overall towing capacity. The loaded tongue weight must come off your available payload. So what is your loaded tongue weight? Loaded tongue weight is ideally 13-15% of the loaded tt weight. You will not know this figure until after you buy the tt. Do not shop by dry or unloaded tt Wright or dry/unloaded tongue weight. Most families tend to add 1000-1500 lbs gear into a tt (some more, some less). I advocate first time tt owners shop using the gvwr of the tt for calculations. Look for a tt gvwr less than your towing capacity. Then take 15% of gvwr to see what the worst possible tongue weight might be. Keep this below your new available payload number. Keep within these specs and you should be ok with a good wdh with integrated sway control (ie equal-i-zer or Reese dual cam) and a good proportional brake controller (ie prodigy p2 or p3). Best of luck to you.

[phar0e]

We have a 2011 Titan crew cab 4wd. The yellow sticker in the drivers door jam tells me my payload rating is 1433 lbs. I have always taken payload to include all passengers, tongue weight, WD hitch and other luggage in the truck. Needless to say we have to manage payload carefully.

[Shorteelaw]

Need-A-Vacation wrote:

Shorteelaw wrote:

PUCampin wrote:

Shorteelaw wrote:
I just looked and it's 1900... so if we add in the 150 pounds it gives for "free" from what I understand and then take away my husbands weight since he was in the truck at the time of weighing - that'd be more like 1750.... we have a 450 pound discrepancy... not sure where that 450 pounds could be weighing...

Just so you know, there is no 150lbs free. Previously, when curb weight and payload numbers were more vague, it often was the case. However since I believe 2006, the Tire and Loading sticker has been manditory, and is specific for that vehicle as equipped.

The Yellow tire and loading sticker states "The maximum allowable weight of ALL passengers (including the driver) and cargo not to exceed XXXX" This number is for your truck as it left the factory with factory options and includes a full tank of fuel. It is usally an odd number. Example, my Expedition EL XLT 4x4 with factory rear air and sunroof has a maximum allowable of 1672lbs

So if your tire and loading sticker says 1900lbs, then subtract your husband's weight, the cover (typical fiberglass is 100lbs), and anything else. 1900 - 300 - 100 = 1500 Any dealer installed or aftermarket items would also subtract from this.

I'm hoping the cover is 100 pounds - we will be taking it off and then that'd give us a little more payload. 🙂

Thanks for clearing up the 150 pounds. It was actually on this forum that I got that info a couple weeks ago so that was surprising. I guess the lesson is - don't believe much of what you read, haha.

Is the bed cover a cab high "topper"/cap, or just a bed cover (tonneau cover)?

If it is a cab high "topper", it is probably closer to 200lbs.

Good luck!

It's the tonneau cover. Any idea what it weighs?

[camp-n-family]

I got the 150 pound from several other threads on this forum in just the past couple weeks. But as someone else explained to me, that is how it used to be when they weren't precise with the info on the sticker. Makes sense.

It is one of the biggest towing misconceptions you'll find on here, next to needing a dually to tow anything bigger than a popup 😉

[crabbin_cabin]

Shorteelaw wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Where are you looking up payload info? The information is consistent no matter what reputable website you look at.

What are the numbers on door jamb data sticker? I already answered that in another post.


GVWR of 7200# minus scale weight 5900# equals 1300# of capacity left. Yes - that's what I already said in my initial post.

5900# included your husband and EVERYTHING in vehicle. Yes again... that's what I already said in my initial post.



1300# minus your weight, minus anything you put in vehicle, minus any other passengers & their stuff........not much 'actual payload' capacity going to be left. It still leaves us with over 800 so I guess "not much actual payload" is extremely subjective.
That's the reality of real numbers vs mfg. published marketing numbers that have fine print/caveats such as:
**May vary depending on model, trim and/or powertrain. (We had looked it up based on exact model, trim, and powertrain)
**Weight of additional options, passengers, cargo and hitch must be deducted from this weight Yes I am quite aware and already mentioned that...

I've responded in red above. I'm not sure if you didn't read the majority of my post or any of the comments afterward but I think all you did was just give us a synopsis of what I already said.

IMHO - Typical of old biscuit!! Don't let it bother you!!