Payload for my Ram 3500 Truck

[skidmark2003]

According to the stickers on my 2006 Dodge Ram 3500 Heavy Duty long bed dually diesel the GVWR is 11,500 lbs. But, the GAWR front is 4750 lbs and the GAWR rear is 9350 lbs for a total of 14,100 lbs. If my truck weight is 7200 lbs, WHAT IS MY PAYLOAD LBS? I am trying to decide on a truck camper so I can carry camper and pull boat.

thanks for any help on this.

[JIMNLIN]

But, the GAWR front is 4750 lbs and the GAWR rear is 9350 lbs for a total of 14,100 lbs.

Trucks working out here on the road that size can legally/safely carry weight determined by their axle/tire load ratings and in particular those big 9350 rawr numbers as their going to carry most if not all the TC weight.

Many one ton drw trucks rear axle can weigh in the (estimate) 3500 lb range leaving the truck with (estimate) 5850 lb payload in the bed. You need to weigh the trucks front and rear axles to know how much payload the truck can carry.

Vehicles (trucks and trailer) brakes at the minimum will be whatever the sum of the axle ratings are.
Example the trailer with tandem 7k axle has 14k lb of braking performance and 4750 plus 9350 = 14100 lbs will be how much braking performance your DRW truck has at a minimum.

[jimh406]

Some states do have a taxable weight. CA is one of those.

The most strict interpretation by the weight police here (not to be confused with the real police) is to stay under your GVWR. Most people here are over their GVWR either on purpose or accidentally.

If you go with axle ratings, just remember that your brakes aren't necessarily designed to handle the extra weight. They may or may not, but consider more stopping distance.

In any case, you need to go to a scale to find out how much room you have. In my heaviest loaded trip, the scale tickets like the following one will show how much you have on each axle. BTW, my truck is rated for 14500 and also includes axle ratings on the sticker.



Either way, your TC will likely be heavier than you think when you load it. Many here will suggest you should add 1000-1500 to what the camper says by the time you add water, etc, and your stuff. I do carry a lot more now that I have a F450, but I was able to carry the same TC on my previous truck with a SRW. It had a GVWR of 11400. I'm sure I was over, so I ran 19.5s on that SRW to make sure I wasn't over the tire ratings. Stopping is night and day different when the truck is designed to handle the heavier weight and heavier trailers like my F450 is.

[Kayteg1]

The calculated 4300lb is taxable weight and as you concluded has not much to do with actual vehicle capacities.
With camper your problem oscillate at rear axle.
Make sure the tires are up to task and go to scale comparing to actual axle rating.

[towpro]

Since your also looking at new campers Here is a good guide to new camper wet weights

[azdryheat]

Sounds like a quick trip to the scales is in order.

[mkirsch]

That's the "by the book" way to calculate payload: GVWR - actual empty weight

The reality is that if you want one of those jahunga behemoth campers, 4300lbs is not going to cut it. You're going to have to fudge the numbers by working off the axle weights.

towpro pretty well describes how to do it. You need actual weights for each individual axle. The reality is you probably have between 5000 and 6000lbs of payload capacity over the rear axle, which is where the weight of the truck camper ends up anyway.

[towpro]

just assuming your 7200 lbs is correct, 11,500 - 7200 = 4300 lbs of additional weight you can carry and still match door jam sticker.

now lets assume the front axle of your truck weighs 3800 lbs and your rear axle weighs 3400 lbs.

your front GAWR = 4750lbs - current 3800 = 950lbs left
your rear GAWR = 9350lbs - current 3400 = 5959lbs left.

so in order to hit your full full GVWR of 11,500, you can add 4300 lbs spread out over front or rear, up to the GAWR numbers.

I have seen some people post camper weights that shows the front axle gets lighter when they load the camper, this is affected by center of gravity of camper/trailer tong weight load

[KD4UPL]

11,500 - 7,200 = 4,300 payload. However, where did you get the 7,200? If that's not from weighing the truck it's likely wrong. You need to load the truck with family pets, fuel, etc. then remove the tailgate, and weigh it.
What you will discover is that even a 3500 series truck can't really carry a very big truck camper and stay under the GVWR.
Most people carrying large hardside truck campers are over the GVWR. Most go by the axle and tire weights. When you weigh your truck get separate axle weights. I'll guess you've got around 3,500 pounds on your rear axle. Rear GAWR of 9,350 - aprox. 3,500 = aprox. 5,800 of additional rear axle capacity. This is the number many people, my self included, use for sizing the camper. My own TC on my Chevy dually weights about 13,100 with the family load in. The GVWR on the truck is only 11,400. I have thousands of trouble free miles this way.
By the way, it's not "illegal" as some will try to tell you to be over the GVWR. Any DOT officer is only concerned with your axle weights, tire weights, and tag weight. You will need to have tags on the truck good for the weight you are carrying. My dually is tagged for 14,000 pounds. If I were only running regular passenger car tags they are only good for 7,500 pounds (I think). Then, hauling the weight I am I would be overweight and given a ticket if stopped (which is rather unlikely anyway.)

[Grit_dog]

I'd bet you're more than 7200 with an empty fuel tank. My 07 srw Dodge is like 7800 with the bed empty.
That said, your rawr is 9350, which is likely tire limited, axle is rated to 10klbs and your empty weight on the rear axle is probably about 3500lbs.
I have 4500lbs in my srw and it handles the load fine. I would not have an issue putting 5klbs or a bit more on the dually.

[billyray50]

zb39 wrote:
11500 - 7200 = 4300. But as said above you need to see what the truck weighs ready to travel. Fuel and people have weight also. My truck with full fuel and 2 of us is 9300. More than I thought.

X2

[zb39]

11500 - 7200 = 4300. But as said above you need to see what the truck weighs ready to travel. Fuel and people have weight also. My truck with full fuel and 2 of us is 9300. More than I thought.

[donn0128]

Actual payload is acaled ready to travel weight subtracted from the GVWR as listed on the drivers door post. Based on my 07 that number is right around 3500 pounds. Your can be different based on occupants and configuration.