TC Newbie with ?'s

@OP: If you really want to find out what payload of your truck is, then take off the tailgate, fill it full of diesel and go to the CAT Scales (or perhaps a local dump.) Get out of the truck and get a total as well as F/R readings. This will provide a good staring point on numbers... but it will not change the fact that, as many have mentioned, that coils are not the best for camper unless you find a more minimalist TC.

Can it be done with coils? well, perhaps, but at what cost for still having a 2500.

Prevost97 wrote:
OK guys, I have another question. My truck has a CVWR of 10,000 lbs. My axle weight ratings (5.5 K front, 6K rear) and tire weight ratings (5K lbs per tire at 80PSI) are all good.

But, I found something today called the "2016 Consumer Information on: Cargo Weight Rating and Center of Gravity for 1016 Ram Trucks". It is easily googled. From what I can tell, this is required information that the federal government gathers every year from manufacturers of trucks that can accommodate slide in campers.

Now for the screwy part; for my truck, with a "payload" of 3300 lbs., crew cab, 4X4, 6.4 Hemi engine, and club seats, the listed maximum "Cargo Weght Rating (CGR) is a measly 2121.7 lbs!! The "CGR" is defined as "the cargo capacity, in lbs., excluding the weight of occupants in the cab of the vehicle".

For comparison, the 2016 Ram 3500 with the otherwise exact same configuration has a CVWR of 10800 lbs., with a "CWR" of only 2810 lbs!! I didn't look it up, but this Ram 3500 must have at least a "Payload" of 4,000. lbs.

So, what gives? Are we all grossly overloaded, or is this CYA information to protect truck manufacturers from liability, that is generally hidden from consumer eyes?? It plainly states in the literature that dealers are required to have this information on hand, and continuously up to date. Suppose one is in an accident, does your insurance company use the manufacturer's "CWR", or the "Payload" to try to throw out your claim??