Towing capacity vs max cargo weight rating

[ognend]

Hello all!

Can someone clarify something for me? If a truck's max gooseneck trailer loaded weight is 15,100 lbs (as per manufacturer towing guide - it is a Ford) - how can the max cargo weight rating be 1792 lbs?

If I understand correctly, the max cargo weight rating is all the weight that can be put into/onto the truck (passengers, their things) PLUS the, for example, weight of the gooseneck pin of the loaded, 15,100 lbs trailer.

Ford's towing guide says: "Cargo Weight Rating shown in chart is maximum allowable, assuming weight of a base vehicle with required camper option content and a 150-lb. passenger at each available seating position".

Does this mean the allowed payload is AFTER 5 passengers? if I removed 3 passengers, does that add 450 lbs to payload capacity (max allowed cargo weight as per Ford)?

In addition, what gooseneck trailer weighs 15,100 lbs (max loaded trailer weight spec as per Ford) but only 1792 on the hitch (as per max allowed cargo weight)? This would imply that only 12% of the loaded trailer weight is on the hitch. Does this sound right?
I know this is not the case for my loaded horse trailer with living quarters (but then horse trailers with living quarters tend to be front heavy).

Am I understanding this right?

Thanks!

[ognend]

Huntindog wrote:
If 36# is that important to you.... You need a bigger truck.

I don't understand. Why do I need a bigger truck? 🙂

[Huntindog]

ognend wrote:

Huntindog wrote:
Read my ENTIRE post again. I am not going to contact Ford without your trucks pertintnent info, and challange them on your behalf. It is YOUR truck, and you have the necessary info, and YOU are the one that wants to use your own numbers... If you want an explanation.... Then Ford is your source for it...... If you just want to use the number you came up with.... It is a free country. Just do it, no need to ask about it here.

Ah I see what you are saying.

In an ideal world we would have access to Ford engineers to ask them these questions. In the real world, I have a coolant leak for the last 10,000 miles that the Ford dealer cannot find after two visits but is happy to top off the coolant every oil change. I also cannot get Ford to fix my FordPass account so that all my repair/maintenance history is fully unlocked for me to see as an owner. In the real world, I have a sticker with a "magic number" of 2184 lbs (which is SUPER precise for payload, not 2180, not 2190 but 2184!), I also have a RAWR and FAWR even though I am not supposed to be looking at those (why give them to me?).

You see, in the real world, you are only interesting to Ford when you ask "how much". Thanks for your insights.

If 36# is that important to you.... You need a bigger truck.

[Grit_dog]

philh wrote:
don't like the number on the door sticker, you just get to pick a new number? Interesting way of dealing with payload capacity.

And this is an overtly ignorant statement, obviously backed by your lack of knowledge about vehicle construction and specifications.

[Cummins12V98]

MikeRP wrote:
So what if your only worry about a new truck was payload. You go to the Ford Dealer and see a 2019 Ford 3500 CC SB Lariat SRW. Payload 3400 lbs. Sitting next to it was a 2019 Ford 3500 CC Long Bed XLT SRW. Payload 3400 lbs. Across the way is a Ram dealer. He’s got a 2020 Ram 3500 CC Long Bed Longhorn. Payload 4150 lbs. Which one do you buy and why? All three are diesels.

You buy the one with the CUMMINS engine and hopefully AISIN transmission.

[ognend]

Michelle.S wrote:
The Ford number is probably based on the weakest link which may be the tires used, have you checked the ratings on your tires to see if they will support your new cargo capacity?

Yes, the tires (and wheels) easily support the weight. Thanks! 🙂

[JIMNLIN]

What do y'all think? Thanks!

Without going back and looking at all the postings..... if your F250 has the heavy service pack or camper package it has the same front and rear spring packs as a F350 SRW according to Fleet Ford specs.

No need to write Fords engineers as others have done in the past. The reply from Ford was the clicky to Fleet Ford specs that tells us what Ford engineers say about weights and components that carry weight.....differences and sameness of Ford Super Duty trucks.

It would really help with new folks with a Ford truck weight question if everyone would research those specs from Ford before making comments like we see on every weight thread/F250.

That low payload on the tire placard sticker is based on a GVWR number and a trucks overall dry gross weight as shipped from the factory.
This number like yours can be well below safe/legal actual load carrying capacity on some trucks....and that same gvwr based payload sticker number can be very high and can overload the trucks RAWR number if used as a in the bed payload.

[4x4ord]

Michelle.S wrote:
The Ford number is probably based on the weakest link which may be the tires used, have you checked the ratings on your tires to see if they will support your new cargo capacity?

I think you’re right .... it is based on the weakest link but I think the weakest link is probably the sticker:)

[Michelle_S]

The Ford number is probably based on the weakest link which may be the tires used, have you checked the ratings on your tires to see if they will support your new cargo capacity?

[MFL]

ognend wrote:
Quick update on this thread: I finally got around to taking my truck to the scales with a full tank of diesel ('16 F-250 Crew Cab FX4 Powerstroke). Front axle: 4860, rear axle: 3280, total weight, 8140 lbs.

My RAWR is 6100lbs so I am going with payload capacity of 2820lbs, even though Ford's sticker in the door says - 2184lbs.

My total trailer loaded weight: 9270. Since it is a horse trailer with living quarters, I am going with 30% of the weight being on the hitch - which would be 2780lbs. Hence, I feel like I am not overweight. n fact, I am comfortable with replacing the stock 26gal fuel tank with a 50 gal Titan - which would add 192lbs to the equation.



What do y'all think? Thanks!

Good that you hit the scales! Now you know exactly what you can add to the rear axle! After all these pages, most understand you are figuring correctly using the axle ratings, rather than the class 2 registration/insurance GVWR of 10k.

Yes, the axle rating is there for the exact reason you are using it for. It means your rear suspension, tires, wheels, and brakes are designed to carry 6,100 lbs.

Jerry

[ognend]

4x4ord wrote:
Ford gives you the max cargo weight on your door sticker. They also give the maximum axle weight ratings on the door sticker. If you want to follow a maximum rating I’d recommend you ignore the maximum cargo capacity number and go by your maximum rear axle weight rating. I believe it is much safer to be heavy on the pin than light. You could be 1000 lbs over on your maximum rear axle rating and the only way you’d ever know it is over weight is by weighing your axle. If you’re too light, the trailer can be very unstable and dangerous.

That's exactly what I am doing (I believe). I weighed my truck without trailer with a full tank of diesel. I then subtracted the weight of the rear axle of the truck from the rear axle weight rating. This (in my understanding), gives me the max weight I can put on the rear axle, to get to the rear axle capacity limit. Thanks 🙂

[4x4ord]

Ford gives you the max cargo weight on your door sticker. They also give the maximum axle weight ratings on the door sticker. If you want to follow a maximum rating I’d recommend you ignore the maximum cargo capacity number and go by your maximum rear axle weight rating. I believe it is much safer to be heavy on the pin than light. You could be 1000 lbs over on your maximum rear axle rating and the only way you’d ever know it is over weight is by weighing your axle. If you’re too light, the trailer can be very unstable and dangerous.

[ognend]

Huntindog wrote:
Read my ENTIRE post again. I am not going to contact Ford without your trucks pertintnent info, and challange them on your behalf. It is YOUR truck, and you have the necessary info, and YOU are the one that wants to use your own numbers... If you want an explanation.... Then Ford is your source for it...... If you just want to use the number you came up with.... It is a free country. Just do it, no need to ask about it here.

Ah I see what you are saying.

In an ideal world we would have access to Ford engineers to ask them these questions. In the real world, I have a coolant leak for the last 10,000 miles that the Ford dealer cannot find after two visits but is happy to top off the coolant every oil change. I also cannot get Ford to fix my FordPass account so that all my repair/maintenance history is fully unlocked for me to see as an owner. In the real world, I have a sticker with a "magic number" of 2184 lbs (which is SUPER precise for payload, not 2180, not 2190 but 2184!), I also have a RAWR and FAWR even though I am not supposed to be looking at those (why give them to me?).

You see, in the real world, you are only interesting to Ford when you ask "how much". Thanks for your insights.

[Huntindog]

ognend wrote:

Huntindog wrote:

ognend wrote:

philh wrote:
don't like the number on the door sticker, you just get to pick a new number? Interesting way of dealing with payload capacity.

I picked a different number on the sticker - RAWR minus actual weight of rear axle. I feel that number is the right one. What do you think?

I "think" that you do not like Fords number, so you are using one that you came up with.

Why don't you write a letter to Ford Motor Company with all of the pertintnent info (VIN#) and tell them what you posted here?
Tell them why your calculations are better than the ones their engineers came up with.

Then post their response.

Of course I don't like the number. However, I would also like to understand how they reached the exact 2184lbs payload capacity number (it is not exactly explained in the owner manual) and why they bothered to publish the 6100 RAWR number on the door sticker if the RAWR number has zero relevance. Do you have the explanation for that one? I am not saying this to argue but at the end of the day, if the payload capacity is the single number to look at, why publish the FAWR and RAWR numbers? Thanks!

Read my ENTIRE post again. I am not going to contact Ford without your trucks pertintnent info, and challange them on your behalf. It is YOUR truck, and you have the necessary info, and YOU are the one that wants to use your own numbers... If you want an explanation.... Then Ford is your source for it...... If you just want to use the number you came up with.... It is a free country. Just do it, no need to ask about it here.

[ognend]

MikeRP wrote:
So what if your only worry about a new truck was payload. You go to the Ford Dealer and see a 2019 Ford 3500 CC SB Lariat SRW. Payload 3400 lbs. Sitting next to it was a 2019 Ford 3500 CC Long Bed XLT SRW. Payload 3400 lbs. Across the way is a Ram dealer. He’s got a 2020 Ram 3500 CC Long Bed Longhorn. Payload 4150 lbs. Which one do you buy and why? All three are diesels.

Does a long bed not make for more weight on the rear axle? I would say that all else equal (meaning same rear axle weight ratings etc.), the short bed would have a higher ACTUAL payload capacity. Correct?

[MikeRP]

So what if your only worry about a new truck was payload. You go to the Ford Dealer and see a 2019 Ford 3500 CC SB Lariat SRW. Payload 3400 lbs. Sitting next to it was a 2019 Ford 3500 CC Long Bed XLT SRW. Payload 3400 lbs. Across the way is a Ram dealer. He’s got a 2020 Ram 3500 CC Long Bed Longhorn. Payload 4150 lbs. Which one do you buy and why? All three are diesels.