I finally looked hard at the stickers on my B Pillar .

The top white sticker states:
GVWR: 10,000 lbs
Front GAWR 5200 lb with LT275/65R18E123/120S Tires 18x8.0J Rims at 65 PSI cold.
Rear GAWR 6100 lb with LT275/65R18E123/120S Tires 18x8.0J Rims at 80 PSI cold.

The tire sidewalls state the maximum load is 3,415 lbs at 80 psi.

Ok, fine. That seems consistent with the maximum payload rating from the product brochure of 3,250 lbs, as you would assume the axle rating to be much higher than the tire rating.

BUT, the "Tire and Loading Information" stick on the "B" Pillar states "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed 1,998 lbs."

That seems completely inconsistent! Is the maximum cargo 1,998 lbs, 3,250 lbs, 3,415 lbs, or 6,100 lbs?

 

Take the GVWR, subtract the weight of the truck (around 6500) and the remaining is your payload, which would include occupants and cargo. You can still go higher than this, but that is Ford recommended.

 

5,200# is the rating for the front axle.

6,100# is the rating for the rear axle.

3,415# @80psi is the rating for EACH tire. (x2 = 6,830#) It makes sense that the tires are rated more than the respective axle. (x4 = 13,660#) It also makes sense that the vehicle is rated less than the tires.

6,100# + 5,200# = 11,300# ... but the GVWR is only 10,000#... it makes sense that the vehicle is rated less than the axles combined.


10,000# - 1,998# = 8,002# at one point, your pickup, full of options and fuel, was weighed and displayed a curb weight of 8,002# which, according to your GVWR, leaves 1,998# of passenger & cargo.


3,250# is the payload capacity of a stripped down, regular cab, version of your pickup.

 

My explanation was simpler.

 

I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed and new to trucks, but 1,998 lbs of payload? That seems low. The spec sheet cargo weight for a diesel, crew cab, 4x4 SRW like mine is 3250.

 

They just state that to keep you under your GVWR. It is a rating that your registration fee is based upon. Higher numbers, higher fees. Your truck can handle MUCH more than any of the tags. You could throw 3000 lbs in the bed and still pull a 12,000 lb trailer.

 

I test drove an F250 KR last week and the payload was 2652.

2011 F-250 4X4, 6.2L Gas, 3.73 ELD, 6-3/4' Bed
King Ranch Crew Cab
Power Sunroof
Nav System with Sync
Tailgate Step

Does that mean the Diesel engine weighs 654 Lbs more than the 6.2L Gas engine?
This King Ranch 2652 - Boomers 1998 = 654 Lbs...

 

The door sticker weight ratings is dictated by politics.
In lot of states vehicle with 10,001 lb GVW or above is consider commercial and require higher fees, pulling over to weight stations and few more pretty unpleasant requirements.
So knowing that the sticker ratings and real ratings have very loose connection, I am using the tire max weigh carrying to determinate how much I can carry. My tires are rated for 3800 lb and I have 6 of them. The only issue I occasionally have is weight distribution what limits me use of front wheels for load carrying.

 

Also make sure you watch the capacity of the wheel if you have aftermarket wheels. The capacity of aftermarket wheels is oftentimes less than what one would expect.

 

So now that we know all of this, what do we do with it? Check your dmv website and see if you can up the registered weight.

I have mine at 12K. Costs I think an extra 12 bucks.

 

Probably. But not just the engine. The engine, all the extra coolers, including a second coolant system, DEF tank full of fluid, etc.

 

So, I got to the local Cat commercial scale with the truck full of gas and me (225), but otherwise empty. Here's the result:

Steer Axle: 4880 lbs
Drive Axle: 3320 lbs
Gross Weight: 8200 lbs

The B pillar stick gave the GVWR as 10,000 lbs, so that would say that I can safely haul 1,800 lbs without exceeding the GVWR.

That's consistent with the "Tire and Loading Information" sticker on the B Pillar which states "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed 1,998 lbs." I suspect the difference between the 1,998 and 1,800 is me and the full tank of gas.

The only odd part is the rear axle and tire capacities. The rear GAWR (sticker) is 6100 lb. The tires are rated at 3,415 lbs (6,830 lbs total). That would imply that I could put 6,100 - 3320 = 2,780 lbs in the rear without overloading the axle or tires.

I guess the bottom line is I can put about 2,000 lbs in the back versus the 3,450 in the product brochure. Never believe marketing materials.

 

Remember, it's considered a 3/4 ton truck. Options kill payload. 4x4, king ranch, crew cab all take away from what you can haul. That's why guys who need to haul big loads order plainer trucks, or step up to a 350, or dually. These trucks are not as light as they once were, that is why the GVW's keep going up too...

 

If you bought a plain F250 2wd with a gas engine and regular cab, you could haul #3,450 in it. Ford didn't decieve you, you bought a heavier truck. I ordered my 2011 F550 with a V10 because the 6.7 would've ate up 900# of my payload capacity. Yes the diesel and related components needed for it is 900# heavier! Ford doesn't increase GVWR when you add options. Options take away payload.

 

Other option is to raise the register wt of the truck, which is what i did.