Payload quandry
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 19,711
Likes: 12,849
From: Wyoming
Wear it like a badge of honor. Seriously, your advice may influence more than just the OP that you're responding to and you may very well save someone from being injured.
We need a Weight Police badge. LOL!
We need a Weight Police badge. LOL!
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 466
Likes: 5
I've got one over on the IRV2 forum...LOL! And honestly, I'm not offended by it. I've got a degree in "Hard lessons Learned" as a result of buying a truck that I thought I could tow almost anything I wanted...RV-wise, then 6 years later trying to buy that RV and finding out that the truck I had bought wasn't close to being big enough for it.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,674
Likes: 376
I'm all for watching specs like payload so long as the means of satisfying a spec doesn't put people in an unsafe scenario. It's very easy to mind all the specs in the book and on the door and still be unsafe. For instance, I'd much rather be 500 lbs over on payload (5% of the GVWR on a F250) then balance a trailer like a teeter totter just to keep a truck in payload compliance. It's technically right and yet unsafe at the same time. That's my only beef with the "weight police"...sometimes strict adherence to a spec results in poor advice.
Someone in one of these threads mentioned using sand bags and dumbbells to stabilize a bumper hitch trailer. At that point, it's a good time to step back and analyze what's going on before going any farther.
Someone in one of these threads mentioned using sand bags and dumbbells to stabilize a bumper hitch trailer. At that point, it's a good time to step back and analyze what's going on before going any farther.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 466
Likes: 5
I'm all for watching specs like payload so long as the means of satisfying a spec doesn't put people in an unsafe scenario. It's very easy to mind all the specs in the book and on the door and still be unsafe. For instance, I'd much rather be 500 lbs over on payload (5% of the GVWR on a F250) then balance a trailer like a teeter totter just to keep a truck in payload compliance. It's technically right and yet unsafe at the same time. That's my only beef with the "weight police"...sometimes strict adherence to a spec results in poor advice.
Someone in one of these threads mentioned using sand bags and dumbbells to stabilize a bumper hitch trailer. At that point, it's a good time to step back and analyze what's going on before going any farther.
Someone in one of these threads mentioned using sand bags and dumbbells to stabilize a bumper hitch trailer. At that point, it's a good time to step back and analyze what's going on before going any farther.
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,400
Likes: 15
Umm what senix reccomended IS how it’s done in real life.... in the eyes of DOT.
Your calculations are also not even close to values shown by Ford either.
I don’t mean to be rude but let’s be serious for 5 mins...2800 lbs of pin weight is peanuts. Definitely not 450 territory unless you have cash to burn on fuel tires and truck. If it makes you feel better then why did you stop at a F450? I mean there are plenty good semi tractors out there.
Your cash, your choices, I get it.
I used to have a ‘12 F250 6.7 with air bags and upgraded shocks. I never ever had trouble with my 35’ Fiver with a pin of 2500 lbs.
you listen to the WP on the forums and you’d think I’d been killing baby seals or something.
I just came back from a camping trip in which I saw at least 4 F250’s pulling triple axel toyhaulers w/o any problems. They were definately over the advertised payload, but not a one of them were over the axel rating.
For the OP, Senixs advice is the most relevant. If I were in your shoes I’d worry the most about the axel / tire ratings and move on with life.
Here are some real world data with my 2800# "peanuts" pin weight. With a 1000# lighter SRW, I'd have 12,480# on the truck instead of the 13480# shown on my F450. That's 980# over for an F350, or 2480# over for an F250! The numbers don't lie. Keep in mind, the advertised weight of my trailer is 13.7k with a 1740# pin - advertised weights are without options like a 2nd AC, or water.
If I stay within the limits set by teams of highly trained experts (Ford) with lots of modeling and testing, I need a DRW. If some want to listen to various folks on the Internet using examples of overloaded rigs as proof that a proper truck is just to "feel better," well then that's up to the reader.
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Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,060
Likes: 491
From: Bristol, TN.
Given that arguments about weight ratings seem ubiquitous in so many websites, I often wonder if anyone ever changes their position. I'm pretty simple about these things (or maybe I'm just simple 
), but the only weights I trust are the ones from a CAT scale and the ones on my door sticker. Have heard all the arguments for and against countless times, but they just seem to make my head hurt and I don't like my head to hurt.
), but the only weights I trust are the ones from a CAT scale and the ones on my door sticker. Have heard all the arguments for and against countless times, but they just seem to make my head hurt and I don't like my head to hurt.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 466
Likes: 5
Given that arguments about weight ratings seem ubiquitous in so many websites, I often wonder if anyone ever changes their position. I'm pretty simple about these things (or maybe I'm just simple ), but the only weights I trust are the ones from a CAT scale and the ones on my door sticker. Have heard all the arguments for and against countless times, but they just seem to make my head hurt and I don't like my head to hurt.
), but the only weights I trust are the ones from a CAT scale and the ones on my door sticker. Have heard all the arguments for and against countless times, but they just seem to make my head hurt and I don't like my head to hurt.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,060
Likes: 491
From: Bristol, TN.
I meant more like changed their mind based on a "discussion" in a forum. I understand what you did. I have my empty truck weight, the weight with our fiver on the back, and a weight with our truck camper in the bed and I know what my sticker says. Like I said, too much thinking hurts my head.
Freshman User
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: Mich
I have a 350 SRW .I put F rated tires on it and air bags. The tires are what limit the load. I gained about 600 lb by putting on the F rated tires. I have had 2 Dully wheel trucks before. Just do not like not being able to go through some drive through lanes or car wash. ITS just a better fit for me. 3200 lb door sticker. Weight my 5th wheel at cat scale just under 2500 lb pin weight. Loaded up with me in it no better have in truck. 30 years driving over the road car hauler. Retired. 2017 3500 SRW CC 4X4 Lariat. Montana 3121RL Legacy. Pulled the great.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 324
Likes: 8
From: Austin, TX
Given that arguments about weight ratings seem ubiquitous in so many websites, I often wonder if anyone ever changes their position. I'm pretty simple about these things (or maybe I'm just simple ), but the only weights I trust are the ones from a CAT scale and the ones on my door sticker. Have heard all the arguments for and against countless times, but they just seem to make my head hurt and I don't like my head to hurt.
), but the only weights I trust are the ones from a CAT scale and the ones on my door sticker. Have heard all the arguments for and against countless times, but they just seem to make my head hurt and I don't like my head to hurt.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 466
Likes: 5
I have a 350 SRW .I put F rated tires on it and air bags. The tires are what limit the load. I gained about 600 lb by putting on the F rated tires. I have had 2 Dully wheel trucks before. Just do not like not being able to go through some drive through lanes or car wash. ITS just a better fit for me. 3200 lb door sticker. Weight my 5th wheel at cat scale just under 2500 lb pin weight. Loaded up with me in it no better have in truck. 30 years driving over the road car hauler. Retired. 2017 3500 SRW CC 4X4 Lariat. Montana 3121RL Legacy. Pulled the great.
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,400
Likes: 15
On trucks limited by their class (e.g. 10k F250, 14k DRW), there is likely some additional margin, but you are really guessing about safety with very little data.
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