I wake up sweating pretty often.

I have towed a number of trailers with a number of different Ford trucks and have found that the payload sticker is just about the least valuable piece of data when it comes to determining towing capability. My current and previous Super Duties (both F-250s) well over payload are much more stable and predictable than any of my F-150s were at well below their payload ratings. It's not even close.

The idea of configuring any truck simply to minimize weight (to maximize payload) is counter intuitive. Building a more capable (or comfortable, or safer) truck always requires that you add weight, not subtract it. Choosing to pass on desired options simply so you can tack a couple hundred pounds to your payload sticker does not make your truck more capable or safer...and it might do just the opposite. Many folks act as if at 100 pounds under payload, a truck is golden and at 100 pounds over, the wheels fall off.

 

These loaded out trucks aren't running around with service bodies and pipe racks at full payload.

My 6.2 reg cab 2wd absolute stripper was 8800 gvwr and 3806 on the yellow sticker. 3000 actual payload in real life was starting to push it, put 4080 in it once which was the max on the dot if at a higher available GVWR and there is no way, I was riding on the frame like border hopping roofer.

 

Thx #2!

Regards,
Jim / crewzer

 

My F350 ccsb 6.2 Lariats sticker is 4,008 lbs.

 

Hahaha.
Trust me when i say i am NOT the weight police in any way shape or form. Im more of the common sense type.


So much of your statement is so false and negligent, its hilarious. When a F350 has a payload sticker of 3,000lbs, its limited due to the tires weight ratings. 6,400lbs on the rear axle should be the cutoff. “E” rated tires are good for 3,200lbs each. Theres only 2 on the back of a SRW. But hey, load it to the hilt with options and then throw a 5er with a pin weight of 3,000lbs. Have fun when 1/2 your rear tires blow out. Sure that’l be fun. Anyone can keep putting more weight on a truck. A wise man will stop loading when the rated limit is reached. Tim the Tool Man Taylor was a fictional character.

The Payload sticker does have a meaning.
Is it Holy? No. Its a guide. Just like Fords towing guide. We Have to have some point of reference. Otherwise we would have idiots loading 8,000lbs in the bed of their F250s.

Does adding weight to a truck help it stop faster? No.
Does adding weight to a truck help its steering responsiveness? No
does adding weight to a truck help it accelerate faster? No
does adding weight to a truck help it in any way except the way you perceive it to “feel”? Again, the answer is No.

not trying to start a debate or pick a fight here. Its just that your comments are loose & dangerous to anyone who is new to hauling or towing. Theres complete morons out there that will read your comment and then go do something stupid like overload their truck and fly down the interstate @85mph and cause an accident.

I know it wouldn't be your fault bc of some forum comment, but the context of the comments made should be taken into account when making a post.

 

I, like you apparently, take a common sense, or more accurately, a logical approach to towing/hauling decisions. The weight police, which you are not one of, tend to focus only on payload to the exclusion of all else. In light of this common ground, your impassioned response seems disproportionate to my post. It was not my intent to dispense falsehoods, encourage negligence, or to be hilarious., I thought I was being clear but apparently, I was not. Let me take another stab at it. The following points are not opinions but rather undeniable facts:
-Adding weight in and of itself does not make a truck more capable or safer. I never said that it did. So it turns out that on that, we agree.
-Payload is not a rating as much as it is the net result of a mathematical equation; GVWR minus the weight of the vehicle. We can discuss the actual significance and relevancy of the GVWR some other time.
-Adding capability and safety equipment does absolutely have a negative impact payload capacity. Is a 6.7 more capable of moving heavy loads than a 6.2? Of course it is...and it will cost you something like 700 pounds of payload. If you need your truck to be capable of towing a fifth wheel, you must add a fifth wheel hitch...at the cost of payload. The Dana axle is heavier duty, and just plain heavier than the Sterling, once again eating at your payload capacity. Larger brakes are heavier than smaller brakes, costing you payload. Every airbag you add to a truck takes away from payload. Seat belts must weigh a pound or two each and that comes right off your payload. I don't think we could possibly disagree on these points. Capability and safety definitely cost you some payload.

I never suggested that it is a good idea to load any truck, F-250 or F-350 beyond it's axle, wheel or tire rating. I certainly never suggested towing a heavy trailer at 85 MPH. I limit my speed to 65 MPH when towing. My truck, and many others come equipped with AT tires rated at 3750 pounds each. There is nothing loose or dangerous about anything I said. I assume that most people on this forum are not the complete morons you mentioned. Even if there are some complete morons reading this thread, they don't care what we say. They will do whatever they want. They're complete morons after all.

So in summary, I focus primarily axle, wheel and tire ratings. There are many on this forum that do the same. If you want to make things super simple, join the ranks of the weight police and focus solely on the payload sticker. That is a viable option that requires no further consideration. I would never focus only on payload when considering how to equip a truck. I stand by my original point that doing so will almost certainly cost you capability in the name of increased capacity. However you go about making your choices, once you hit the road, drive cautiously at all times while towing. That is probably the one thing that has the biggest impact to safety.

 

I for one was being funny !! and I also know how to load my truck, have I exceeded that fancy little door sticker? yeah probably, but I haven't exceeded the capability of my trucks ever(dodge, chevy, and a ford on the way).

 

I started this, sorry. Payload for me is a starting point. When shopping for a truck it is the first thing I look at. If it is not reasonably close to what I need I move on. What I have found is if the truck will handle the weight I want to put in it most of the other ratings will fall in place, comfortably. The reason I do it this way is I got burned with a truck due to my ignorance of most of this stuff. After selling our motorhome in 2012 we ordered our Excel and a new GMC 3500 Duramax short bed srw at the same time. Everyone told me what a great truck, you'll never know that fifth wheel is back there. Let me tell you, I knew it was back there. We exceeded the payload by about 600 pounds and the ride was horrible, to the point it frightened the wife. Smooth roads were great but get on the rough stuff and it would bottom out. I had good balance with the fifth wheel, at least I think I did with hitch weight being almost an exact 20% with a full load so I didn't blame it. I put on a set of Airlift bags and new Bilstein shocks, which did help but after 2 years of roaming the country with it I ordered a Duramax dually. All my problems went away. I switched to my King Ranch 2 years ago because I really appreciate some of the safety features Ford offered. It's ride is even better.

Now to today. We are getting older and our long distance travels have slowed. We have been all over this country and parts of Canada but now prefer to go to a select few favorite places and just enjoy, especially Colorado in the summer. I like the dually a lot but would really prefer a smaller truck for my running around and pulling my bass boat. I just don't want to make the same mistake I did with the GMC.

 

You don't need to apologize! This is your thread and we took it off track. And besides, you didn't start anything. This discussion has been going on forever and will continue.

I would be very surprised if your issues with the SRW GMC were primarily a result of being 600 pounds over the stated payload. I would guess that a longer wheel base might have helped some but you made the one move that seems to solve everyone's problem when towing heavy trailers; you moved to a dually. I have yet to hear anyone report that they regret that decision when it comes to towing stability. Of course, as you stated, that is a lot of truck for just running around town.

Best of luck to you as you go through the decision making process.

 

I would go look at a 6.7 CCSB Lariat Value Package with 18 inch wheels (with adaptive steering if you can find one) to see the payload. Would be pretty similar to a King Ranch without the Ultimate option.