Adding Weight to Bed for Road Trip
Hotshot
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 12,341
Likes: 4,366
From: SW VA
Back when I had a 2016 Ram 3500 DRW, driving up I-81 through PA, the roads were so rough I would hear the RPM's of the engine jump each time I hit a hole or expansion joint at 75mph because the rear tires were leaving the pavement. Hours of that.
PA really should put warning signs at its borders...
Oh yeah....they do:
PA really should put warning signs at its borders...
Oh yeah....they do:
Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 208
Likes: 34
On the rare occasion I’m forced to take a mostly-empty F250 on the highway for a few hours, I drop the tire pressure to 50 front, 45 rear…sometimes lower. If you can’t even see a bulge in the sidewall, you’re not getting any flex from the tires. I’ve thought about buying somebody’s stock Michelin take-off’s, too, just for summer vacations because mud tires bark quite a bit when the pressure is low and at 75mph.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2021
Posts: 2,969
Likes: 2,407
From: Ridgway, CO
If you are going to do it I would limit the weight to around 3-400 lbs near the tailgate. More than that and the truck will start to squat and you headlights will be blinding people. I run 6-700lbs of sandbags in the winter for the plow counter weight but I remove some between storms or I get flashed constantly at night.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Oct 2021
Posts: 108
Likes: 32
From: British Columbia....Canad
Did a search but didn't find much. While there are plenty of discussions for adding winter weight, how about adding some weight for a road trip for an empty bed. I need to make a 10-day 6,000-mile road trip and it looks like I may be taking the 350. My old truck had a 100-gallon aux tank in the bed, so I had extra weight. The 350 is empty so I was thinking on dropping 400-500 pounds in the bed over the rear axle to help smooth it out a bit as some Interstates/Highways are not in the best shape these days. For anyone that does this type of thing, how much weight do you use?
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Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,883
Likes: 776
From: SoCal/Wyoming
I don't have an issue with the stock ride, but the passengers will not be as forgiving as I am when it comes to ride quality. Going to a funeral and just want to make them as comfortable as I can during the transit as it is a very long drive. Yes I am related to the passangers. One is my mother and the other is my late uncle's wife. Mom lost her last two brothers but no services were allowed do to covid so she is going back to Iowa for her best friends funeral who just passed and visit the grave sites of her two brothers for the first time and my late uncle's wife is going to visit the grave site of her late husband. He was one of the last brothers my mom had. Going to stop by my son's grave site on the way back to Texas from Iowa and also visit the sight of my Great Aunt who had her service Saturday (she was 101) that we were not able to attend. So pretty much a depressing trip so I am trying to do what I can to make it a bit better.
I put 320 pounds in the bed and I will give it a test drive and see if it helps at all. Hopefully when I get the luggage loaded up and a few road emergency items in the bed it will be about right.
I put 320 pounds in the bed and I will give it a test drive and see if it helps at all. Hopefully when I get the luggage loaded up and a few road emergency items in the bed it will be about right.
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,250
Likes: 7,676
From: Chino Valley, Arizona
I would just go to enterprise and rent a mid size sedan and have a nice smooth ride and save a lot of money not buying diesel.
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Logistics Pro
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 4,005
Likes: 2,329
yeah, I am trying to figure out what they did in 2020 that made the new ones ride so well. Case in point, when I picked up mine this year, before I even said anything, my wife was the first one to say “this rides way better than the Ram you had(a ‘16 2500)”.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 207
Likes: 171
Try an F-450 w/ 12K+ rear axle load rating....I was fine in the front seat, but the back seat passengers requested to be put on the kidney donor recipient list. Oh ya, that's after I added a 1500# bed and removed 4 leaves from the spring packs. 
Logistics Pro
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 4,005
Likes: 2,329
I don't have an issue with the stock ride, but the passengers will not be as forgiving as I am when it comes to ride quality. Going to a funeral and just want to make them as comfortable as I can during the transit as it is a very long drive. Yes I am related to the passangers. One is my mother and the other is my late uncle's wife. Mom lost her last two brothers but no services were allowed do to covid so she is going back to Iowa for her best friends funeral who just passed and visit the grave sites of her two brothers for the first time and my late uncle's wife is going to visit the grave site of her late husband. He was one of the last brothers my mom had. Going to stop by my son's grave site on the way back to Texas from Iowa and also visit the sight of my Great Aunt who had her service Saturday (she was 101) that we were not able to attend. So pretty much a depressing trip so I am trying to do what I can to make it a bit better.
I put 320 pounds in the bed and I will give it a test drive and see if it helps at all. Hopefully when I get the luggage loaded up and a few road emergency items in the bed it will be about right.
I put 320 pounds in the bed and I will give it a test drive and see if it helps at all. Hopefully when I get the luggage loaded up and a few road emergency items in the bed it will be about right.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,883
Likes: 776
From: SoCal/Wyoming
I thought about renting an SUV but out here they run about 2k for the time I need it and that would cover the cost of fuel for a truck that is already paid for. My F150 will not work, the vette is out of the question, and the Gold Wing will have to sit this one out. While my wife wants to buy another SUV as we got rid of the other one, the timing just did not work out for this trip. My truck is about 31 months old and only has 10k miles on it as I don’t drive it much these days. I have a few jugs of DEF sitting in the garage so tire/engine wear is something to consider. I might even get to Wyoming and take my mothers car for the majority of the trip. Not sure if my truck will even fit in her garage.
Hotshot
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 12,341
Likes: 4,366
From: SW VA
The way I’ve always thought, is that I buy my vehicles for me. Not for what other people want. So if they want to ride with me, then they have to deal with the rough ride, tight back seat, my music, etc…
If they don’t like it, they are more than welcome to drive themselves.
Sorry to hear about the situation Dan. Yes, lower psi or weight in the bed are reasonable accommodations. But they should still expect the ride of a truck and hope for the best.
If they don’t like it, they are more than welcome to drive themselves.
Sorry to hear about the situation Dan. Yes, lower psi or weight in the bed are reasonable accommodations. But they should still expect the ride of a truck and hope for the best.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2021
Posts: 2,969
Likes: 2,407
From: Ridgway, CO
I thought about renting an SUV but out here they run about 2k for the time I need it and that would cover the cost of fuel for a truck that is already paid for. My F150 will not work, the vette is out of the question, and the Gold Wing will have to sit this one out. While my wife wants to buy another SUV as we got rid of the other one, the timing just did not work out for this trip. My truck is about 31 months old and only has 10k miles on it as I don’t drive it much these days. I have a few jugs of DEF sitting in the garage so tire/engine wear is something to consider. I might even get to Wyoming and take my mothers car for the majority of the trip. Not sure if my truck will even fit in her garage.
One truck that constantly amazes me and everybody that rides in it is my friends '18 Ram Mega with the rear air suspension. That truck has an incredibly smooth ride, as good as any sedan or suv... Not that this helps but, if Ford offered it, I would have the option on my truck.