It's all simple math-just subtract the from the door label whatever you have put on the truck (tool boxes, tools, caps, running boards and people) and adjust for different tire/rim capacity, you then have what your truck will handle. In my case, the truck has 8200 GVWR with the steel 17" rims with the "E" tires but I have changed to mudders (will not tow as smooth but I need the traction in the fields) so I have lowered my capacity abit. But keep something in mind, the factory specs are for the max capacity being used on a regular basis. I have loaded well over the limit on trucks to the point where the springs were almost flat and was able to get where I was going. This is done very slow and only short trips and not every day if once a month. You will know when your truck is over it's abilities. I once had a load of round bales that were wetter then I thought (making them very heavy), loaded my trailer and the Dodge (Cummins but not a 410 rear) was not able to pull the load, come to find out I had about 15,000 lbs with trailer and hay. We had to take some off then down the road we went. Plus how many truck owners really use anywhere near the truck capacity anyway. My son has a 2008 screw and the most he has put in there is 4 cases of beer and two of his buds. Chris

 

This aint the problem chris. The problem is some of these truck have a lot lower payload than they what dealers say, Ford says, online and in paper work says. A lariat can carry 400lbs more than a truck equiped exactly the same as mine. Same dif, same bed, same cab, same engine and same specs on everything. But my truck still has 400lb less capacity??? This seem to be happening across the board with the other trucks as well. I was told my payload would be 1500lbs with the way i had i spec'd but it's only 900lb on my sticker. As someone already posted some of the p rated tires can infact hold more weight than a LT rated tire. Nothing is adding up with fords quoted figures and what the sticker says. My sticker says 900lb and my truck has a 9600lb trailer tow capacity. But my truck can only carry 900lb payload. How am i ment to get to the 10% tongue weight with me driving? It seems that what ford say it can do and what it can really do are 2 totally different amounts.

 

You forgot to subtract 10% of the trailer tongue weight?

So You have 300 lbs of cargo capacity in the bed

 

I think everyone needs to remember that these are 1/2 ton trucks. Last time i checked 1/2 ton is 1000lbs. As for the models with the 8200 gvwr and payload of 3000 lbs, the only thing 1/2 ton about them are the badges.

 

I do think the "half ton" nomenclature has not been used for a loooong time now. My '78 F100 had a payload of maybe 1500-1600 lbs and weighed about 3600 lbs (short bed stepside with a six and 4 speed O/D).

Now, there are F150's that weigh 6000 lbs and have seating for 5 or 6 passengers. It would not be unreasonable to assume that you should, at minimum, be able to carry a half ton of gravel in the bed WITH all the passenger seats filled. Especially given the basic weight of the truck. (Seems fair to me that payload capacity should be 1/3-1/2 of the empty weight of a light truck.)

Look at the new E150 vans....they are now 8-lug trucks with a minimum payload of 3500 lbs. I have no idea why they even bother with calling them 150's unless they just hit a lower price point than with the 250/350, or to give fleet buyers some familiarity ("we've always bought 150's and will continue to do so") That is a BIG half ton.

The whole "half ton" thing got skewed when, in 1978, a GVW over 6000 lbs got you less emissions controls and regular gas, so Ford/GM/Dodge developed their "heavy halfs" to get over 6000 gvw...and when these were 4000 lb trucks, they could sure carry a bunch. This was when the F150 was invented alongside the F100, and the latter was eventually dropped.

George

 

I agree,

They should define a 1/2 ton pickup to be able to haul at least 1000 lbs in the bed AFTER the cab is filled with occupants. Maybe allow 5 x 200lbs or 1000 lbs for occupants and 1000 lbs for load in bed. I would be happy with that. I think anything more and it should be approprietly labeled as a 250, 350, 450, etc...
At least with that a guy always knows what he has as opposed to someone buying a 150 crew cab with 20's and thinking he has 3000 lbs of payload capability when in fact it is closer to 1000.

 

Your so on point George but it was actually 1976 when the debacle started. My dad had a '76 F-150, the first year that they came out and he was able to burn REGULAR gas, yes follks, leaded gasoline. Whew, that was a long time ago and what a fantastic truck.

Tim

 

Not to nit pick, but the F150 came out in 1975.

 

Yup, you guys are right. Cars got catalytic converters in 1975. Trucks below 6000 GVW had to meet the car standards, but Ford brought out the F150 in 1975 to make a 6000 lb half ton, and also got some bigger GVW's for the Supercab, which came out in 1974 (and was wimpy as an F100).

My own shortbed flareside was an F100, because there was no 150 shortbed, in 1978 when I bought this as my first new vehicle. I pulled the cat and the fuel restrictor the day after my warranty (7 mos) expired anyhoo.

Boy that was a long time ago.

George

 

Thank you gentlemen! The memories of that awesome old Ford....

Tim

 

Hell, in my other 08 Lariat (Engine blew...oops) I towed an F150, had an Engine and transmission in the bed (replacement parts) and 3 of the fattest dudes in Northern Colorado from Colorado Springs to Fort Collins, and it wasn't *****. I guess I overloaded it...shame on me. 6.5' bed, 3.73 gears, max tow package, with the 5.4l.

 

Went up to the scales this morning and weighted my truck. 5740 lbs was the total. I looked at the specs on 2009 F-150 web site and it states my truck is a 8200 lbs GVWR with a payload of 2730 lbs. If we feel that these numbers are right then let's back out my add ons (steps bars/tool box almost empty/spray in bedliner/hitch/about 3/4 of a tank of gas) which I feel would be very close to the 270 lbs difference in the numbers. So my truck would be 5470 lbs totally empty (no gas either). Now that I know I am running at 5740 lbs without a load or persons, I can start to add to that number. Let's start with 2 persons and give them 200 lbs each (I'm 170 lbs and Wendy is about the same) plus let's put the trailer on at a loaded tongue weight of 950 lbs (trailer with load is about 9500 lbs) add them up and I come up with 7090 lbs. It looks like if all my numbers are close, if I am going to pull the loaded trailer I can have up to 1110 lbs as extra cargo in my truck. Or if I am not pulling a trailer, 2060 lbs worth of cargo. Please chime in if I missed something or forgot how to add. Chris

 

That sounds like it could be the beginning of a blues song

I think your calculations are good. But what does the white and yellow payload sticker on your door jamb say? I found that you had posted the kind of info on your VIN plate (which has GVW and axle max weights), but it looks like that yellow and white sticker, in some cases, ends up with a number that is much smaller than what would be expected, and in other cases, hardly lower at all? (Look at the first page of this thread for examples of that sticker...)

George

 

Label states 8200 lbs GVWR with 4300 lbs front and 4800 lbs rear axles. I pretty sure this is as stout as you can get a F-150 unless you start adding heavier springs or helpers. But at what point is the engine/transmission taxed to exhaustion (death rattle). Chris

 

This is as stout as you'll get for a 4x4. The 4x2 has a max payload of 3030. Yours is very impressive none the less.

Tim