Maximum bed loads...be honest now
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Tuned
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 276
Likes: 9
From: Alaska (not Anchorage)
Maximum bed loads...be honest now
Hey all-
I've got a 1999 F350 with single rear wheels and was wondering what kind of maximum bed loads other owners of similar trucks are going with.
I have done the math: subtracting the estimated curb weight from the gross maximum axle weight listed on the door jamb and come up with about 3,200 - 3,500 lbs capacity. That should keep the cops happy if pulled over and be defensible before a judge.
Okay, but what are guys really using as max loads on normal roads? I've read in forums of some people putting double the standard capacity (curb weight minus gross capacity) in their trucks regularly. Thoughts? Thanks.
I've got a 1999 F350 with single rear wheels and was wondering what kind of maximum bed loads other owners of similar trucks are going with.
I have done the math: subtracting the estimated curb weight from the gross maximum axle weight listed on the door jamb and come up with about 3,200 - 3,500 lbs capacity. That should keep the cops happy if pulled over and be defensible before a judge.
Okay, but what are guys really using as max loads on normal roads? I've read in forums of some people putting double the standard capacity (curb weight minus gross capacity) in their trucks regularly. Thoughts? Thanks.
Postmaster
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,667
Likes: 1
From: Glen Rose,Texas
Bump.....Never really thought about.If I need to pull it or haul it I load it up.I see alot of heavy loads going down the road but they do not look overloaded to me beings the truck is not mashing the overload springs.
Junior User
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
From: Frizzleburg, PA
When I still had my '08 I hauled 50 85# bags of concrete which should equal 4250# in the bed. I didnt like it......... It was pretty hard to keep on the road, but it also didnt help that the guy who loaded it up could only seem to stack it all behind the rear axle.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,405
Likes: 4
I had a '97 F150 that I hauled a piece of machinery in the bed 30 miles with the frame sitting on the axle stops. I found out after the fact that the crate weighed almost 4K lbs. Other than a rough ride due to no suspension travel, the truck handled it like it was nothing.
I haven't had that situation come up with the F250 yet.
I haven't had that situation come up with the F250 yet.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,711
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From: Fort Worth
I saw an 04-08 F-150 (LOBO) from Mexico around here once with Chihuahua plates. They had sheets of plywood around the bed about double the height of the cab and had the bed loaded down with everything they owned, in addition to the crew cab carrying 7 people. The rear bumper of that truck was almost on the ground, the rear tires looked about ready to burst. Obviously they had made the trip through the better part of Texas like this and no one paid any attention. It was the most ridiculous thing I had ever seen. That is the best example of exceeding safe load limits I have seen a while.
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,754
Likes: 1
From: Indianapolis
Chit- you should see the cholos heading back to tijuana from SoCal after a weekend of hunting out garage sales. The standard set up is an old Chevy dually with a bed rack or chain link sides LOL, and then junk piled to about 14' high with the frame damn near scraping the street LMAO- it's actually not funny, bt the cops don't stop them 'cause the yknow they won't pay the ticket.
But on the orginal subject, I've had about 3500lbs of steel in the bed of my dually, and while I wouldn't say it handled like a race car, it drove no problem. I too feel that if your truck is rated for i.e.- 12,500lbs, you should be able to load whatever to that point and be legally defensable in court if you run over a miata.
But on the orginal subject, I've had about 3500lbs of steel in the bed of my dually, and while I wouldn't say it handled like a race car, it drove no problem. I too feel that if your truck is rated for i.e.- 12,500lbs, you should be able to load whatever to that point and be legally defensable in court if you run over a miata.
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Tuned
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 276
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From: Alaska (not Anchorage)
Thanks Gents- I did my shopping today and am taking the ferry back tomorrow.
My weight estimate is 3,800 lbs of lumber plus a couple hundred pounds of nails, windows, fasteners, etc. plus the 200lb Adrian rack. I'm probably at slightly over 4,000 lbs.
I've still got about 1.5 - 2 inches of clearance between the axle stops and frame bumpers...the leaf springs have a reverse camber. It definitely handles different, but not alarmingly so. This will likely be the max load size for me in the future. Ciao all.
My weight estimate is 3,800 lbs of lumber plus a couple hundred pounds of nails, windows, fasteners, etc. plus the 200lb Adrian rack. I'm probably at slightly over 4,000 lbs.
I've still got about 1.5 - 2 inches of clearance between the axle stops and frame bumpers...the leaf springs have a reverse camber. It definitely handles different, but not alarmingly so. This will likely be the max load size for me in the future. Ciao all.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2003
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My 01, 7,200 pounds from Home Depot to Jobsite about 20 miles. 
My 05 4,800 in the bed and 8,000 on the trailer from west GA. Near Columbus to St. Simons Is. GA.
6,600 pounds. Drove from Birmingham AL. to St. Simons Is. GA. 01 F250. It toted it and drove fine. It even stopped well. but I made sure no-one got to close in front. Forget the time stamps those photos were taken this year.
My 05 4,800 in the bed and 8,000 on the trailer from west GA. Near Columbus to St. Simons Is. GA.
6,600 pounds. Drove from Birmingham AL. to St. Simons Is. GA. 01 F250. It toted it and drove fine. It even stopped well. but I made sure no-one got to close in front. Forget the time stamps those photos were taken this year.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 11,892
Likes: 2
From: Middle Tennessee
Hmmmm...I have had sand dumped in the bed of my truck that piled up higher than that for my pool. I swear that guy running the hopper was trying to break my truck. I had to yell at him to stop. He says "I thought that 350 was built Ford tough." It was flowing out the bed on the sides and back. I noticed there was nothing but chebbies parked in the employee lot. 
Anyway, I was nowhere near 7k lbs with that and sagged even more than the truck in this picture. I think it was about 4.6K but looking back I wonder if that might have been tons because it was a lot of sand. Truck hauled it just fine except it was a wee bit light in the front end. Just a 6 mile drive and some serious ruts in my yard. Truck has never been that low in the springs since then but even then it still was not on the stops.
I guess if it fits in the bed of a 350 the truck can haul it. I have also had two pallets of floor tile about the size of those bags in the back of my truck. The tile was heavy but had nothing on the sand. Not sure I could load anything heavier in the bed of that truck over the sand that was simply overflowing. Jackhole chebbie owner.
Anyway, I was nowhere near 7k lbs with that and sagged even more than the truck in this picture. I think it was about 4.6K but looking back I wonder if that might have been tons because it was a lot of sand. Truck hauled it just fine except it was a wee bit light in the front end. Just a 6 mile drive and some serious ruts in my yard. Truck has never been that low in the springs since then but even then it still was not on the stops.
I guess if it fits in the bed of a 350 the truck can haul it. I have also had two pallets of floor tile about the size of those bags in the back of my truck. The tile was heavy but had nothing on the sand. Not sure I could load anything heavier in the bed of that truck over the sand that was simply overflowing. Jackhole chebbie owner.