Here is the crazy thing about weights, something I started in a long thread on IRV2. We all focus on the weights. We discuss them, argue about them, and essentially just jibber jabber about them because none of us can say where the manufacturer’s numbers come from. You can’t go by the manufacturer’s published specs so you don’t even know what your payload will be until you check the sticker in your truck.
So you bump up the tires and wheels, certainly a reasonable intervention, but did it make you safer? Who the heck knows? I have axles that total 13,000 pounds, tires that go well beyond that. Ditto wheels and tires. My sticker says I have a gross of 11,000 and a payload of 3,820. If you want to use the published specs, you have to subtract all the options. My published is 4,200.
So I start out with 3,820, then subtract my weight and that of my wife and our cat (185, 150, 9 :)), a total of 344 pounds. That leaves 3,476 pounds for the TC and everything that goes with it including the bed mat, the tie downs, the turn buckles, etc. Add in the conventional wisdom 800-1,000 pounds for the camper above the published TC dry weight and you can see it is not hard to exceed the sticker when loading a SRW
I am not arguing for or against anyone or anything. Just pointing out how lacking in transparency this rating system is. My honest bet it unless you go absolutely and completely bat crap crazy with your load nothing will break. I do think you might accelerate component wear somewhat and depending on your center of gravity and overall height, you might get some squirrely handling, but that is about it.
Being a betting man, I would bet the majority of TCs are running overweight on one number or another yet we don’t hear about breakage, spectacular accidents, lawsuits, or any of the things we all warn about. Where the heck are they?
Just my thoughts and opinions (Disclaimer: I run within all my sticker ratings). Let the flames begin!
Steve and Andra
2012 F350 6.2 gasser SRW LB
Fab Fours front and rear in case we run into a rhino
2019 Northstar Laredo SC
