This payload capacity thing

[myredracer]

Has been a lot of discussion as of late on payload capacities which is great. As a TV owner, I am trying hard to be an informed TV owner and know the limits of our F250. But it's just not easy. We just got our "new" 09 truck recently and want to know the limits up front.

I thought I had the payload capacity figured out at 1,600 lbs after taking it to a scale and it coming in at 8,000 lbs. That's just with the driver in it. We have a weight penalty as the truck is a supercab, has a long box, a V10 and is a 4WD so I was resigned to the fact it might be less than I'd like considering it's a 3/4 ton. It has the capacity to pull up to 12,500 lbs but of course, it's also the payload that has to be considered. The GVWR is 9,600 as per the door jamb sticker.

I just noticed that the stick on the door jamb that has tire loading info. on it says the combined weight of cargo and occupants should never exceed 2,701 lbs. From what I found on the internet, the listed base curb weight is 7,503 lbs. Since I weighed the truck at 8,000 lbs and I weighed about 200 lbs at the time (now much less!) that means the truck weighs about 300 lbs more than the listed base curb weight. The only things of any significance added to the truck are a bed liner and mudflaps. The same website says the payload capacity is 2,750 lbs which is not far from what the door jamb stick says.

So my question is, if I calculate the max. available payload to be 1,600 lbs (9,600 - 8,000), how on earth can this be SO much less than the max. payload of 2,701 lbs shown on the sticker?? That's a HUGE difference. Would I be safe in court (hypothetically) if I loaded the truck to 2,701 lbs and I were in an accident? Is this just the way it is or what?

I can see some RV buyers going to a dealer and buying the biggest rig they can to match the 2,701 lb payload and 12,500 towing capacity but possibly being way overloaded by using the GVWR minus actual weight.

Currently feeling a lot less informed than I thought I was compared to yesterday.

[lbrjet]

I would weigh that truck again somewhere else. Sounds high to me from what you described.

We have the same truck except you have 2 more cylinders and 16 inches more truck good for about 400lbs. Mine is 9200 GVWR with 2700lb payload and it weighed 6500lbs (not including me) weighed on day 1 of ownership at a CAT scale. The numbers add up for me. Your truck should have weighed 6900lbs on day 1, hence the same payload as mine with a GVWR 400lbs higher. The 7500 curb weight you referenced is for the diesel.

[Lynkage]

Curb weight is dry, no oil, acc's and fuel. So you need to weigh the truck with everything in it including passengers and then see what you have left.

[Dave_Monica]

That weight of 8000 lb can't be right. Our F250 weighs 7500 with 2 people, dog and hitch. That weight is what I'd expect for a diesel.

Dave

Edit: The trucks's GVWR is 9400 lb and stated payload of 2584 lb.

[asquared]

knowing that my 09 F250 PSD with crew cab, long bed and 4x4 weighs in at 8460 lbs. we have a 10,000 lb GVWR on ours. our weight calculations give us a payload of around 1500 lbs. The tire sticker says 1400 lbs but that was on stock continental tires. We are running michelins that are rated higher. I think your scaled weights sound about right. I'm wondering if your truck didn't have an incorrect weight sticker put in it? As for legality I don't know where you stand in court but I would think if you got scaled you would still need to be within trucks registered GVWR (this can be registered as whatever you want it to be in some states).

[ependydad]

My truck's GVWR is 12,300 pounds with a stickered payload of 4,300 pounds. (According to the manual, that sticker does NOT include the 150 lb. driver that we all assume.)

Early on, I got weighed with just me and my daughter and landed at 8,240 pounds at the local dump. I don't know how much fuel I had in it at the time. But obviously, my actual available payload was immediately less than advertised on the doorjamb.

Fast forward about a year, I now have the Retrax Pro bed cover, B&W turnover ball gooseneck hitch, fifth wheel companion and 4 passengers total (wife and baby son). We hit the scales earlier this week and weighed wet at 9,200 pounds with a full tank of fuel and all of our crap in the truck with us. Leaving me at a payload of 3,100 pounds.

I was pretty surprised at how quick my payload was eaten up. But, at the end of the day- I won't exceed my original GVWR.

[myredracer]

Thanks for the comments so far. I weighed the truck at a commercial truck scale. Not sure how accurate they are. We are planning to got to a CAT scale on our first trip camping. I have a feeling that 8,000 lbs is not going to be far off considering all the extra weight our truck carries.

Some interesting points from Ford's towing guide: Brakes are designed for operation at GVWR not GCWR. Payload is GVWR minus the base curb weight (fuel & fluids, 150 lb driver, no passengers). Our F250 is rated for max. 1250 lbs tongue weight (but can tow up to 12,500 lbs).

Am getting data from: 2009 Ford F250/350/450 Super Duty - Specs (not clear what engine is in this data). This site says the GVWR is 10,000 lbs but I am guessing is not for the V10 and of course no factory options. Also http://www.ford.com/assets/pdf/towin...ailerGuide.pdf

Have not been able to find Ford data for a 2009 F250 (LB, V10, 4WD, supercab) that shows GVWR, payload and curb weight.

Using Ford's criteria, our payload would be 9,600 lbs less 7,350 lbs = 2,250 lbs which still isn't near the 2,701 on our sticker. Maybe the sticker is just plain wrong? I think I will ask Ford whenever I happen to have it in for something. I wonder if any of the factory installed options weigh much which I assume are taken off the GVWR. We have tow hooks on the front for example which look heavy and might weigh 50 lbs.

I am going to go with 9,600 as the GVWR and subtract the weight as measured at the CAT scale. Just about to pick up a new canopy. There goes another maybe 150 - 200 lbs? Fortunately, we don't seem to carry anything very heavy in the bed. It would be nice to know that we can add 2-3 passengers in the back seat of the truck without having to ever worry.