Payload and Haul Question

I recall back when travel trailers were in stock and people would be contracted to move them cross country. I saw a Nissan Frontier pulling a new two axle winnebago that was 20 to 30 feet long. That trailer was swaying all over the place.

I don't think the trailer was too heavy for that Frontier, but a heavier truck would have handled that trailer much better than that Nissan did.

 

Trailer sway is not caused by the tow vehicle. Although, the tow vehicle should have equipment to mitigate and eliminate the sway.

The primary cause of trailer sway is improper loading of the trailer with insufficient weight on the tongue.

 

That reminds me of another cutesy phrase I spotted the other day. I was visiting one of the company distribution terminals and I noticed they put up a new billboard over the truck scale.

It said: "The most dangerous phrase in the English language is ' I've always done it this way.' "

 

I thought it was, "Hold my beer"

 

I work for a mining company. Number one cause of employee fatalities at our company (and it always seems to happen a few times a year) - workers falling off their trailers/rail cars during loadout. A 12 foot fall has a higher death toll than any mining accident on our properties. Weird but true.

Corporate response to that is to ban all ladders and it's an instant termination if you are spotted more than 5 feet above the floor without full harness and tie off points. Changing lightbulbs in the lab is a major pain in the ass now.

 

For a good reason it seems. Play stupid games win stupid prizes

 

I think the trailer was empty and didn't get a good look at the hitch setup. The driver was also going to fast to be hauling an empty trailer. There was some weight on tongue because the Frontier was squatting.

 

Im not sure why people are including the weights of their wheels and tires in the payload equation - it's not like you're carrying them around. I guess if they're heavy enough they could slow braking?

I regularly visit the dump, located at the top of a windy, steep hill. I have seen as high as 5800# on my weigh in, and the truck was a ok. Given you keep your weight in mind while you drive, I think you can push the sticker quite a bit. With a full tank of gas and without a driver, my truck is 5000#. So depending on what it weighed from the factory, (I don't remember if it was 4400 or 4600) I had 1200-1400# in the rear and was comfortable with that.

 

I am totally comfortable putting 2000 lbs in back. Is my braking distance longer? yes it is... that's why we drive slower when loaded. Having said that, if I had to do it every day I'd likely get a 3/4 ton.

 

And Let's not get started on the load range of the tires that you are over, when you have #2000 lbs in the bed because OEM on mine was #2,337lbs at 44 psi

P265/65R17

$201+ Firestone Destination LE 2 Tires

110S SL
520 A B 2,337 lbs 44 psi
so also do some math next time you have all that weight in the back with tires at %25 tread left, and think how fun a blow out would be......


(but yes i also go over the sticker some times)
(my Pirelli SCORPION ALL TERRAIN PLUS - SIZE: 265/70R17 is #2,750lbs)

 

By chance did you look at your leaf springs?
Yesterday, I picked up 20 bags of river stones (about 50#s each/1000#s + 300#s for me & the wife) from Lowe’s and my leaf springs looked like they were slightly arched up. I was not hitting the bump stops. I was concerned that I may have damaged my leaf springs.

 

These are my favorite threads in TW...so much mis-information, speculation, and fear mongering! I'll add to the fire...

Toyota puts these numbers in place for a reason...CYA. But there is a safe weight limit, understand your truck and what you want it to do. Then drive smartly, everything is fine until it isn't...

Hope that clears it all up!

 

While technically correct that accurate payload capacity information for your stock truck (before your mods that add weight) is on the door stickers, you can find published information showing payload differences among the various models. For my 2019 SR 4x2 4 cyl, my door sticker lists a payload capacity of 1500 pounds (my yellow sticker has 0 lbs deduction added by dealer). From online research I’m pretty sure this is with full fuel and fluids already accounted for in the Curb weight.
https://oards.com/curb-weight-vs-gross-weight/
That means 1500 lbs for passengers, cargo in the cab, cargo in the bed (not discussing towing here).
The Tacoma Product Information literature lists a payload of 1620 lbs for my truck. Since the curb weight spec is supposed to include fuel I’m not sure why the 1620 lbs spec rating vs 1500lbs door sticker difference unless it’s tire ratings or some other cause.
It’s interesting that If I subtract the fuel and fluids weight from 1620 I’m closer to 1500 lbs so I wonder if Toyota Product Information is using dry weight for the Curb Weight (though they shouldn’t be per the link above).
In the specs below Payload =GVWR-Curb Weight.