Mods, your crap, GVWR and you.

I have an 2012 AC TRD Sport.

The GVWR is 5350 with a payload of about 1300 lbs.

Out of that 1300 lbs. :

200 lbs. for skids and sliders
200 lbs. for bumpers
100 lbs. for upgraded suspension/tires

And you're at half the payload before you even add your wife, your gear, and beer :

500 lbs. for people and dogs
160 lbs. for fuel
200 lbs. tent and crap
100 lbs. beer/food/fridge
100 lbs. water
100 lbs. tools/straps/gear/etc.

1160 + 500 = 1660 Or ~15% over GVWR.

So, what do you do ? Screw the GVWR and run overloaded ? Or forgo some armor in favor of gear ? What are the weak points and what can be upgraded - or more diligently maintained - to offset that ? (wheel bearings, etc.)

If you do go over the GVWR, how much is too much ?

I got some thoughts, but I'd like to hear yours.

 

I say screw GVWR

 

I think this is one of the reasons serious expedition vehicles extensively plan their supplies and try to save weight wherever possible.

Personally, I'd run at 1,600 lbs if it wasn't an every day occurance. I'm assuming you're on a suspension better setup to handle the weight so I would say that leaves your weak points being axle and wheel bearings. With the additional load, you run the risk or premature failure but I'm not really sure what can be done to prevent it, just replace them if/when they go out. Maybe think about a brake upgrade to help stop the heavy load also.

 

these^^

 

That's sort of my thoughts. I've got Dakars and 885s, but I think I'm going to need to go bigger.

On my last trip out, I was at ~1300 lbs. The truck performed and handled well. I did some trails in Moab without any difficulty, but having all that weight on was a concern.

I don't wanna be this guy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_V5LaoGZDM

 

Its 6500lbs not 5000 with tow package

 

But what does "occasionally" mean ?

My last trip was 3 weeks and 5,000+ miles, 500 or so offroad. The truck has 30k on it, so.. that was a big chunk of its life.

So, in terms of pushing the truck to limits, I have to wonder how much over the rated limits I can go and what sort of problems I am setting myself up for.

 

I'm of the opinion that the only thing you really compromise is stopping distance. Drive like you have a heavy truck. Problem solved. Axles, wheel bearings, ball joints, springs, shouldn't have any issue. You may wear them sooner as in they go out at 75k rather than 100 or 125 but a lot of that has to do with how you drive as well. That's just my ill informed opinion though.

 

My truck currently weighs in at 6150 lbs...Clearly I said screw my GVWR....she is a truck not a sports car, so I drive her as a heavy truck.

No premature wear on anything on her. 80K HARD miles and still running strong.

 

I have been thinking about this lately funny how it showed up here. I just installed Avid Sliders and lite bar, High Lift Jack and Leer Topper. Whats the weight there 700LBS. I wanted to put a new bumper on but decided against it because the the weight. More weight has to kill gas mileage. When we go camping we probably put another 400lbs at least. I have the sock leafs with TSB and add a leaf but when loaded the leafs are really being pushed. I will being getting Dakars eventually. But yea good post and something to think about. Oh yea I know why now after typing this what got me thinking about weight. I hiked to the bottom of the Gran Canyon and packed a tent and all the food and water. Every pond counted when I was prepping. Thanks for the post.

 

I regularly load the bed with a 1/2 ton. So I'm a little over GVWR. I have put a little over 1ton in the bed, wife and I, full tank of fuel, way over GVWR. No problems. Over 82k mi on it and still a great runner. Screw the GVWR and run your truck the way you want or need.

 

I'm doubt that I'm overestimating, but even at 10% over, I'm still above GVWR.

According to the door sticker, the axles are rated at ~5800 lbs (2755 f, 3110 r). That should work as a target weight to not exceed with an upgraded suspension and tires.

I did a search of the forums, and couldn't find any posts on bearing failures related to weight. That Barlowrs is running so far over gives me hope that I'm being neurotic, but well - you go to school for engineering, and you learn to overthink things.

 

When I located underground utilities we had a fleet of about 110-120 5lug Tacoma's ranging from 2006-2008 model years. All of them ran with between 1/2-3/4ton of material/tools in the bed. And before I left they were cycling the Tacoma out for new trucks. They would replace them when they hit 100-125k miles. While I was there I never heard of any locator needing to replace wheel bearing, Axels,leaf springs etc.

Each truck would average about 20-30k miles a year I would say.

Drive it like you would handle a women's breast......gentle and easy and you should be fine on the random expedition trip.

 

also the rear axle is only really supporting maybe half of what the trucks weight is, other half( or more since the engine is in the front) the front is supporting the rest/more.

also I would not say 100lbs for suspension. yes you are adding parts, but you are also taking parts off. now bigger(wider and taller and thicker) tires will add a bit. i’d say in just a good 3” suspension.(new leave, UCA, resi shacks front and rear) i’d say you are MAYBE adding 30lbs or so. with just a lift alone. the tires i think is what adds the most when just doing a lift and tires. now bumpers and skids probably add the most.

and imho the extra weight from food/drinks,tools, camping stuff/ if just fine for a week or 2, and then unload. it would be the same as hauling/towing more then you should. now if you had a fully built truck and keep all that gear in the truck every signal day. but for say a 2 week trip or what ever if the camping gear,food and extra parts/tools puts you over GVWR then you should be fin and not see any real problems. same as if you moved acros country and had a full cab/bed and was towing like 6k. you would be over the GVWR.

 

An access cab 4x4, with all fluids full (including fuel), has a curb weight of about 4050 lbs...

What's the 2100 lbs of equipment you have on your truck?



GVWR is curb weight + payload.

Curb weight is vehicle weight with all fluids (including a full tank of fuel).

+ your payload (cargo/people).

 

Too much to list. Lots of armor, flippac, and a LOT of other stuff. The certified weight from the CAT scale put me at 6150.

 

Jesus Christ that's a lot of gear.

 

The only extra gear was my multiday backpacking gear and fly fishing rig, maybe 60 lbs of gear, the rest was the truck..I was on my way back from a backcountry flyfishing trip last time I weighed on a certified scale.

Note: The weight does include me (160lbs).

 

gross vehicle mass rateing(GVMR) is the maximum operating weight/mass of a vehicle as specified by the manufacturer including the vehicle's chassis, body, engine, engine fluids, fuel, accessories, driver, passengers and cargo but excluding that of any trailers.