TRD Off Road payload...

Improving your springs or adding airbags doesn't change that fuckin' sticker telling you what you're allowed to haul in your truck. Lots of people running campers around here (or double sled decks) get weighed roadside with portable scales. Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement and Highway Patrol crack down on overloaded pickups from time to time. It's not rare for me to go 1000 lbs over weight with my camper, passengers, food, water, camping/hunting gear, etc. I know between my Dakars and Timbrens I'm fine and it handles well but I'm always a little worried about weighed roadside.

 

I've never heard of anyone getting weighed around here (central/northern california) other than commercial trucks.

I do note my new KO2 tires are range E... if inflated to higher pressures they are good for a higher GVWR than the vehicles rating. lets see, the stock BFG CrappyTrails tires are 2,185 lbs each, while these KO2's are 3,195 lbs (whoa, but thats at 80PSI... I'm running 34-36psi on the highway right now as thats what the installer set them to).

my volvo wagon was rated for 1200 lbs payload, and I know it handled /that/ much better when I put overload rear springs (replacing the original coils), bilstein TC (touring) shocks, and IPD swaybars, as well as ran quality tires (michelin primacy in 205/55-16). I don't doubt I went a few 100 lbs over that a couple times on road trips but it never felt like I was pushing it too hard.

 

The GVRW is more than tires. It's also things like axle, bearings, stopping ability, etc ...

Having said that, I got an add-a-leaf from pro-comp. Installed it myself in about 4 hours in my driveway. Totally different truck now. Less wheel hop, and just over all feels more planted. Also improved the sagging when loaded. Not that I overload my truck, I just didn't want the back end bottomed out when I put around 600 pounds in the back. I did that one time, looked at the truck and knew I had to fix that.

 

I realize the GVWR is determined by the weakest link of the total system, including springs, tires, brakes, bearings, swing arms, axles, etc.. the brakes on the taco TRD are pretty damn good, and mine is a stick shift, so I use a fair bit of engine braking for descending grades and such, so the brakes get less stressed than they might with a slushbox. these are 6-bolt wheels which is pretty solid. its not that I want to carry a 3/4 ton class load, I just want to be able to occasionally carry maybe 1200-1500 lbs total (including trailer tongue weight) and not have the vehicle freaking out on me on the highway.

 

When I moved to Georgia last December I pulled a trailer weighing in right around 4K pounds that was loaded very tongue heavy, plus a fully packed bed that had probably close to 1k pounds in it. I got around 10MPG while crossing Kansas during a brutal snow storm (all cross wind and about -40f with the wind chill). The trailer was basically a large, steal, flat sided box. Even with the mileage through the storm the truck was amazing. I was nice and toasty warm, the truck was getting hit hard enough by wind that I didn't get into high gear (auto trans) until I got into Missouri (and out of the storm), and it was amazing. All I have in the back is an add-a-leaf and it did very well despite the brutal conditions.

 

There is a difference between GVWR and wanting the truck to handle GVWR well. The stock 3+1 springs were terrible, the rear end would sag just sitting on the tailgate with an empty bed, regardless of what they were rated. I did the progressive 3 leaf AAL with the overloads removed and the truck handles weight so much better. I'm personally not a fan of airbags myself as unloaded the always seem to affect the ride. I put 500 lbs in the bed last weekend and the truck did not squat, still maintained the rake, minimal roll in corners and yet still handles unloaded so much better than it did stock. I don't do heavy towing, just use the truck for homeowner duty, dump runs, moving, mulch, the weekend warrior off road trail camping trips and the 3 leaf AAL works perfectly for my needs.

 

Old Man Emu or Deaver are brands you can google which have products suited to your needs.