1500lbs

Here is my specs for consideration:

Items Removed - Front OEM Bumper - 30lbs
- Rear OEM Bumper and Tow Package - 91lbs
- Stock Battery - 50lbs
- Stock shocks front and rear - 30lbs
- Stock rear springs - 100lbs
Total - 301lbs

Items Added On (normal drives around town)
- Leer Shell with Wilderness Package - 200lbs
- Icon Stage 3 coil overs and rear shocks - 100lbs
- AllPro Expedition Springs - 150lbs
- UWS Box (in back of truck with prepper gear) - 80lbs
- Dual Battery Install (third deep charge behind back seat) - 189lbs
- Relays and Wiring - 20lbs
- Relentless Aluminum Front Bumper with Predator Bars - 75lbs
- Winch - 60lbs
- CBI Rear Bumper - 131lbs
- CBI Swing Gate - 69lbs
- Spare tire - 70lbs
- Aluminum box with off-road gear on swing gate - 35lbs
- Hi-lift jack in bed - 30lbs
- Sliders (4X Innovations) - 100lbs
- Relentless skids (two steel, one aluminum) - 75lbs
- Baja Rack/Shovel/Axe Mount/MaxTrax mount - 35lbs
Total - 1,419lbs (1,118lbs after subtracting items removed)

Other Items

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  • 285/70/R17's Falken Wildpeak AT3s (33s)

Have an off-road trailer weighs about 1,800lbs with about 60lbs tongue weight with normal camping gear. Back of truck is usually loaded up with another 300lbs during expeditions/hunting trips.

Probably nothing more unusual in my truck than a lot of other overlander-style rigs.

 

Very thorough,.....and interesting. It all adds up doesn't it?

 

Plus you, the wifey, and a full tank of gas of course(another ~ 500 lbs) so around 1900 or more all in. If you're curious stop by a weigh station and see just how much over gvw the truck is. For someone who does this frequently I assume keeping an ear out for abnormal sounds is a habit(should be for everyone but because tow trucks need business too many of us neglect or ignore that habit) so that things get fixed at home rather than on the trail. I'm just sayin the wheel bearings won't last as long with this kind of pampering and that rumbling sound shouldn't go with you on a trip.

 

Fwiw, many SUVs can't carry four adults plus luggage without exceeding gvw but over landing is an extreme activity were the penalties for mistakes also become extreme. It's already accepted that larger tires and lifts cause premature wear on front suspensions and that leaf packs commonly need replacement. We can beef up many of the components but not all of them and axle bearings are one of these.

 

Wheel bearings already replaced once at about 40,000. They were the stock ones and the passenger side was going bad when I got it inspected for an alignment (wasn't making enough noise yet). Got the good ones from Bill and no problems since with a trip to Moab and another trip to Central Colorado four months later (traveling from North Alabama, so not just short trips). FWIW, I have not had any handling issues with all the weight but I remain concerned over the long haul about wear and tear on transmission or engine as others have mentioned. I even considered a slide-in camper at one time but also had major concerns about weight and handling in high winds or even at normal Interstate speeds. With the slide in I would most definitely not consider towing any kind of trailer. I just think that is pushing the limits of hazardous.

 

I just towed a small uhaul trailer with ONLY my 700# motorcycle(with fuel and accessories) strapped in the trailer from Florida to the mountains of North Georgia and North Carolina... think Hwy 129, deals gap, tail of the dragon mountains.
Very disappointed that the taco (v6 auto) even with this minimal amount of weight was dogging it up the hills on the interstate as if I was doing the Gauntlet test just to hold 65-70. Slower mountain roads it hunted for a happy gear up and down. (never did I use OD)
I just can't see this truck being a comfortable heavy hauler. Guess folks just ok with tearing up stuff and wear ear plugs.

 

Growing up we had a Jeep Wagoneer V8 with 4 wheel drums, way larger and heavier than current models and it was notoriously bad at stopping. It might be a good idea to consider upgrading the brakes if you're going to travel heavy.

 

Calling any truck a 1/2, 3/4,or 1 ton truck is a misnomer going back 60-70 years that was close to true at one time.

My Tacoma is rated at 1200 lbs. That includes passengers, cargo and tongue weight. With a 5000 lb trailer, tongue weight is about 650 lbs. That leaves 550 for passengers and gear. My wife and I combined are 350, so that only leaves 200 lbs for cargo.

What we call 1/2 tons are all over the place depending on options. Some have payloads as low as 1100-1200 lbs. My F-150 Screw 4X4 is rated at about 1700 lbs. But a regular cab with fewer options and an 8' bed could be well over 2000 lbs.

There are lots of reasons to stay within, or at least very close to the weight printed on the sticker on the door. Any vehicle handles best when 50% of the weight is on each axle. Unloaded, most trucks have over 50% on the front. Once loaded to near max you end up with well over 50% on the rear axle. The front axle does most of the braking. You reach a point when you overload where the front wheels are no longer firmly planted to the pavement. When that happens braking and steering are compromised.

You can modify the suspension to get the truck to ride level, but that doesn't fix the problem. It only hides it.