A "weighty" issue: Running out of payload capacity....

I picked up my 2011 Taco a few weeks ago, and naturally now I need to make some modifications to it. Pisses the wife off, because in her eyes I can "never leave well enough alone." I'm always wanting to mod my cars....

Anyway, I made a run to the transfer station the other day, and so I know what the truck weighs: 4,680 lbs!

That was with myself, my two kids, car seats, 2/3rds tank of gas and the usual suspects stored under the rear seats (tool kit, straps, draw bar, etc.) I figure I'll be at 4,900 lbs when I fill up the gas tank and add the wife.

With a scant 5,450 GVWR, I'm left with 550 lbs of payload. My camper runs a heavier tongue weight than most at 700 lbs (Starcraft 11RT, 3,500 lbs max, 20% tongue weight) Already the truck doesn't have the payload to handle the full tongue weight of the camper if I load it to the max.



I had also planned to do the following:
Weather Guard tool box (added already): +75 lbs
Tools/gear/chains/recovery stuff/crap in tool box: +125 lbs
Winch bumper and Warn M8000: +150 lbs
Rock sliders: +100 lbs
Change out tires to BFG Mud Terrains: +70 lbs over the Rugged Trails

All that comes to 520 lbs, which leaves a paltry 30lbs of payload just sitting there. And actually, that 30lbs would be eaten up by auxiliary lights, hi lift, shovel and axe. Now there is NO payload capacity left. Not any weight capacity left for a dual battery setup either.

Over on Expedition Portal, I see guys setup their Tacomas for overland travel, and I can see no way that they aren't grossly overweight. I think that the Tacoma can handle the weight with some suspension changes. But from a liability perspective in an accident, I don't really want to be 20% over the GVWR.

How are you guys handling this kind of stuff? Do you not worry about it? Didn't even think about it?

 

I got a 5.7L Tundra mileage could be better but payload is sick I raced with my 300 pound tool box and still ran a 14.6 in the 1/4 I miss my taco but not it's towingor payload but just a heads up you can overload to certain points and it will do fine

 

Better get a new suspension under there. Tell your wife to look away.

Modding vehicles leads to increased wear. Tough nugs.

I deal with this by the fact that my Taco is a offroad toy first, everything else second. I don't have major towing or hauling needs.

 

At 700 pounds tongue weight, you're 50 pounds over the maximum tongue weight for a towing-package equipped Tacoma anyway.

 

True. I've never actually had the tongue weight up to 700 lbs, the most I've done is 585 lbs. But even at that level, the limiting factor is still the payload and not the tongue weight rating of the hitch. I may have to relocate some of the stuff on the camper to the rear to lower the tongue weight (such as the batteries.) Having two 12V golf cart batteries plus 2 - 20lb propane tanks right on the tongue adds a lot of weight. I can probably move the batteries to the rear bumper, freeing up space on the deck and changing the balance slightly to reduce tongue weight.

Just surprising how quickly you run out of payload capacity with aftermarket changes. I'm guessing some heavily modded guys are way over the GVWR and don't even know it....

 

yep,if people buy these trucks to haul stuff they made a big mistake imo.i have a 3/4 suburban and a big trailor to haul anything heavy.

 

Many guys on here are armored with larger tires and toolbox in the bed and are past GVWR without passengers.

 

x2

 

Not necessarily. Just need to realistically decide what needs to be added to the truck, and what is "nice to have, but not a need to have." If I'm heading out camping in the summer, I probably don't need the tire chains in the tool box (saves 25 lbs.) The kids are only getting bigger, so my wife and I need to lose a few pounds to raise the payload!

Even a Ram 1500 has just 1,600 lbs of payload. If someone added all the things above (winch, bumper, etc. etc.) and four passengers, they'd be left with about 500 lbs for tongue weight. It would take a Ram 2500 to be able to "build" up a truck and still tow a moderate 3,500 lb camper.

Just seems that a truck with a good reputation as a mid-size pickup would have more than 500 lbs of payload capacity with four butts in the seats. Or that the aftermarket would do a better job of reducing weight of their products where possible. Of course, reducing weight usually means increasing costs....

 

Depends how big those butts are.

 

Dressed with all my "EDC" stuff, I'm about 245 lbs. Clothes and EDC stuff accounts for about 10 lbs.... So yeah, I could stand to drop 30-40 lbs...

 

I think tires shouldn't count towards the added weight since they would be considered an Unsprung weight?

 

^ This.You're in denial.You bought a truck that is not big enough for what you need.

 

I think many dont check it ,they just say its a tacoma, itll take it(leads to a post blaming tacos for failing imo). My view is Before you buy a truck you should add all that stuff up. once you said my wife n kids n trailer, thats it.Unfortunately,you cant bend it into a legend. Even many fullsize 1/2 tons wont meet that demand. With family in mind , its either an expedition rig , or a tow rig , but not both with them numbers.
Can you place some of the weight into the trailer (centered over the axle),keeping below it s gvw?
If you use helper springs or leveling bags ,you should keep in mind they're really meant to stabilize/level the 5450gvw you stated , i wouldnt use them as "permission' to exceed it. I do have to say you do a good job adding it up, scaling it even.

 

If you pick up this months issue of 4 wheel parts throw around magazine/catalog, there's a cool article in it on a new SAE standard for determining GCVWR. Really sheds light on how the industry "commonly" does it and what the most important factors are for towing capacity.

If you're doing it "by the book" then no mods you make will ever change your GCVWR or GVWR.

Now it sounds like you're within GCVWR anyway -- it's GVWR that's the issue.

However, as a practical matter, hitches and sliders stiffen the frame. "expedition" springs increase static load capacity. Aftermarket brakes improve fade resistance under load. As a purely practical matter, if you choose your modifications carefully, you'll probably find you can make your truck fit your needs.

Having said all that I must warn you that driving your truck over it's rated weight capacity is unsafe and you should not do it under any circumstances, least of all because "some guy on the internet with a nickname from a cartoon moose" told you it was a good idea. Make your choices, pay your money, take your chances. No whining.

 

Don't slam the article based on my summary without reading it. They're not talking about modification at all - but rather how new truck ratings are determined.