Last year we did a column discussing the payload number on ¾ ton pickups after which we had several emails asking for a similar explanation for ½ tons. Several were from Ram truck owners which tend to have relatively low payload figures even though the trucks actual ability to carry weight is pretty much the same as other half tons.

Currently in our fleet is the 2017 Ram EcoDiesel 6.5 box crew cab that I took to Nova Scotia a couple of years ago. This truck is still completely stock, making it a good platform to look at numbers with. The GVWR* on this truck is 6950 pounds subtract its empty weight with fuel of 5880 Pounds and you come pretty close to the payload number assigned by Chrysler, a paltry 1,164 pounds. Both front and rear axles (GAWR*) are rated for 3900 pounds so in theory if you can distribute the load evenly this truck should carry 7,800 pounds. Subtract the empty weight and you have a payload of 1920 pounds. 

Recently I needed to pick up a few things at a lumber yard 25 kilometers from my house. Since I did not feel like moving bags of cement twice, I piled them on at the back of the truck. In the picture it does not look overloaded, but it sure felt like it was, oversteer the wheel a little and the truck started to sway over the rear axle quite substantially. Had a deer picked that time to run in front of me I would have had very little capacity to avoid it. It was unstable enough that I decided to take a little detour past the scales to see exactly what the weights were. It turns out the rear axle capacity GAWR of 3900 pounds was not exceeded as I was 20 pounds under at 3880. The GVWR of the truck is 6950 pounds and I was at 7200 so I was 250 pounds over the GVWR. 

Part way home though I decided to do an experiment, I stopped and moved the cement bags to the front of the box, I did not weigh it in this state but the handling changed dramatically and the truck was stable at higher speeds than it should ever be driven - well at least as stable as a pick-up gets. I was still over the GVWR, my total load did not change just the distribution of the load. I could have loaded another 500 pounds of cement at the front of the box or had 3 more adults in the cab and affected handling very little. Bottom line is the stability is not nearly as affected by the amount of weight as it is by where the weight is carried.

Drive a truck loaded tail heavy and you can somewhat see where manufacturers are coming from. A low payload number protects them from liability due to loss of control. These days car makers get the blame for everything so you can understand them being cautious. 

Often people who are looking at trucks add up their load in a pretty basic manner and get very concerned about the Payload capacity. They look at a truck like Ram and do the math:

•  350 Pounds for two people 

•  500 Pounds for a topper and some cargo

• 1,100 Pounds for hitch weight

• 1,850 Pounds Total.

1850 pounds is 700 more than the load capacity so it is easy to assume they need a different truck, or do they? The flaw in this simple math is that it does not allow for the fact that you can transfer weight to the front wheels and back to the trailer wheels with a weight distribution hitch. The 1100 pound hitch weight only uses 500 pounds of the load capacity as 300 pounds goes to the front tires of the truck and 300 goes back to the trailer tires.

So what happens to this truck’s weights when we connect a trailer to it? When we traveled east last summer towing an Airstream with 1100 pounds of hitch weight with two of us in the truck and 500 pounds in the box with full fuel we weighed in at 3760 on the front axle and 3600 on the rear, almost perfect 50/50 weight distribution. Total weight of the truck was 7420 pounds, 470 pounds over the GVWR but well under the capacity of both axles. Setup like this the truck’s handling is again as stable as any pickup gets. 

Any tradesman who has loaded trucks for decades will look at these weights and have no concerns at all. However, for those new to trucks the 470 pounds over the GVWR can seem quite alarming. Even though the truck handles nicely and performs well and will never have a mechanical issue because of it. If you fall into the alarmed camp and just cannot see yourself living with a number outside what is published what is there to do? 

Some will say that numbers do count, and you should switch to a 2500 then you will be just under the GVWR and within payload. If payload is the only number that counts to you and cost of ownership is not an issue, then that is a possible solution. However, there are other numbers that are more important than the payload number where the 2500 is somewhat inferior. On the 2500 the centre of gravity is several inches higher than the 1500 added to that the stance of the front suspension is 24 inches narrower. The fuel mileage is dismal unless you get the diesel but then the truck is 2000 pounds heavier. Brakes are only very slightly larger than the 1500’s but the 1500’s tires have more traction tires and less weight to muster to a stop so a shorter stopping distance. 187’ from 70 MPH for the 1500 vs 207’ for the 2500, the difference is considerably more in the rain, for comparison a Chrysler 300 stops from 70 MPH in 159’. As well the 1500 has much more direct steering feel than the 2500. Perish the thought if you do manage to ever hit another vehicle you are likely to do much less damage to its occupants with the lower and lighter 1500 truck.

From a handling and safety perspective the 2500, like most HD trucks, is a top-heavy vehicle on a narrow stance, to put it another way it is much easier to roll a 2500. There is no contest, the 1500 is a much safer truck for you and those around you. The question to ask is: Does an artificially low (at least as it relates to towing) payload number matter more than several specifications directly tied to the laws of physics that do have a significant impact on stability and safety?

Another solution would be to consider the new 2020 Ford Transit Passenger Van with the same 3.5 EcoBoost and 10 speed drivetrain as the F150. It has more cargo space than a pickup, all inside, dry and secure. The centre of gravity is even lower than the 1500, a rigid body structure front to rear and 2630 pounds of payload capacity. 

As a mentor of mine once said, I’m not here to tell you what to do, but I hope I’ve given you something to think about.

- Andy

Originally published in RV Lifestyle, Volume 48, No. 6.