Payload issue

[Pender]

Our trailer is on order but we can hitch up a friends

 

[turkeybird56]

Hello

We recently purchased a 2018 Ram 1500 eco diesel 4x4 crew cab. The GVWR is 6950 as per the door sticker. There is no payload information on the sticker

Published data from Dodge indicates that the payload for this configuration is 1270 pounds

To our surprise we weighed our truck yesterday and it was 6120 pounds, making the payload 830 pounds. we bought the truck to haul a lightweight, 3900 pound trailer

The math doesn’t work for us with the 366 pound hitch weight, 2 labs, and two adults, and gear. We figure we need at least 1000 pounds. Of course we assumed we were good as we believed we had 1270 pounds as the payload

What we’re trying to figure out now is where the discrepancy is? We have Ram boxes, a spray in liner, full size spare, and winter tires with steel rims

We would appreciate insight into where we went wrong. At this point we will need to forgo the trailer or sell the truck and buy a much more expensive 2500

IF U R in Canada and not a US truck, ie., sold in Canada, the US Listing not be available since is Canadian. U would have to contact FCA Canada. But just for giggles, here is the info from MY 19 Bighorn:

 

[chri5k]

Also might want to see if some of the "stuff" can go in the trailer versus the bed or cab of the truck. You will pay significantly less "payload penalty" for stuff in the trailer. Bumper pulls usually have a tongue weight between 10% - 15% of trailer weight. If you put 500 Lbs of "stuff" in the trailer it will add 75 Lbs to the tongue weight.

 

[Pender]

Interesting, thank you!

 

[csuder99]

Not the first 1500 with payload in the 800 lbs range, a few people have been bitten by this before. In this case there's a lot to account for: Crew cab, 4x4, diesel, Laramie likely with additional options. I had a Tradesman V6 4x4 quad cab that had almost 1500 lbs payload in comparison. Heck my current 2500 Tradesman CC V8 4x4 is only 200 lbs heavier than the 6100 lbs the OP's truck weighs.
Bottomline is look at the payload sticker before buying a truck. After the fact there isn't really much that can be done without getting into 'grey' territory.

 

[Jughed]

Remember to consider tongue weight in the payload calc. My travel trailer has 8-900# tongue weight, plus another 60 or so for the hitch - that left me with little or no payload capacity on my old 1500 for people, dogs and "stuff".

 

[Jughed]

Not the first 1500 with payload in the 800 lbs range, a few people have been bitten by this before. In this case there's a lot to account for: Crew cab, 4x4, diesel, Laramie likely with additional options. I had a Tradesman V6 4x4 quad cab that had almost 1500 lbs payload in comparison. Heck my current 2500 Tradesman CC V8 4x4 is only 200 lbs heavier than the 6100 lbs the OP's truck weighs.
Bottomline is look at the payload sticker before buying a truck. After the fact there isn't really much that can be done without getting into 'grey' territory.

I have the same truck with a 8' bed. On the scales at the exit of the dump, empty truck except for me and my son - 300#+/-, the truck weight in at 8200# - so 7900# for the truck.

Ram lists the base weight of the truck at 6800#. So with fuel, options, spare tire (? I assume that's not in the base weight) - 1100#'s right off the top.

I don't know what "base weight" actually includes. I image its for the base truck, with the smallest tires, no fluids, spare?, options?

Many tradesman come with the Snow Chief group - bigger tires, skid plates - few 100#s right out of the gate.

 

[dhay13]

My payload is 2973lbs so my 'curb weight' was 7027lbs (10,000 GVWR - payload = curb weight). When I weighed mine with just me in it and a full tank of fuel, tonneau cover, a few tools and an Equalizer WDH I weighed 7580lbs. Subtract my 270lbs and about 100lbs for the WDH my truck was at about 7210lbs, so about 180lbs over what my door sticker calculation was.

 

[62Blazer]

Sounds like you are definitely into a 3500 dually range! But seriously.....you are talking about a 3,900 lb. trailer and under 400 lbs. tongue weight and thinking you need a 2500?

 

[Pender]

Yes which is a huge bummer. But 850 pounds of payload is just nuts. If we remove the back seats, the spare and the tailgate...

 

[ramffml]

We found it just now. And yes, it does actually say not to exceed 850 pounds. Unbelievable. We bought it to tow the new trailer and not looks like we're going to be truck shopping for a 2500. I have never heard of a payload so low. Because we didn't notice it on the sticker we relied on information on the Dodge website, which probably didn't take into account the different trim levels. Ours is a Laramie

4th gens have less payload compared to 5th gens, add the ED and a high trim and you will get < 1000 pounds very quickly. My brother's ED is somewhere around 900 pounds too.

I've seen guys pulling their not-to-small 5th wheel with a 4th gen ED and later with a 4th gen hemi, obviously they're not concerned about payload and that is too far over. But I wouldn't worry about pulling your load, just go.

If you want to stay with a Ram 1500 but be inside your payload, my truck as 1750 pounds available; that's a 5th gen crew cab hemi, 4x4, big horn, level 2 package, with bedliner. So you can definitely find a more capable truck if you're careful to avoid the heavy options:
- off road group
- panoramic sun roof
- ram boxes
- ecodiesel

Those are main offenders.

something doesnt sound right. my '19 laramie weighs 5776# giving me 1324# per the door sticker. I thought the ecodsl was about 100# lighter than the models with the 5.7 v8 so I'm thinking you should be in the 1200# range unless a higher trim level than laramie.

ED is actually heavier than the Hemi. And 4th gens have less GVWR rating in the first place, so that's where the majority of the 400 to 500 pounds difference is.

 

[Pender]

ram boxes
- ecodiesel

Bingo, ours has both of these. I wonder how much those Ram boxes weigh and if they are removable? Love the mileage of the diesel though. We get in the 9/100 range if we don't speed too much

 

[rbsailor]

For what it is worth, we pulled a trailer twice that weight with our 2015 Laramie ED for close to 6 years with out an issue. I added air bags and used a WD Hitch. The truck handled the weight perfectly. Our trailer also had electric brakes and we towed in Tow/Haul mode. There should have no issues towing a 4K# trailer. just makes sure that when hitched the truck rides level.

 

[Hysteria77]

The ram box option eats quite a bit of payload weight. It seems like ram figures payload considering them full. I pull a 4k trailer with 3 kids + wife and full gear with air suspension in tow/haul and get 17-18mpg.

 

[dhay13]

FWIW all manufacturers calculate their payloads by taking GVWR and subtracting curb weight. No factoring whether ram boxes are full or empty, etc.
And I agree that you should have no issues at all towing that light of a trailer but you will likely be over payload.

 

[62Blazer]

Yes which is a huge bummer. But 850 pounds of payload is just nuts. If we remove the back seats, the spare and the tailgate...

Well, I was trying to be sarcastic. Just hook up the trailer and go! IMHO you are WAY over thinking this...........I mean really, it's a 3,900 lb. trailer that is probably less than half the rated towing capacity. Even if you were expecting 1,200 payload and really only have 800 lbs. what is the big deal. You are saying that 400 lbs. on a truck and trailer combination that is going to weigh 10,000+ lbs. is going to make any real difference. Then talking about removing the back seats, tailgate, and spare tire?!!! This whole thread is so insane I'm even starting to think somebody's making a joke to see what the reaction is...........
Let the payload police chime in on how it's going to explode on the freeway, kill a bus full of nuns, and you will spend life in prison for pulling a 3,900 lb. trailer behind a fullsize truck........

 

[Firebird]

Honestly, your truck should pull that just fine

 

[Big Jims 1500]

I just put my VIN in the site and it gave me the same # that’s on doorjam sticker. #1424
i’ll put Cat Scale on my list of things to do.

 

[Pender]

S2blazer lol!! I hear you. I think it's crazy too

 

[Pender]

We just go and look at a 2020 Ram eco diesel, Lamarie, essentially same truck as ours, but the payload is 1270 pounds. Which is weird, only difference is ours is a 2018, and has a bigger box and those Ram boxes