Overlanding Rig payload questions

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Lewbrown

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Hey all:

Posted here and there. The Swamp Monster (the name is a work in progress) had the camper installed last week and, we’ll, it’s kinda heavy.

CC045508-6838-4040-9A76-3D22C5CB54C8.jpeg

I drove it 400 miles home with no issues, other than a rough ride, and now I’ve had a pair of 1500lb Sumo Springs installed.

CD11F59C-E36B-469C-B8D0-8B26E4B50464.jpeg

What I’m really worried about though, is payload… The camper is 1700lbs kitted out, and my payload is 1500#. I installed heavy duty Carli springs in the rear that theoretically add 500# payload, but… Does it really?

What are my risks here?
 

gofishn

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Nothing adds payload.
Payload is payload and never changes for that truck.

You can upgrade, literally, everything, change it all over to a 5500 and it still does affect payload numbers, for that VIN.
That's the Legality & Reality.

then there;s Common Sense, which has nothing to do with any of that. Kind of like how career Criminals keep getting out to commits Crimes.

Legality & Reality has nothing to do with Common Sense.


My Understanding, there is a pin, inside the axle, that is the weakest link in the chain.
Can upgrade tires, shocks, springs, everything, but that axle is going to limit you
and be the source of future Woes.

Again, this is my Understanding, I have not personally Verified, this information.
 
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Lewbrown

Lewbrown

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I definitely approached this all from a ready, fire, aim perspective in hindsight. The camper is designed for a Tacoma and I never though past, “If it works on a small truck it’ll be fine on this.”

It’s good to know this stuff. I’m gonna do my best to work with this, but knowing where my failure points are likely to be and what things I am stressing exactly is very important. I’m not gonna shoot the messenger.
 

rmill

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At the very minimum I would take it loaded with you and supplies and have it weighed at a Cat Scale, very cheap. Chances are while the arbitrary payload number is way over, pushing axle rating is a different animal. Good luck and very cool setup.
 

Travelin Ram

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You have plenty of company, just about every “overlander” you see with a social media presence is running around overloaded. The reality is lifting and big rubber reduces capacity and weight loaded high is working against stability in unlevel terrain. But it does make more dramatic video when they break their stuff.

I agree with the recommendation to weigh and check against your RAWR. That’s the critical point of failure. Doesn’t look like you’ve done anything to increase the front end weight.

Driven sensibly on moderate dirt, IMO it’s fine. If on the other hand hardcore trails are your plan, the build is going in the wrong direction.
 

crazykid1994

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In my 4th gen Ram axle rating puts these trucks to 7800lbs. Actual weight capacity is 6900lbs which leaves 900lbs of axle capacity above what the sticker says. Now I do go by the sticker for legality reasons. However I am running eibach rear springs which add a little load capacity to the spring for a better ride when loaded. That does not change the door sticker. Also I don’t see how a Tacoma could carry that camper. Way over payload and definitely larger than the Tacoma bed by the looks of it.
 

Elvira

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Hey all:

Posted here and there. The Swamp Monster (the name is a work in progress) had the camper installed last week and, we’ll, it’s kinda heavy.

I drove it 400 miles home with no issues, other than a rough ride, and now I’ve had a pair of 1500lb Sumo Springs installed.
What I’m really worried about though, is payload… The camper is 1700lbs kitted out, and my payload is 1500#. I installed heavy duty Carli springs in the rear that theoretically add 500# payload, but… Does it really?

What are my risks here?
"gofishn" is absolutely correct, nothing you can do will change payload. That particular vehicle is engineered and built to accommodate a certain weight and payload. Springs and tires only give a ride stance difference, your axles are the culprits that decide on what it can carry legally. The risks are breaking an axle, having an accident and being found over weight, something that could go against you if it went to court.
 

chri5k

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At the very minimum I would take it loaded with you and supplies and have it weighed at a Cat Scale, very cheap. Chances are while the arbitrary payload number is way over, pushing axle rating is a different animal. Good luck and very cool setup.
Definitely do as rmill suggests. The problem with many in-bed campers is they put much of the weight behind the axle. The one in your picture looks like about 2/3's of the weight is behind the rear axle. This causes the rear axle to become the fulcrum with the frame being a lever which lightens the weight on the front (steer) axle and possibly over-stressing the frame. The truck in Farmer Frans' post is an example of extreme overloading and way too much weight behind the axle.

Ideally you should weigh the truck without the camper and note the front and rear axle weights. Add the camper and see how much the values change. If the front changes more than a couple hundred pounds lighter with the camper on, I would be concerned. Also, remember when going over bumps and dips the front end will get even lighter and may result in loss of steering control.
 

tron67j

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As said, load it with everything you take including full of fuel, people, gear, etc. With the camper +200 alone, you are going to find you are probably closer to +400 to 500 over.
 

GTyankee

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Picture #1, rear is squatting, front is lifted
Picture #2, looks like the bed rail is pretty level, front looks close to correct

Would i run 200 or 300 pounds over on the rear axle, you betcha
Is it legal, only if you don't get caught with a broken axle on paved road.
You know that you are going to pull a trailer, you already have the Ball on the hitch

Don't cry when you start replacing axles & other parts

Go slow on rough trails
 

Bandit1859

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Hey all:

Posted here and there. The Swamp Monster (the name is a work in progress) had the camper installed last week and, we’ll, it’s kinda heavy.

View attachment 513841

I drove it 400 miles home with no issues, other than a rough ride, and now I’ve had a pair of 1500lb Sumo Springs installed.

View attachment 513842

What I’m really worried about though, is payload… The camper is 1700lbs kitted out, and my payload is 1500#. I installed heavy duty Carli springs in the rear that theoretically add 500# payload, but… Does it really?

What are my risks here?
1500 truck frames are different than 2500 that is what you need with that weight
 
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