Payload capacity.

[landersen]

First time poster / new user here.

When researching my new 2021 F-150, I looked up the payload capacity on the Ford website for my rig (Lariat, 4x4, SuperCrew, 3.5L Eco-boost V6). The Ford website says max payload is 2,100lbs. But my door sticker says 1,584lbs. Being a newbie to all this (buying a travel-trailer as well), why is the discrepancy so large and is there anything I can do about it? At 1,584lbs, this fundamentally alters what trailer I plan on buying because of capacity issues.

Thoughts?

Thank you.

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[bobstar]

First time poster / new user here.

When researching my new 2021 F-150, I looked up the payload capacity on the Ford website for my rig (Lariat, 4x4, SuperCrew, 3.5L Eco-boost V6). The Ford website says max payload is 2,100lbs. But my door sticker says 1,584lbs. Being a newbie to all this (buying a travel-trailer as well), why is the discrepancy so large and is there anything I can do about it? At 1,584lbs, this fundamentally alters what trailer I plan on buying because of capacity issues.

Thoughts?

Thank you.

All the added options your truck has like Running boards, tailgate step, sun roof, bigger wheels etc all add up to reduce from the base payload you originally looked up

 

[Egilson1]

Towing capacity is not necessarily limited to just payload capacity. Here's and example with made up numbers:

Lets say your truck has GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of 7100 pounds, and a GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Ratio) of 19,000 pounds.
The curb weight of your truck is 5000lbs. (You added no options to the truck that increased it's curb weight)
So your payload capacity is 2100 lbs. (GVWR - CURB WIEGHT)

You load up your truck with you, the spouse, the dogs and some luggage. 600 pounds lets say. So now you have 1500lbs of payload capacity left.


Now on to the trailer. lets say it's a 7000 pound trailer loaded up with all it's crap. Tongue weight of 500 pounds. So you add the tongue weight to the payload for a total of 1100 pounds, and you are still under the GVWR, since you sit at 6100 pounds of the 7100 capacity. Add the 6500 remaining pounds of the trailer to the 6100 and your at a GCWR of 12600 pounds.

However there are other limiting factors to each sub group of weights. For instance, the axles each have a capacity limit. This is why over 500 pounds of tongue weight you should use a weigh distributing hitch to transfer some of the load to the front axle.

By playing with the variables you often can make everything work out. Near payload capacity? Move some of the items from the truck into the trailer, making sure you don't go over your tongue weight limit. Now you are below the payload limit and the GCWR limit.

Finally, here is a great little infographic about all the terms.

 

[Cobra427]

I have this same confusion. My Powerboost rating in the literature is 2,120 lbs. The door sticker says payload is 1,388 lbs. Are you saying I have ordered 732 lbs. of accessories? Color me doubtful...

 

[Jack in Prescott]

Larry, Ethan did a good job of illustrating the pieces that make up the whole GVWR & GCWR puzzle. That example also illustrates the general notion that it’s best to decide on the trailer first, then pick the tow vehicle that comfortably fits the trailer weight, payload needed, etc. And John, the actual “base weight” for the PB SCrew short bed 4WD F150 is 1830, if memory serves. So you added about 450# of trim level and options, which isn’t hard to do.

There‘s also another factor to consider. I‘ve noticed that most payload and GVWR discussions here assume that operating the tow vehicle right up to its GVWR is just as safe as doing so at some lesser weight. (The same assumption is usually applied to the trailer‘s GVWR as well). That’s just not so. The SAE standard the auto manufacturers now follow to determine the tow capacity ratings they give their trucks just doesn’t account for the mix of road and weather conditions that can exist when actually towing. E.g. we woke up this morning at a USFS campground to find a wind advisory for 20-30 G 40 mph winds. Lesser vehicle and trailer weights under those conditions would be safer.

Jack

 

[Cobra427]

OK, where oh where did that "base weight" number come from, Jack?

 

[lcrain]

OK, where oh where did that "base weight" number come from?

Basically a truck with no options at all. So an xl with powerboost, crew cab and literally nothing else. Not a truck that likely will ever exist haha.

 

[Jack in Prescott]

Cobra, I’m away from home and my computer files. Google will find it if you try “2021 F150 weights & options”. It’s a long (~65 pages?) doc Ford publishes. 1830# is for the short bed; 1810 is the long bed’s “base weight” as I recall. Also worth reading is Ford’s “Towing” pub if you haven’t seen it. Ford.com has that available.

Jack

 

[landersen]

That example also illustrates the general notion that it’s best to decide on the trailer first, then pick the tow vehicle that comfortably fits the trailer weight, payload needed, etc.

I did that. But I was basing my decision on the advertised payload capacity in the Ford docs (because I didn't have the knowledge at the time about how much options might impact the capacity and that is something Ford does not break down into detail). I even gave myself a buffer of about 200lbs to account for variance. I wasn't expecting the variance from Ford to be 500lbs! So yeah, lesson learned I guess.

 

[landersen]

My understanding is that Payload capacity is reduced by tongue weight, is that not the case? If so, then isn't the image in the lower-right incorrect?

And if so, if I move some payload to the rear of the trailer, or to be sitting directly over the trailer axles, then I would be reducing tongue weight thus allowing for more payload in the truck, correct?

Thanks.

 

[Egilson1]

My understanding is that Payload capacity is reduced by tongue weight, is that not the case? If so, then isn't the image in the lower-right incorrect?

And if so, if I move some payload to the rear of the trailer, or to be sitting directly over the trailer axles, then I would be reducing tongue weight thus allowing for more payload in the truck, correct?

Thanks.

Tongue weight IS payload, yes. But the lower right image shows "just a payload" without using a trailer.

Yes, you can move load around to reduce tongue weight, thereby increasing your available payload. Keep in mind that with not enough tongue weight the trail will start to sway more. It's a balancing act.

 

[landersen]

Tongue weight IS payload, yes. But the lower right image shows "just a payload" without using a trailer.

Yes, you can move load around to reduce tongue weight, thereby increasing your available payload. Keep in mind that with not enough tongue weight the trail will start to sway more. It's a balancing act.

Thank you. Makes sense now.

 

[Camptruck]

I had the same concern regarding payload. I ended up going with a 3.5 ECOboost rather than a Powerboost, based on my research.

I created a spreadsheet to estimate the payload that I would end up with, based on the options selected. Link below to the post. Note the spreadsheet attached in the post.
https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/thr...-to-avoid-to-increase-payload.1039/post-13627

Check it out, it should help explain where the payload was used up.

There have been a number of discussions on payload in this site. One forum is dedicated specifically to payload discussions.

 

[Jack in Prescott]

landersen, we probably should have asked you which trailer (and therefore, suspension) you are buying. Ethan is correct, you can shift weight to the trailer and even to the rear of the trailer, thereby lessening tongue weight. And yeah, <10% tongue weight can start making towing feel squirrely, when adding crosswinds, rough roads, higher speeds, etc.

But you probably are getting a trailer with an equalizing suspension: two axles, each with its own set of steel springs, joined together by a suspended link in-between them. If you plan on shifting weight from your truck to your trailer, the best place to put the weight is roughly over that suspended link, so the weight is shared between the two axles. But trailer layouts and storage areas usually don't lend themselves to this concept, e.g. often offering a full-width storage bay at the very front of the trailer and no storage lockers in the area between the axles. So inevitably, shifting weight to the trailer means putting it near one end or the other. Meaning the weight needs to be supported more by one axle than the other. Meaning you now have to also consider the axle weight ratings (GAWR)of your trailer. Sorry. This is like peeling the proverbial onion. (I feel your pain. Our suspension is torsion bar, much more forgiving e.g. on USFS roads...but this mandates fore and aft clearance measurements must be equal, yet another 'rule' that must be dealt with).

I'm attaching the doc I didn't have access to earlier. Go to p. 20 and you'll see, for a 4x4 SC short bed PB F150, the base weight - before weight added to upscale the trim level plus all of the options beyond that trim level - is 1833#.

Jack

 

[landersen]

landersen, we probably should have asked you which trailer (and therefore, suspension) you are buying.

Jack

Thanks for the doc. Pretty informative but missing a lot of information for the options I purchased. But I'm assuming that my door sticker has accounted for those, so I'm starting with 1584lb payload capacity.

The trailer I'm thinking about is a Lance 1985. Specs (on paper) are:

GVWR: 6,200
Hitch: 550
Dry Weight: 4245
Axle Weight: 3695

It is a dual torsion axle setup. The GVWR is well within reason, so it's just all about tongue weight at this point.

So i'm trying to get a better estimate of tongue weight including cargo. Of course the pass-through cargo storage is in the front. Here is what I've come up with so far:

• 620 - Realistic dry tongue weight based upon 10% GVWR
• 111 - 3 5lb full propane tanks
• 24 - electronic tongue jack / stabilizer
• 200lbs - cargo
• 60 - weight distribution hitch

Realistic tongue weight: 1015lbs

If I take my F150 1584lbs payload capacity and subtract tongue weight and me (220lbs) I get 349lbs remaining for cargo in the truck which seems slim but reasonable. I would also be putting the bike rack and bike on the back of the trailer which will help offset.

Do my calculations seem reasonable? Anything I'm missing?

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