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Adding extra weight to the truck - need some advice

Tex_Ram

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I need to go jump on a scale but I'm estimating I'm over 1000lbs on my build. I have a 6in lift and I sit about 1.5-2in shorter in the rear. Considering dumping it all and starting over with a 2500 Power Wagon... Plus I hate the limited aftermarket for the 5th Gen 1500's.

2020 Ram 1500 Lonestar

Leitner Designs Rack - 81lbs
Roof Top Tent - 173lbs
Decked Drawer System - 220lbs (Crazy how much that weighs!!)
20 Gallon Water tank - ~165lbs
Gear - 150lbs-200lbs
12k Winch - 89lbs
Vice Winch Mount - ~90lbs
3.5 Gallon Fuel Rotopak - ~21lbs
2x 2 Gallon Water Rotopak - ~16lbs
Hi-Lift - 33lbs
 

outdoorco75

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Crazy how fast the weight adds up and we have a V8 yet the Tacoma guys add a sh*t ton of gear with that baby V6 and have no issues. Wtf! lol

And that V6 is a dog without weight, when my 4Runner was loaded it was a struggle to go up hill at any decent rate.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Techguy2000

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I need to go jump on a scale but I'm estimating I'm over 1000lbs on my build. I have a 6in lift and I sit about 1.5-2in shorter in the rear. Considering dumping it all and starting over with a 2500 Power Wagon... Plus I hate the limited aftermarket for the 5th Gen 1500's.

2020 Ram 1500 Lonestar

Leitner Designs Rack - 81lbs
Roof Top Tent - 173lbs
Decked Drawer System - 220lbs (Crazy how much that weighs!!)
20 Gallon Water tank - ~165lbs
Gear - 150lbs-200lbs
12k Winch - 89lbs
Vice Winch Mount - ~90lbs
3.5 Gallon Fuel Rotopak - ~21lbs
2x 2 Gallon Water Rotopak - ~16lbs
Hi-Lift - 33lbs
It'll be very interesting what your scale weight is! The 6in lift no doubt added weight and then the incremental weight from the 35s (and possible 35 spare) as well.

Power Wagons have some very cool toys but their payload can be close to our 1500's (they are de-rated from non PW trim 2500s). You'd already get a winch so you'd save 200lbs there but otherwise I'd assume you would move over most of the accessories you have today. (Maybe you drop the decked system due to weight and it wouldn't fit but you could make that choice now as well)

I'm sure you are researching them well before such a big change from the awesome build you have. Another item to note is they don't have the nice backseat interior or space if that matters to you (I think it's only on the 2500 mega cab).
 

Ram1500rsm

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Why do we have to worry much about payload ? Tacomas as stated will carry much more weight than what some of you are thinking to have mods wise and they do so with a whimpy V6, i know i've had two :) Hoping not to rub the dudes who are into towing and what not cause i swear that's not my idea.

I'm not into towing anything so ive never been inclined to think much about towing capacities. I know Payload is the max the manufacturer advertise for cargo, passengers, accessories, but isn't that for a vehicle with stock everything ? it can be calculated as GVWR - Curb weight. GWVR won't change cause it's hardcoded from the manufacturer in our doors jams, so we're toasted cause we can't increase that. My 4th gen crew cab 1500 for example has a whimpy 6900lbs GVWR., max factory payload from the sticker "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed" 1484lbs in my case.

I've added 800lbs in mods so i can literally carry myself, (200lbs) and literally 2 more adults and my truck engine/trans will explode ? i carry more than that just going on a offroad camping trip by myself and the dog. My truck weights 6200 without me in it. (measured at public scale)

On another curious note the GAWR is 3900 front or rear, that will mean combined weight rating at the axels is 7800lbs. Why is the GVWR 900lbs less than the axel rating combined ?

I'm running E rated 315/70/17 tires, truck came with P rated 275/60/20's. P rated tires in 275/60/20 are rated at 2600lbs each at 35psi. i have more than that with E rated 315/70/17's, according to the TRA table they can hold 2685lbs at 40psi where i'm running them. So all combined the tires can hold 5370lbs at the axel.

I have better than stock brakes, 75% stiffer than stock rear springs with race shocks, race coilovers in the front with stiffer coil spring rates, truck has a HD trans cooler, electric steering has never complained in 94k miles even on 37's with the same weight mods. Have never seen anything abnormal out of the TC or diff fluids, changed every 30-40k miles. Trans has never ever overheated even in the longest inclines fully loaded with camping gear and all the crap we tend to carry around so we don't miss home.

The RAM is prob the first vehicle i've had where carrying more weight is so damn easy, no regear (i have factory 3.92's but the old 6 speed you guys with the 8 speed have it even easier ) no welding anything in the bed to add extra support for weight or offroad abuse, everything in the truck is HD at least compared to a Tacoma, i had 4.56's in my 1st Taco, 4.88's in the 2nd and that was just with 33's so what gives ? the Hemi has more than adequate tq to move payload plus say 400-500lbs more and that's even with 35's. Dang my Jeep JKU was almost as heavy as my RAM with the little Pentastar and 4.56's, that had steel HD everything for rock crawling. same story bigger rotors, heavy duty springs, better shocks, etc, trans cooler, etc etc.

So what's the issue with exceeding payload if you have a modded vehicle?, true question i'm not trying to be smartass or anything just in case. Honest question.
 

devildodge

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@Ram1500rsm

You are correct your engine will not blow up. Nor your transmission.

GVWR on a 4th Gen 4x4 is 6900...the 5th Gen is now 7100. Both have a front GAWR of 3900 the rear being 3900 for 4th and 4100 for 4th.

Yes adding up the axle rating will get you 7800 for a 4th Gen and 8000 for a 5th.

The extra 900 lbs is what I tend to call inertia weight. The movement of weight forward during a hard stop and weight backward during acceleration.

The GVWR has to do with all the components. The 200 more lbs the 5th Gen gets is solely because of the 6th lug and larger brakes.

Hope this helps make sense of it. GVWR is to safely and optimally get the truck around corners up hill down hill, etc.
 

Ram1500rsm

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@Ram1500rsm

You are correct your engine will not blow up. Nor your transmission.

GVWR on a 4th Gen 4x4 is 6900...the 5th Gen is now 7100. Both have a front GAWR of 3900 the rear being 3900 for 4th and 4100 for 4th.

Yes adding up the axle rating will get you 7800 for a 4th Gen and 8000 for a 5th.

The extra 900 lbs is what I tend to call inertia weight. The movement of weight forward during a hard stop and weight backward during acceleration.

The GVWR has to do with all the components. The 200 more lbs the 5th Gen gets is solely because of the 6th lug and larger brakes.

Hope this helps make sense of it. GVWR is to safely and optimally get the truck around corners up hill down hill, etc.
But in essence nothing bad that will happen to the truck if modded correct? just a guidance from the manufacturer to say if you take this vehicle from us don't exceed xxx lbs and the whole thing should work as expected and certified by us type of thing?
 

devildodge

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If you overload the truck you risk something breaking for sure. You should never exceed the axle ratings.

If you load 100, 300, or 400 more pounds than payload rating...you will probably be fine.

You load 300, 400, or 600 pounds more over an axle rating...you will have an issue. Either premature wear...like a wheel bearing or even lug nut issues. Have seen this numerous times in the towing world...especially with the guys towing 5th wheels with half ton trucks.

Will this happen the first time someone goes offroad loaded beyond capacity to camp...probably not...but the 5th or 12th time. Something may give.

It is obvious that the trucks can perform outaide their ratings...but they will not perform as intended and the outcome may not be as expected.
 

Ram1500rsm

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If you overload the truck you risk something breaking for sure. You should never exceed the axle ratings.

If you load 100, 300, or 400 more pounds than payload rating...you will probably be fine.

You load 300, 400, or 600 pounds more over an axle rating...you will have an issue. Either premature wear...like a wheel bearing or even lug nut issues. Have seen this numerous times in the towing world...especially with the guys towing 5th wheels with half ton trucks.

Will this happen the first time someone goes offroad loaded beyond capacity to camp...probably not...but the 5th or 12th time. Something may give.

It is obvious that the trucks can perform outaide their ratings...but they will not perform as intended and the outcome may not be as expected.
Got it. Ty sir.
 

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